In Service to the Imperium (IC thread)

[Segmentia]

"Understood, sire. And if I may...", she said marking the last syllable of the title with her well marked high born accent. "Here I was pondering if you could spare a pair of Valkyries from the 2nd company in reserve to help Hess spot the armor on the terrain? We guess we both do not want to lose most of the day tracing foxes, and having hounds in the air always help".

Lividivus sighed at being called 'sire' again, but would not correct her again so soon. "I'll send some of the Valkyries my company came down in. The navy has been gracious enough to lend them to us for the mission. Expect them shortly." He said, one of his lieutenants already giving the orders to two Valkyries back at the landing zone.

[Orcoa]

Back on the Transport ship

Durnn and her Company ready themselves for the coming battle in their hanger bay, whispering prayers to the God Emperor and singing hymns of Battle as to ready their bodies and minds for the enemies that would come even if they are not to fight in this first battle. Men and Women help each other get into their carapace armor and loading their lasguns while flight crews ready the Valkyries to be used for dropping them off.

Major Durnn frowns softly, putting a cigar in her mouth and lighting it as she has always done before battle. She turned on her small systems and other readers that are in every armor that the Imperial Swords wear. Her Vox comes alive and hears the coming reports of the landing. She turns towards her Troopers and her troopers straight up very quickly as all the troopers stay in a long line side by side of each other while the work crews ready the Valkyries.

"Lady and Gentlemen, We are put on support by our Glorious Colonel for this mission. We will do as we always done, Land where the fighting is hot and we kill everything that is not a friendly...remember soldiers, we are Elites of the Guard!!! We shed the blood of the Heathen and The Xeno in the name of our him on Earth!. IMPERIAL SWORDS! LET ME HEAR YOUR WAR CRY!!!!" yelled Durnn, Her troopers did just that and raised their hands in the sign of the Aquila.

They were ready for battle....and it was only a matter of time when they will be called to arms.

[Bone Fort]

Demens was happy. Overjoyed, even. His men had actually made it to the ground without dying. That was a good sign.

Hey, we might not even get hit by friendly fire! That'd be grande.

They poured out of the dropships and towards the enemy, tanks and artillery trudging along. He glanced about from his vantage point, standing atop a Malcador Heavy Tank, watching as his men advanced upon the enemy. He called down to the vox operator.

"Get the good Colonel on the line, tell him everything is going fine, proceeding as was previously planned, ask if there are any new orders or changes to the overall situation that we should be aware of."

[Mereshka]

Once Nikolai was certain that all of his men were assembled, he motioned for his communications officer to get the CO on the line. "Colonel Arkthelon, this is Captain Yachenkov of 8th Company reporting in. The men and women of Botun are on the ground and awaiting orders, sir." As he spoke, the Company's five Chimeras rumbled past. They contained the sixty-odd men that made up the 3rd Platoon under the command of Lieutenant Snow. They were Nikolai's assault troops, the first in and last out, and as such were the most mobile ofthe company.

The Botun 3rd was split into 3 platoons of 10 man squads. Nikolai himself led the majority of the fighting men, 1st platoon being comprised of 16 squads. 2nd Platoon, led by 1st Lieutenant Akston and his 8 squads were the support troops of the company, and brought to bear the Companies lascannon and heavy bolters.

[Armageddon Steel Legion]

The Vhermactians then fully landed and Alexis grabbed a vox-caster."Who are the guys in yellow and blue? Oh and we are all set up here."She wiped her brow, the landings had been rough but they'd survive.


The majestic valkyries and dropships of the Caroleans then landed beside the Maidens as the men piled out, adjusting his hat before coming out himself. The Krieg-master, looked around before taking a breath."Another planet, another victory for our dying empire men!"

[Legital]

The entire Higaran 21st armored, all fifty-five grey painted Leman Russ tanks, both standard and Vanquisher, idled in a rough line formation as the Thermidorians made their approach behind. Ten Griffon mortar tanks idled as well, as support crews herded supply vehicles over by a large plateau, awaiting to make temporary camp.

The Higaran tanks, many meters ahead of the gathered Higaran temporary encampment, kept a watchful eye on the horizon, and also taking note of their environment. Evisor was a mining planet, this Hess knew, but he had no idea how desolate it would be. Examining his surroundings via his viewing port, Hess noted the land was rather flat, and out in the far distance there were large cliff faces. Everything, including the rocks, were red, almost similar to blood. What sparse plant life there was, it was dry shrubbery, calloused from the heat and shining sun. In fact, Hess spotted no cloud in the sky. But turning his view finder, he noticed some clouds out towards the drop zone. The wind was not very strong, but there was indeed some, kicking up some thick red dust which made Hess thankful for the metal walls separating him from the outside world.

So far, there was no enemy contact apart from the distant anti-air fire they had received during landing. Down on the ground, there was nothing to see. This made Hess uneasy. In his entire career, the enemy had always been waiting for them to funnel out of their ships on the ground to make a killing field. Now, the Imperial had time to form up and advance. Either this was the heretics plans, or just their mistake. Either way, when the time came to advance, they would advance with caution.
Watching the infantry and other units of their regiment advance slowly behind the stationary line of tanks, Hess noted the Thermidorians were the closest to the Higarans, and gaining quickly. Glancing at the Chronometer inside his Vanquisher, the Higaran Ghost, Hess theroized that they had at the very least six minutes before the Thermidorians were in position for the Higaran tanks to advance, the vanguard of their regiment.

"Hailing the Swift Death and Speedwagon, check in if you would." Hess said, speaking into the vox piece he had clipped to his tankers helmet. A moment later, the voice of Commissar Amsel called back. "Swift Death reporting in Major, sir. Everything is green on our side, sir." Hess voxed back an acknowledgement, and then a new voice was sounding in his earpiece. "Leman Russ Vanquisher, Speedwagon, reporting in Major Hess. What can we do you for, sir?" The voice of Cain said, and Hess quickly called back. "Hold tight and await for my further orders. Do not engage unless engaged. We are awaiting the Thermidorians." A acknowledgement from Cain was voxed back, and Hess leaned back against the vertical cushion of his rather cramped command chair as he waited for the Thermidorians to reach his position.
"So Ibram, you reckon them gals are wearing something comfortable, something tight, to keep their uniforms from snatching in those big guns?" Reed said over the tanks vox intercom, and all the present men in the tank except Hess snickered. "You know loaden' shells makes a fellow hot. What'aya think they strip down in the heat?" The deep voice of Harvek Wulfe said, the driver of Hess's Vanquisher. More snickering from the men, and Hess had to suppress a laugh himself. "Come on now lads, keep yourselves level. Who knows, once we sweep this mission aside ourselves, them gals will probably flock to us fine looking takers. Not those Botun fella's or skeleton soldiers." Jameson said, the young loader said. Gregor, the grizzeled gunner gave the young man a shove in the tight confines of the tank. "They ain't after boys, they want real men. Men like me 'en Hess." Wulfe then turned his head back to look at the gunner, "And what about me? I've seen as much as you. Got the scars to show it as well." Wulfe and Gregor were both a little younger than Hess, and they also both bore scars from the fierce fighting in their past missions. Hess only bore a few scars, all on his chest and back from close quarters combat with Orks. They were not scars he was proud of.

Gregor made a sound with his lips together, and teased the driver. "You're as ugly as a grox's mother! Please, they'll want me more." The men in the tank laughed again, this time Hess joining in. But before things escalated into any more playful banter, Hess's voice cut through the vox intercom like a knife. "Enough now. We'll have time to discuss how many gals will be avoiding you and going for the brave tank company commander later. Now, heads level." The men knew when to play and when to get serious, and the tone in Hess's voice caused the men to sober up. Something was obviously bothering him.
A chorus of 'Aye, sir' were voxed to him over the intercom, and Hess decided to dare a look outside of the hatch.
As soon as it was open, he could taste and feel the hot air. The hull of his tank was coated in a light layer of the red dust, and he frowned. Dust, when built up, could cause engine problems. He only hoped this would not be so. Dust to a tanker was a constant thorn. Too thick and it clogged up the gears, too fine and it clogged the air filters. Any sand and desert like planet Hess loathed, so he only hoped that this mission would go by quickly, but efficiently.

After a few moments, he heard the voice of Vanhayn over the vox, and he descended into the tank to answer back clearly without interference from the light wind.
"Good to see you have made it Major. We were just about to advance. Feel free to join our line, but keep a watchful eye on your surroundings. Our orders are to find the heretic armor, so do be careful. Follow our lead if you wish, Hess out ma'am." He voxed, and he tapped Reed on the shoulder. The adjutant and chief vox operator sent out the orders to the Higaran tanks, and Hess tapped him one more time to confirm the advance.

The serrated line of tanks, almost all immediately, began a steady advance across the desolate flat and red landscape. Hess had three Leman Russ tanks with dozer blades on the front to take the lead of the line, which was slowly forming into an arrowhead, as they approached the cliffs, which dotted the landscape. Not continuous enough to form a mountain or continuous stretch, but jutting islands out in the desert.
If the enemy was waiting for them, they would be on the other side. And the cities must be on the other side as well. Perhaps the enemy were on top of the cliffs and plateaus, waiting for them to approach.

Hess kept weary.

[Aelosia]

Vanhayn was bumping softly inside the padded cylindrical command console of her tank as she advanced, getting a pretty accurate view of the rear of the impressive formation of more than fifty grey Leman Russ in front of her until they started to advance, then had to switch to thermo due to the fact that when they started to advance, the tanks turned into a huge dust cloud.

She was ready to contact her own advancing company when her vox chimed in and she got Hess' response. "Good to see you have made it Major. We were just about to advance. Feel free to join our line, but keep a watchful eye on your surroundings. Our orders are to find the heretic armor, so do be careful. Follow our lead if you wish, Hess out ma'am.". The gunnery First Major nodded. She would not do anything but to keep her sensors sharp and follow Hess' tanks. Her duty was to direct artillery fire, in more than 90 per cent of the engagement she had been involved in. That meant scouting, detecting, relaying, and that was it. Not that Vanhayn was complaining about the job. The rush for getting the charge upfront was usually a more male thing.

"Copied, Major Hess, Sire", she answered in a neutral tone, not willing to add anything else before she checked the topographic map ahead of her own tank and realized she had forgot to tell Hess something. Something important. Damn with the man who made her lose her concentration! She flicked the vox control to "answer" again. "By the way, Major Hess, Sire. Colonel authorized two Valkyries from his company to detach themselves and help us with the search. I took the liberty to ask for it, as a pair of eyes in the sky cannot do any harm. I would try to wait for their report before entering that cliff area, that is actually the place where I want to deploy my artillery should we reach that point. I bet there is something ambushing there, or these PDFs are complete imbeciles". Why was she getting so chatty lately with this man anyway?

Before waiting for the answer, she flickered the vox channel off and switched to another three, the ones to contact her company, and started to furiously type into buttons of her console. "Daughters, I am sending you coordinates of a certain nature. It is a topographic area I think might contain enemy units. I doubt I'll have to aim should something ambushes, so give me a carpet barrage on top of it if I give you the callsign. We will have time after that for individual aiming. Just cover us if something tries to sneak on us".

Captain Valerie chimed back. "Loaded and ready to go, Madame", she answered, avoiding the more familiar term of mother. "We will turn down the stabilizers and stop to try to get a nice aim to the top of those cliffs. Standing ready in 27...26...25...", said the Captain as she for sure was narrowing down the target adquisition according to the redundant topographic map she had on her Basilisk.

Captain Maud also answered. "Onagers standing by. At this distance we could not reach the top of those cliffs with our shells. Tracing new trajectory for entering true hit range. Redirecting. Replacing location and reaiming. Ready to fire in two minutes 25 seconds", informed the able officer in charge of the company's Griffon mortar guns.

Finally, Captain Corelia added her own voice. "Readjusting for target barrage. Applying wide pattern for coverage. Adquisition of target. Ready to unleash on your order, M'dam", she finished with the last word uttered in her best rancid noble accent. Corelia Lexington was an arrogant kont and a twet, Vanhayn thought, but so far she was ahead of the other Captains in readiness, having adquired her target faster than any other. She smiled, knowing that Corelia efficiency was the only thing preventing her to be demoted.

Vanhayn now switched her radio again and expected the response from Hess.

[Legital]

Major Hess listened to Vanhayn over the vox, and he then switched vox frequencies to speak to all of his tank commanders. "All tanks halt!" He called out, and the serrated line of tanks abruptly stopped, and before anyone sent any inquisitive vox calls back, Hess continued speaking. "Situation is normal, and I have been told that two Valkyries are to be soon accompanying us. Hold your positions, and keep a level head. Do not engage unless engaged." Hess removed his thumb from the vox emitter, and he switched back over to speak with Vanhayn.
"Understood Major. We'll hold position until the Valkyries arrive, however I will not wait too long for them. The longer we wait, the more time the vile heretics have to strengthen their defenses. And I must agree, we are most likely being watched." And to conclude Hess's thoughts, an urgent vox came through his ear piece.

"Major Hess, sir, Sergeant Levric reporting! Unknown Leman Russ spotted at a turret transverse of forty-five degrees, at an elevation of 6 degrees sir. I believe they are spotting us, sir." Hess shot a sharp look through his view finder, and he patted the gunners shoulder. The turret of his Vanquisher began to turn, and magnifying his optics, Hess spotted the Leman Russ. The tank appeared to be painted in the same dark red colors of the dirt, however that may just be dust covering it. But either way, it was not one of theirs. Hess could even spot a glint coming off of something on the tanks top, and he theorized it to be the commanders binoculars or other optical device.
"Do not fire, I repeat, do not fire. Hold your position, but keep a watch on him Sergeant." Hess voxed back, and he received an acknowledgement.

"Whats going on Ibram, sir?" Wulfe said, his head glued to his view port. Reed was checking the vox and transmitting redundant and back orders, making sure everyone was well informed of the situation.
"Hostile 'Russ spotted by Levric and his band. I think they are up in the hills, behind or perhaps on the plateaus in front of us." Wulfe directed his gaze towards the pleteaus, having to zoom in his optics. "Very well. She's a ready if you need me to move her, sir."
Nodding and switching frequencies again, Hess spoke back to Vanhayn. "I have just received a report of an enemy tank spotting us. What is the ETA of these Valkyries?" Hess said, his voice serious. He had no intentions of charging forward blindly, but he did want to keep a move on his tanks. Sitting around was not what he wanted. He patiently but anxiously awaited a response from Vanhayn.

---

"Hey, Zeb, you still watching that scrapper, eh?" Levric said to his gunner, leaning in close to him. Zeb was one of the many young tankers in the 21st Higaran armored, but still a veteran nevertheless. However Zeb was slightly preoccupied with fiddling with his combat knife. "Aye, sir. I have him right on." He said, somewhat absent minded. Levric gave the man a shove, rough but not violent, and the young man put the knife down. "Yes, yes, I've got him. Shesh sarge, he ain't going no where." Levric shook his head. "Just keep a damn eye on him, alright?" Zeb voxed an affirmative over the intercom, but still fiddled with his knife as his eyes were watching through the view finder.

Up towards the front of the tank, Harkel, the driver, had his hands placed firmly on the tanks controls. Levric could tell the man was nervous, but he never broke under the stress. It just made him more alert, which was a good thing, but the man always got so tense. Before Levric could reassure the man, Zeb started to get real animated. "Woah, woah, scrappers is a moving now!" Levric shifted in his seat, gazing through the view finder. Indeed, the Leman Russ was leaving its original position, however it was traveling not back, but forwards. Levric frowned. "Whats this fella doing sarge?" Harkel said, and Levric didn't quite know. Suddenly, all the men in the tank became very animated as a flash emitted from the approaching Leman Russ. "Woah, woah! Move us Harks!" Levric shouted, and the tank jerked back as the man tried to move the tank, however the round collided with the front of the tank, sending a massive shudder and ear ringing effect through the tank. A round of curses and colorful oaths filled the intercom, and Levric silenced them with a snarl. Thankfully, as Levrics tank had a pushblade on the front of it, most of the damage was dealt to the blade and not the tanks frontal armor. But that still pissed the hell out of Sergeant Levric. No one hit his tank without him firing first.
"Load us a round, Yulk! Zeb, get that bastard sited and fire when we're clear!" With well drilled precision, the loader slid a round into the breach, but Zeb was motionless. "Terra, sarge, there's more of 'em!"

Levric swore and glanced into the view port, and saw at least fifteen tanks advancing forwards towards the Higaran armor column from behind two plateaus, dust clouding behind the tanks as they charged forwards. It was surprising, but nothing compared to the fifty-five Imperial tank line.
The charging tanks fired, sporadic flashes coming into view, and Levric screamed for them to get moving. Zeb had a tank locked, and fired.
The battle had seemingly begun.

---

"Hold! Hold! Platoons G and H, move and address! Everyone else full hold!" Hess yelled into the vox. The most important thing here was that the Imperial tanks did not break and stream like rats towards an obviously outnumbered foe. By having two platoons, a total of ten Imperial tanks compared to the advancing sixteen, attack and move, it was an even match. The other tanks kept their positions, however everyone kept tense and alert. This was an obvious ploy, perhaps something to test their strength. It was odd, and what was even more strange was that none of the fifteen or so enemy tanks have hit their mark on one of the Imperials yet. All rounds landed short. Were these rebels this incompetent?

"Major Hess reporting, Colonel. We have been engaged by a small armor force. We are dealing with the situation, however I am worried as to their attempt. Its utterly futile, sir, and I don't say that with bravado." Hess voxed, and he turned his attention back to the view finder. The ten tanks under Hess's command were advancing forth, and firing as they saw fit, which resulted in at least more than half of the tanks hitting their targets. Only now, the second volly from the enemy tanks found their marks after the Imperials, and some of the Higaran tanks swerved as shells exploded or actually bounced off of their thick armor. Only then did Hess realize that not all of the enemy tanks were Russ's, however some were light tanks. Nothing against Imperial machines.
Something was off.

[Segmentia]

Colonel Lividivus was standing upright in his Tauros RAV, optical devices to his eyes as he scanned the surrounding area for any sign of enemy activity. Nothing so far. Reaching his hand down, the vox receiver was placed in his hand, and he brought it up. He was patched into 2nd Company.

"Major Dunn, Lividivus here. I need your company to come down and capture a location. If there is any resistance, I expect it to be light. I trust you can capture it. Coordinates should be uploaded to you now. Get it done!" He said before switching channels. A report from Hess was just coming in.

"Major Hess reporting, Colonel. We have been engaged by a small armor force. We are dealing with the situation, however I am worried as to their attempt. Its utterly futile, sir, and I don't say that with bravado."

Just as he opened his mouth to reply, the ground in front of his Tauros exploded, a mortar impact. The driver swerved and avoided the blast crater, almost throwing him out. The other vehicles spread out, and the Chimera's rumbled up quickly, each spreading off to try and find the offenders. "Throne on Terra!" Lividivus muttered and brought the receiver back up.

"Very good major. Engage at your discretion. Do NOT risk my regiments tanks in a glory hunt. Understood?" He paused for a moment. "I am also being engaged. Mortars for now, an almost lucky hit on me. We will find the rebels and destroy them. Expect them to hit us hard, major." He added as the Tauros pulled in behind a large rock, seeking shelter from spotters or any other forms of fire that may come fourth.

"All officers, this if Colonel Lividivus. Myself and Major Hess have come under attack by rebel forces. Expect to be attacked by an unknown number of enemies." He informed the officers as another mortar blast hit near by. "Get us moving toward the rear lines, private. I'm not going to have my regiment under the command of some non-Cadian if one of these mortar crews gets lucky." He ordered at the Tauros took off.

---------

The rebels had been watching the Imperial forces since they had landed, gathering intelligence on their forces, which forces to engage first, and which forces to avoid. The tanks seemed to be the best target. Without them, the other forces would be weaker. So the rebel commanders had formed a trap. They sent out a few locally produced tanks, nothing compared to a Leman Russ, but hopefully the Imperial tankers were the glory hound type, and would chase the smaller, weaker tanks into the ambush they had set. A hand full of the PDFs Leman Russ tanks and artillery waited to ambush the Imperial tanks.

The artillery crews though, were rather eager, and sighted in the Imperial tanks before they were in range of the Leman Russ's, and started firing, the first shells missing, but each shell getting closer and closer to their marks. The Imperials would bleed this day.

[Marzarbul]

Evisor, before that name would have been as meaningless to Captain Samuel as any other arrangement of letters. But now, as he gripped tightly onto the edge of his seat he could feel the weight of that name and gravity being exerted upon him. As they entered the planet's atmosphere he could feel the lessened grip of gravity upon him and soon the rest of his men were preparing for the landing in various ways. Some were sharpening blades, others were checking their magazines to insure they were full, and others were muttering underneath their breathe small prayers. As the ships neared the planets surface Samuel began to slowly chant underneath his breathe . Soon his chanting grew louder, soon others heard his mournful cry and took up the chant. After a few minutes the entire troop compartment was chanting till lungs were bursting. No longer could the whine of the engines be heard, nor the shuddering of the craft, nor the sounds of gun fire ricocheting off of the craft. All that one could hear was the chant, the song, filling their bodies with courage as their blood coursed stronger with courage and thoughts of their long dead brothers. Raising his rifle high up into the air, Captain Samuel led his small band of brothers out of the belly of the ship down the metal gangplank onto solid terra firma.

Still his men chanted as they rushed down the gangplank with blood-lust in their eyes and roars of death coming off their lips. However, instead of being greeted with steel and death the men of the 34th were greeted by the mute sounds of mortar fire and the rumble of far off armor. Spreading his men out into a wide semi-circle, Samuel attempted to limit the damage any sort of artillery could have on his company. Watching as his men set up a hasty mortar position, Samuel began to start the beginnings of a FOB from which the rest of the infantry could gather around and begin to move in a coordinated fashion. The tanks seemed to know their place in this fight but with the 34th's recent deployment with the 1162nd Samuel had no idea what the current plan was for this planet or even what he was up against. All he could do was dig in and try to form some sort of cohesive core around which he could find some sense in this empty wasteland. Waving his vox-caster forward towards his position Samuel then said on the vox:

Colonel Lividivus, this is Captain Samuel, I am requesting orders on what our current objectives our. Currently under minor bombardment from unknown mortar teams and setting up a FOB currently. Please respond over.

[Imperium of Tanith]

Onboard the Aquila Ascendent

Captain Jack walks slowly in the vehicle bay as he looks over the mighty Chimeras that the Emperor have given them to use, now being put into the heat of battle. "By the Emperor, lets not have this be another Comet...." he says, seeing his reflection in the shining metal of the APC. "Captain" a voice says as Jack spins around "We have arrived sir." The Guardsman reported, realizing he scared his CO. "Good, tell the men to load up." He says, rushing back to the ships' bridge.

"Captain, you are to get your men down immediately." Says Imperial Navy Captain Valois. "Alright, get us into low orbit. We're Thunder striking." He says, the Naval Officer turning with a raised eyebrow. "Surely you jest? You want to do that damned Deep Strike with your Chimeras? Your out of your mind Larsen... but alright, Ill get us into orbit." Valois sighs as Jack takes his leave.

"Were Thunderstriking sir? Your nuts captain, but thats why we love ya." A veteran says, smiling as Jack debreifs the men. "Yeah Henry, just dont let that get to yer head." Jack says back. "Alright, are they ready for launch?" He asks the Regimental Techpreist "Yes my Leige, they are ready for the journey." The cyborg replies, his voice grave and metallic. "Thank you Engineseer" jack says, lets go boys, theres other Cadians down there!" Jack yells, as the Hangar doors open... and the Chimeras fly out into the atmosphere.

5,000 ft above the ground, the fireworks begin. The Chimeras upright themselves, than use custom made Jetpacks and Parachutes to send the Chimeras down to the ground. Amazingly, none were lost this round, as all 30 Chimeras land exactly where the LZ was marked. "Well, I'd call that a 3-point landing" Jack says in the Cupola of his Chimera as he grabs the Radio. "Colonel, this is Captain Jack Larsen of the 114th Cadian Regiment. We are half a klick east of your position and are En-route to assist." He calls out, as the Chimeras speed towards their freinds.

[Aelosia]

"I have just received a report of an enemy tank spotting us. What is the ETA of these Valkyries?", asked Hess with a hint of hurry over her vox. Vanhayn picked the hand voxmic and pressed the button to answer. She had been analyzing the topographic information she had in her cogitator-generated triangulation images when he had chimed in. The man was distracting her so much! He was supposed to be babysitting her and not the other way around!How was she supposed to know the ETA of the Valkyries? They were the Colonel's company Valkyries, not hers

Vanhayn paused for a moment. Why in the name of His Most Sacred Gonads was she thinking like that? There were enemy tanks on sight, and Hess was asking a normal question, so no time to get moody. She took a deep breath before issuing her response. "I have no idea, Major Hess. The Colonel just said they were coming, but if they were circling his position they can't be far", she finally said in the most calmed tone of voice she could muster.

She realized that she had to enter action immediately. If they had seen an enemy tank, not a recon vehicle, but a tank, then the main body of the enemy was not far. She ignited her targeter console with a flicker of her index finger, and waited for several seconds as the electrically powered machine charged with a humming sound that made the tanks interior resonate and prepared the outer arrays of sensors deployed in the antennae in top of the tank. Before she could had count to ten, she had the information displayed in the console. She rose her eyebrows. Those were a lot of red contacts out there.

The targeter was a simple machine. It sent several pulses not entirely different to a normal radar, although of diverse nature (volumetric, thermal, normal high frequency radar and infra-red) and examined the waves it got back. It compared those with the data from the topographic map and the regimental level data. Everything that did not accord with those parameters was marked as a potential target with a red square in the screen, alongside its current distance from Vanhayn's tank. Vanhayn's version always included the position of her own batteries, and their arcs of fire, including range, expressed as huge circles of light that spawned from the blue triangles that marked the positions of her company. This way, she could know at all times which targets were inside the range of each battery. Hess tanks appeared as blue circles, but she did not had the specific data to calculate their own range and capabilities, but just their position.

Not surprisingly, the small group of tanks attacking Hess seemed to be either bait or a hit-and-run, as the group was too small and had been separated from the main group ambushed further. Although she had "red square" markings in her screen, she still could not decipher what kind of vehicle each contact was. She only knew there were vehicles there. She verified the information as a small thrill ran through her spine, the thrill of entering battle.

Now this was an important decision. Her company or Hess first? She had 2 seconds to think about it when the Colonel chimed in her vox. "All officers, this if Colonel Lividivus. Myself and Major Hess have come under attack by rebel forces. Expect to be attacked by an unknown number of enemies.", issued the Cadian in his usual authoritative tone.

She was preparing her answer when a sound she knew too well echoed through her cupola. She could recognize that sound everywhere. Shells. There was something else than battle tanks over there. No more time for hesitation, she said to herself as she opened her vox channel to Hess with one hand as with the other she sent all the information she had got with her targeter to her Comm officer, to transmit all the data to her Captains using her Signum.

The Major opened the comm to the higaran commander and gave him her view from the targeter. "Hess, Vanhayn here. Stating the obvious, you are engaged and with ambushed enemy vehicles in front of you. I'd advise to consolidate, but up to you. Firing solutions are flying already, so don't get into close quarters with them". She turned to her targeter again, scanning the surroundings. "Can you trace the arcs of fire from the big guns now, Meredith?", asked Vanhayn to her Comm officer, who was already busy sending all the coordinates of the targets to the three batteries of the company.

"I can try", the young private said, barely 17 years old, but pretty savvy around electronic devices. "But I am sending the coordinates and..." she started to excuse herself. She had two hands and just a brain. "I'll send the coordinates to the Captains, you give me a target identification on those arcs of fires now", interrupted Vanhayn, switching to her screen to finish the Signum relay that the nubile Comm Officer had started. She started to group the targets, hoping that the identification by arcs of fire could let her prioritize targets as "MBT", "APC", "SPG" and "AP", that were the three designations she was interested in. Main Battle Tanks, Armoured Personal Carriers, Self Propelled Guns and Artillery Positions.

"I will need them to fire again, Mother", almost whimpered the Comm Officer while watching at her screen. "I don't have lectures of parabola. Discarding direct trajectories as MBTs", she added, reading all the information from the sensors. Tracking arcs of fire was a delicate and extremely hard task, one that not even Vanhayn herself was good at, but Meredith seemed to have quite a talent for it. It involved reading residual vectors of heat that the projectiles left at their passing, and it was almost more an art than a science.

"Then pray they miss again", interjected Vanhayn with a dissappointed grin. "Give me at least a general direction, and I can put the rest together by their disposition", she added, reviewing the arranging of the red squares in her screen.

"There they are", said Meredith with a satisfaction groan. "They missed again, they fired too soon upon the lead higaran Russes. Identification of 5, not, 6 self propelled guns and a disperse battery of static guns". the Comm Officer picked a stylus and started to draw yellow lines in her map, from the point of impact of the last shells to several red squares, identifying them as the point of origin of the shots.

"Oh yes", said Vanhayn with relief as she compared the several lines Meredith had marked with her own tactical eagle eye regarding armoured formations. Not even Meredith could trace more than a few trajectories, but usually that was more than enough for Vanhayn to guess the rest of the locations of the artillery by their disposition in the field. There were more than 6 SPGs, and maybe more than a dozen fixed emplacements, but not all trajectories could be traced, and perhaps not all guns were firing yet. She kept marking her targets as MBTs, SPGs, or APs, and sending that information to her captains deployed far beyond the first line of the Higarans.

Leaving Meredith to finish her work, she opened the three channels to her Captains, who were standing by. "Do we fire already, Major?", asked Captain Lexington first, for sure impatient to unleash the Emperor's Accuracy upon His enemies. Vanhayn grinned again in dissappointment. Couldn't they see she was sending them the information? Captain Irvine answered Vanhayn's inner question with her own next response. "Mother, I just need the target priorization, I have the coordinates and the targets marked already".

"Next time let me speak first, for the Brothels of Terra!", said Vanhayn with a snarl, and that made the Captains to wait quiet for her instructions. "I am sending you all the target priority. First Platoon, you have the identification of the SPGs, engage those first, and I'll keep sending you information about the impact of your shells so you can switch targets once you destroy the ones I am giving priority too", she said, and as soon Vanhayn finished, a thundering boom almost ripped her headset off her fine leather helmet. "What was that, for the love of Macharius' depository cavity?", almost screamed Vanhayn into the vox, her ears still numb.

"Oh, I fired. I was just expecting your final instruction on that. I had the priorization already, just downloaded it. Shells in the air and reloading", answered the voice of Captain Irvine in command of the Basilisk Battery. Vanhayn did not know if to praise her for her rapid response, or to curse her for almost blasting her ears off. "Next time turn the vox off, bookworm, you almost blasted our eardrums off!", retorted Captain Lexington with her typical haughty tone.

"The Major was still speaking when I pulled the lever!", excused herself Valerie Irvine with the sound of a huge metal cartridge sliding into a barrel as background, and Vanhayn knew that as capable as they were, her Captains could start to argue among themselves all the way to Obscurum during the thick of a battle instead of listening to her instructions

"Discipline, for the care of Thermidor!", she shouted through the vox to stop the useless nagging. "Second Platoon, give me a flat barrage of missiles against those fixed positions. Give them your entire charge in a curve pattern...", asked Vanhayn before getting interrupted by the loud sound of massive whizzing birring and churring from the other side of the vox that seemed to take forever. Bloody rockets, she thought as her ears took another round of painful punishment.

"Reloading", were the only words from Captain Lexington before closing her vox access. Vanhayn thought for a second if she could press the issue or let it go, and finally decided to let it go, given that a battle is always more important. She directed her attention to the third platoon. "Maud, I know you are just arriving on range, and I swear for Sacred Sanguinius that if you fire before closing your vox or letting me finish I'll get your skin with the other two twets after this is over", Victoria opened before anything could be said or done. "Standing ready", was the scared answer from the Captain.

"Your work requires finesse, something the other two seem to lack", started to instruct Vanhayn. "I want you to send the barrage you have loaded in front of the retreating group of tanks that is baiting the Higarans to slow them down and break their formation, allowing Hess to catch them without diving into the trap", Vanhayn checked some more data and smiled. "Then I want you to reload smoke canisters into your mortars only", the Major added. "Shoot a barrage of them into the ambushed positions to give some cover for the edge of the Higaran formation, and then keep discharging smoke over their artillery positions. More likely they need to see Hess' tanks, while we do not need visual to keep firing on them now that I have them on the targeter. Blind them down. Are we clear?", Vanhayn had finally found a strategy in which her three batteries were extremely useful in the advance.

"Yes", answered Captain Maud Astoria as a heavy thud sound filled the vox.

"Oh no you did not, Maud", retorted Vanhayn with her most bitter tone of voice and the thudding sound sent a wave of pain into her skull.

"But..." tried to say the Captain while three more thudding sounds reverberated in the channel. "You had finished speaking right?", she said before adding away from the mic, although perfectly audible for Vanhayn "Smoke, you slats! Load smoke if you don't want to end married to a Savlar chemdog!".

"May you all end bedded by gretchins!", issued Vanhayn forcing the channels to all batteries open. "May the males run from you all, pathetic excuse for officers! You all will pay for this and keep the good work!". In times like this, Major Vanhayn did not know if to cry, to slap someone or to just openly laugh. Giving what was less harmful, she went for the latter, still thinking that she for sure needed a commissar.

[Imperium of Tanith]

The line of Chimeras comes to a stop on a bluff near the battlefield, with Captain Jack attempting to locate their men. "Sir, enemy artillery, 1 klick due North North-East." One of the other APC's chimes in. "Nice eyes Henry, you may just earn that promotion yet." Jack replies on the Vox as he looks, and like he said, sat PDF Artillery attempting to fire down on the Lemans. "Command, this is the 114th Cadians, we have located the enemy artillery, permission to flank and engage?"

[The Empire of Pretantia]

En route to surface
The sound of death was heard throughout the iron womb of the dropship, but its walls would not heed to the steely fire from the heretics below; Khafur was sure of this. But what concerned him was not the chance of death in this metal coffin, but rather the failure of the 13th company of the 4th Bangalore regiment to take the enemy with them. Khafur cares more for the end of his enemies than the continuation of himself; a common attitude for an officer, but the desire to hold the heads of the loathed does not make anyone a glory hound. It is simply a sign that you wish to console the Emperor, who smiles down to the children of his good works, knowing that they have slaughtered thousands in his name. The thought of dying before even touching the ground nearly brings tears to Khafur's eyes, saddened by the possibility of letting his liege's foes live to taunt the very existence of the Imperium with their own.
Captain Mogul Kafur let out a sigh of relief as the ramp opened, now able to bring a little peace to the Emperor with a grim embrace. His bangalores scrambled to release the restraints on the sentinels as he climbed into his own, timing their speed on a stopwatch.
One, two, three, four...
"All Restraints released, sir!" Lieutenant Boa announced.
"Good. Sentinels, fire up!" Khafur looked down to the stopwatch. 4.6 seconds. Better than when they were strapping in, at least; still, the 13th of the 8th bangalores could unbuckle twenty-four sentinels in 4 seconds flat. This Company still had a way to go if they wanted to beat that.
The eighteen sentinels marched down the ramp. The infantry had already set up a perimeter, ready for the march to who knows where. The venators have dispersed, scouting the immediate vicinity for enemies. Khafur opened the the hatch andlooked to the skies to watch as the dropships ascended to the safety of their mothership. It was all up to them now.
Khafur gripped his sentinel's vox phone and radioed his commander.
"Colonel Lividivus, this is Captain Mogul Khafur of the 13th Bangalore company reporting. We have landed and proceeding with instructions, sir!

[Armageddon Steel Legion]

The mighty guns of the Vhermactian regiment opened fire on the rebel tanks while the men and woman began to build trenches and fortifications. The Leman Russ's of the regiment moved forward, moving up to try and reinforce Hess's regiment, encase they did decide to chase after them. Alexis watched as her troops began to set up machine-gun nests and other defensive's.


The Caroleans began to march towards the rebels, their Valkyries flew towards the tanks and got ready to open fire."Peter, two targets. Open fire?" Said one pilot to the other as he put his finger on the trigger."Roger." The missiles of the aircraft then were launched, flying towards the enemy tank while the Carolean infantry marched past the Maidens and beside Hess's regiment. Carolus jumped grabbed a vox and spoke to Hess, personally."Halt, comrade. Let us scout forward."

[Legital]

"This is a frakken' mess!" Hess exclaimed as both Thermidorian and Vhermactian shells attacked the enemy tanks, while enemy fire landed near the main tank line. Platoons G and H were, effectively, trapped by friendly and enemy fire. Hess trusted the Thermidorians as he read through there operating procedures, and he knew his tanks could be close without risk of friendly fire, but by the Throne he did not need an inaccurate siege company opening fire as well. His tanks were out there, damnit, and he did not want them to be hurt by friendly fire over a task they could have handled themselves. He appreciated the help, but it was not needed. And not only were the two platoons trapped, but his main formation could not advance through the artillery and complete their objective if the field was being carpeted with three different artillery batteries.

"Colonel Lividivus!" Hess voxed urgently. "There is too much overlapping artillery in my sector for me to proceed with my current objective. With your permission, I wish to separate from the main body and split off to continue your orders, sir. I'm afraid it would leave the regiment without close armor support for the time being." Hess winced as another shell landed closer to his line, which he knew was enemy fire as the two Imperial batteries were concentrating on the few enemy tanks and enemy artillery off in the distance.
"Platoons G and H, your flanks are relatively clear of artillery fire, retreat and regroup immediately! This is a direct order!" Hess yelled into the vox, eyes glued to the view finder as he watched his tanks in the distance begin to break off through the increasingly thick artillery fire.

---

"Holy Throne of Terra! Who the hell is firing on us!?" Harkel said over the intercom, his voice strained as he manipulated the controls of the tank to avoid incoming shells and fire from the thinning enemy light tanks. Another shell landed near the tank, which caused all the men to brace themselves on the holding handles. "I can't get a frakken clean shot here! The cogitator can't get a lock on the tanks through the shaking!" Zeb said frantically over the intercom. "I'm going to free shot it!" Hands dancing on a small control panel, Zeb powered off the targeting cogitator to fire by his aim now. His shoulders were hunched and tense, trying to steady himself as the tank chassis vibrated from the thick shelling and occasional glancing tank round. "Brace!" he yelled hoarsely over the vox intercom, and the tank shuddered violently as a round propelled forth, hitting a light tank square in the frontal armor, destroying it by gutting the front half.
Levric was going to congratulate his gunner, but Hess's order came over his command vox, and he was relieved. It was time to get out of the mess.
"Harkel, get us out of here! East flank, follow through with the rest of H platoon! We're regrouping with the main body!" Immediately, Levric's tank swerved to the right, moving parallel to the main tank column and enemy tanks, which were nearly all knocked out. But the shells kept coming down. "Throne! Is this what the infantry feels like during a hellstorm?" Harkel said, and Zeb voxed his concurrence. Levric braced as another shell landed dangerously close to their tank, "I guess so! Remind me to give the next walker we find a pack of smokes and hard stuff! They deserve it!" The men were too strained at the moment to laugh, but Zeb grinned. "Yeah, and the next artillery crew'er a real whack on the-"

Zeb never would finish his response as an artillery shell, whether friendly or hostile, collided with the upper front of the tanks armor, hitting a weak point and exploding. Harkel and Yulk were killed instantly, and Levric found himself tossed from his seat against the hard metal containers and wall of his cupola. His body was twisted at a odd angle, his left arm broken at the elbow and forearm. Blood seeped out of his arm as part of the bone was exposed, and his head rang horribly from the hit it took as he collided with the square metal container above him. The tank was full of smoke and the horrible stench of fire and charred flesh. "Z-zeb?" He gasped, the words difficult to form. His gut was in pain as well, and he assumed he broke some ribs. Zeb slumped around in his firing seat slowly, blood pouring from a gash on the side of his head. He clutched his side as blood drenched his jacket as well. "Sarge." He said quietly, the intercom system oddly still functional. The mans eyes were pleading, and then he shut them, and Levric tried to reach for his friend as the man fell out of the gunning seat and into the middle of the tank, his head against Yulks leg at the loaders station. Levric gulped as some blood dripped from the side of his mouth as he realized his crew, his family, were dead.
Levric, with all the power he had, pushed himself up against the cupola, looking at the hatch of his tank. He was unable to climb out himself, and he quietly began to sob as the shells outside still fell.

However, the Emperor would not take him today, or so he thought. Not yet. An odd sound echoed through the tank, and he heard some faint shouting. The hatch opened, the smoke billowing out, and he saw the frantic face of anther Higaran. The mans face seemed familiar, but he could not tell in his state. The man leaned over the top of the hatch, grabbing a hold of Levrics arms, and tried to pull him up. Levric gasped in pain, but forced his legs to help him move as the man tried to pull him out. The shelling was much louder as he was exposed to the air now, and another pair of hands gripped him from behind as two men pulled him out of the tank. A shell landed nearby, sending red dirt into the air.
"We got your cry for help Sergeant Levric!" One of the men said, looping the wounded mans arm around his neck as other Higaran did the same and helped move Levric from his tank. Levric, already dazed, did not remember calling for help. Perhaps he did so and he forget, or in that second the shell hit he did so. Either way, he did not care. He wanted to lay down and sleep. Sleep for a long time.

The other tank idled next to Levrics knocked out tank, and the two men carefully but very quickly lowered Levrics crippled form into the new tank, and the loader inside twisted his body in the tight space to help position Levric in an also tight, but otherwise roomy spot for Levric to lay across. Levric cried out in pain from his sides as he was moved around, but he was soon crumpled up against the side of the tank and lower cupola. The other men settled into the tank, the commander hunching over and turning to speak with Levric.
"Don't worry, we'll get you back! You'll make it!" The man said, glancing at the blood soaked form of Levrics side.
He wouldn't make it.
The tank commander frowned as Levric closed his eyes, but there was no room in the tight confines of the tank to do anything. Already moving Levric was bad, but moving him was going to cause the man no pain. He would not make the trip back.
"Sergeant Andaly here, sir! H platoon is away, minus Sergeant Levrics Russ the Fidelity." The man gulped before continuing. "Levric is highly critical, sir, the rest dead." An audible sigh came over the vox before the man continued. "He won't make it, but we have him. We're retreating back to M section now, sir." The man finished, his face masked with anger and sorrow, his tone somber.
Andaly's tank sped away from the heat of the main battle, retreating past the main Higaran tanks to hand over Levrics body to the medical crews to handle it.

---

Hess listened to the vox with a grim look on his face, but he knew how to handle the loss of tanks and their crews. He had dealt with more than a man should. But it still pained him. Every loss pained him.
"Affirmative, Sergeant Andaly. Thank you for trying." Hess gritted his teeth as he looked back through his view finder, watching all his tanks retreat to the main formation. All save one lone Imperial tank, alone away from the burning wrecks of rebel vehicles. Hess made the sign of the Aquilla, and he soon became impatient waiting for Colonel Lividivu's response.

Edit:

Hess ignored the vox from Carolus. He knew not who this person was, as no identification was made. However, thanks to the artillery, the Higaran tank line was stalled, idling as they watched the shells rain forth before them.
That was when he noticed the new Leman Russ tanks and Infantry. By the Golden Throne and all that was holy, what was this? The voice spoke of scouting ahead, this was no scout force!
Hess gritted his teeth, and voxed back to Carolus. "I do not know who this is, what your rank is, or who your commander is. But unless I am very mistaken, I do not see why all of these tanks and infantry are advancing in such a mass. Who, exactly, am I speaking with?" Hess said, his anger swelling, however he did not let it show. Surely the good Colonel Lividivus had not ordered this? And if he had, then he would have been told? Hess dearly waited for the colonel to respond. All these other tanks and infantry only made Hess's tanks and the Thermidorians a bigger target to the enemy.

[Aelosia]

Vanhayn returned her periscope to its mount at the side of the cupola. She would need direct visual for this one...

Everything had started good. They had spotted the enemy artillery formation up the cliffs and the higarans were advancing in column, well wary of what was happened. The first volley from the Trebuchet battery of Basilisks from the Thermidorians have hit two targets fully, neatly scoring two clean kills, something really astounding for a first half-aimed shot. She couldn't read anymore the result from the impact of the sixteen MAnticore missiles on the fixed positions on top of the hill, but she knew that even if there were no absolute kills over the artillery pieces, the missiles would had scored a clear high tally on the exposed gunners, and for sure forced them to duck and lose their increasing aim on the advancing higaran Leman Russes. The smoke curtain dropped from the Griffon mortars of the Onager battery had landed in place and had covered the flank of the advancing higarans from furtheer artillery fire. She had clenched her fist and raised in the air when she realized that Hess had freeway now to chase the bait formation of light tanks and then procceed to mince the out of position and cover rebel Leman Russ waiting for him.

Then everything turned into...What was that word her driver used? Oh yes, clusterfrakk. Comm Officer Meredith had tried to keep tracking the traces from the artillery positions, knowing that now that they were in dissarray the Basilisks could start to pound them hard, in a surgical manner, taking the remaining self propelled guns of the enemy and then covering the higarans for the occassional tank outside the net, meanwhile another volley from the manticores kept the fixed position either disabled or outright destroyed. It was a good plan, and it was working quite fine. Then first came the first wrong lecture. The amount of firepower coming their way from behind made her brace for impact inside the turret, thinking that the rebels had managed a two-way ambush on both the Thermidorians and the Higarans, until she realized the barrage was coming from the deployed guns of the Vhermactians. She remember to have yelled incoming until the shells passed her tank and landed further than the higaran tanks. Any hope that Meredith could have of keep tracing the shells from the rebels had banished in a storm of steel and fire coming from the Vhermactians.

Usually, Vanhayn would not mind for others coming to help, but in precise and exact tactics, it was enough unpredictable things coming from the enemy as to have to get them from her own side. Any hope of tracking further enemy vehicles was already lost, and although the carpet bombing would for sure trash the vanguard of rebel tanks, the rest would just escape to safety. Carpet massive bombrdment was a good measure against entrenched infantry, during urban combat, or even in flat terrain, but it was a mess against armoured formations. There was areason why units like Vanhayn's existed. Vanhayn figured the massed earthshaker rounds would had done a nasty work at the static artillery positions on top of the cliffs, but it had done nothing to the tanks, that for sure would escape unhindered to prepare another ambush further back.

Vanhayn had crashed her fist against the side of her turret. The fact that the air was now saturated with artillery fire from every side seemed to have broken the formation of the higarans, or at least disrupted them enough as to stall its advance. She pondered about sending her Basilisks and Manticores to chase the rearguard of the rebel tanks, but she realized all she could do now was to cover the consolidating higaran tanks. A massive counterattack from the rebels could put Hess into a quite compromised position. She wanted to scream in frustration at someone, but she knew it was not the moment. It was the moment for careful thinking. Well aimed volleys between the rebel tanks and the higarans would allow Hess to regain a position while he retreated and perhaps counter attack again. Of course, this meant finesse again, something she was good at, so she leant over the targeter screen to find a firing solution.

And then the infantry came. Waves upon waves of it, and it was the sound of the feet and the shouts of the men that made Vanhayn take her periscope and watch the mass of Vhermactians from the siege company passing through her tanks and into the fray. She took a fair amount of breath, but she knew that now it was hopeless. She pondered to discharge the Vulkan cannons for a moment all around her to force the imperial troops from charging in, but she knew that even if she did not hit anything that could be understood as an hostile act, perhaps even worth of a court martial. That was when she decided to go up her turret, open the hatch, and look down at the thousand siege troops running past her position.

Well, the Colonel had turned this manouver into a disaster, for sure, just after Hess and her had a good progression for a start. She expected better from a cadian. Vanhayn took her voxmic as she took a deep breath of Evirsor's air and decided to voice the Colonel shortly. One breath was not enough. She took two, three, five, and ten until the troops formed past her tank and forwards, cutting the retreat from the tanks and clogging the entire battlefield with friendlies. Vanhayn, now calmed down, but icy as death, opened the channel to the Colonel. This time, she was way less formal than usual. "Lividivus. Vanhayn here. My battlefield is stuck with thousands of Vhermactian infantry. Further engagement with the enemy in artillery terms is impossible. I cannot cover anyone or anything without hitting something. Actually, I am consolidating my company before something else hits us".

She then opened the channels to her platoon batteries standing by a mile behind her. "Captains. Stop fire, I repeat, stop fire altogether. Reload and keep the weapons sharp, and consolidate into a central position outside the range of their remaining artillery. Deploy smoke and go back".

"What was that?", answered Captain Lexington. "Some valkyries started to unleash ahead of our position. Did you give them the target adquisition?", she asked, sounding at least twice as pessed as Vanhayn herself was.

"No, and no, and no, and it is not time for questions out of line. Obey your frigging orders", answered Vanhayn dryly, cutting the channels out.

With another deep breath, she realized that Hess did not answer her last message, and that she had not talked with him about what happened. She flickered the channel and got a line with the Higaran Major. "Hess. Vanhayn here. Pull out your tanks from that mire before the infantry clogs your gears and slows you down. From my vantage point, you cannot keep pushing forward without having every disadvantage in the book. I don't have clarity of targets, so I suggest you let the Vhermactians pass through. I'll deploy smoke from the Griffons to cover you, and that's the only trigger I will pull again today. If the Siege company wants this battle so much they can have it, for Malcador the Sigillite's loins".

[Imperium of Tanith]

"Damnit, the Colonel's not responding. Cadians, Charge!!!" Captain Jack says as the Chimeras roar towards the Artillery, firing off their heavy bolters as they scream towards the rebel flank. Suddenly the Hostile Artillery silences, as the roar of Heavy Machine Guns and screaming fills the air as the PDF crews are slaughtered by the sudden Chimera charge. "All Imperial Forces, this is Captain Jack Larsen of the 114th Cadian Mechanized Division. The enemy artillery has been silenced, I repeat the artillery is destroyed!" Jack reports, hoping that some other Imperials are within Vox-range.

Suddenly, some of the rebel tanks turn to face the oncoming APC's, and begin barraging Jack and his men. "Oh Frak! Pull back to the main Line! Follow me!" Jack calls out onto the Regimental Vox, as the dozen or so Chimeras turn towards the Imperial lines and weave in and out, firing off their Bolters and Hunter Killers Missiles at the Rebels as they attempt not to get blasted by the Rebel Leman Russ, "Imperial Guard, do not fire at incoming Chimeras! We are Friendly units!" Jack calls out on the global Vox, trying to keep his men alive.

[Sub Sector Protractis]

In High Orbit Above Evisor
Legion of Hydraphur strike cruiser "His Watchful Gaze"

Veteran Sergeant Mabus looked upon the Holo desk at the situation developing plant side before speaking " My Lord, will my own squad be accompanying me with the initiates?"

"No, seeing as the Guard have managed to actually secure a foot hold without getting themselves decimated means that there is hope for them yet. As such there are bigger problems facing the Imperium then some ungrateful farmers. Therefore your squad will stay with me and you will lead the Initiates yourself.Now go with mine and the Legatus' blessing" Spoke Centurion Leandros of the Legion of Hydraphur's 3rd Cohort.

"As you will my Lord, I will bring honor and new warriors to the Legion." replied Sergeant Mabus bowing and turning to the drop pod bays

Sergeant Mabus then patched himself directly to the Colonel of this "Cadian" regiment.

Code: Select all

++" Colonel this is Sergeant Mabus, I will be awaiting with my men in orbit for coordinates to deploy and assault. 'Break' You know the capabilities of my men and our purpose. We await a mission. Sergeant Mabus Out.++

The Marine had already spoken to the Colonel about the upcoming mission, he had decided that since the operation would be carried out in less then a weeks time that it would be best of the colonel kept the presence of Astartes forces a secret so as to not distract the men of the Guard. He had chosen to have his men sleep and train as close to the plasma generators of the ship as their unagumented bodies could stand so that when they set foot upon Evisor the would be relativity comfortable in the barren landscape.

When he walked on to catwalk of the engineering section an initiate jumped to attention and cried out " Attention on deck! Laurelum Decanus Mabus on Deck! Good day my Lord! Glory to the Emperor! Glory to the Leigion!" This statment was echoed in almost robotic unison.

Veteran Sergeant Mabus allowed him self the fainted flicker of a smile. "Good Day men!" eched Sergeant Mabus' voice. "Stand at ease, commence Hygiene, Eat, and gear up in formation full combat load. Extra water, unless I'm mistaken the Guard are in for a hard fight 1 hour."

"Aye Aye My Lord!" cried the Initiates.

With that Sergeant Mabus departed to ready his war gear.

[Bone Fort]

... The hell did they come from?

Demens saw the Chimeras charging the Imperial lines. He shouted down to the Vox operator.

"Vox guy!"
"It's Jackson."
"Right, Johnson. Who the hell are those Chimeras? The Colonel didn't say anything about Chimeras."
"They're claiming that they're friendly, sir."
"What?... Bullsh*t, open fire."
"Sir?"
"It's obviously a trick, we didn't have anyone drop behind enemy lines. And even if we did, Chimeras don't deep-strike, so there's no way that those could be ours. Wipe them off the map. And get me the Colonel, dammit, this is becoming a cluster-f**k. Report to him that we are engaging these Chimeras."

His orders were relayed, and the might of a thousand and one men was unleashed. Lasgun, lascannon, autocannon, heavy bolter, rocketry, mortars and tanks, even artillery, all raining hell upon the Chimeras coming at them. Demens took a sip from his mug.

Well... sucks to be them...

[Marzarbul]

"What the hell," yelled Samuel as he watched the PDF forces unleash round after round into what apparently were friendly chimeras. "This is mission is FUBAR," said Samuel through gritted teeth as his men stopped setting up a temporary FOB and watched the friendly fire ensue. Getting on the vox as fast as he could Captain Samuel roared to his surrounding company, "All right men, this mission is fucked. Break down the FOB and get ready for a march. We are going to get the hell out of here and head towards the nearby city. Hopefully, this shit back here will be sorted and we can give them some intelligence about what they might be hitting later on." Soon the men of the 34th were packing back up their mortars and quickly began to march in a staggered arrowhead formation with men broken up into three man squads separated by several meters between each man with the center of the arrowhead packed with the various heavy weaponry that would need to be protected while limbered up. Looking back over his shoulder Samuel could not help but grimace as he continued to see the confusion occurring at the drop zone and the sounds of frantic yelling over the vox-caster. Samuel knew that without any sort of command structure the battle would be much more costly than need be but he had to look out for his men over any other. Hopefully Samuel would be getting his men far away from the chaos and he could begin doing what he did best; leading his men. Alone.

[The Empire of Pretantia]

The 13th had just arrived to the battlefield, and things were apparently going terribly. Khafur could see from there that the armor was stalled by its own artillery; the mechanized infantry had succeeded in silencing the enemy's artillery only to be fired upon by friendlies as they returned to their own line. This could only get worse if the Adeptus Astartes were to drop in and save the day while a titan stomped all over the Basilisks. Khafur did not even want to get involved with this battle because of how disorganized the Guard was, but he had to do something. Grasping the Vox phone, he took a deep breath, hoping that whoever is responsible for this anarchy would receive the transmission.

"Attention elements of the 1162nd regiment, this is Captain Mogul Khafur of the 13th Bangalore company. Infantry, you are firing on your own chimeras! Just look at the emblems! Artillery, your fire is falling on top of your own armor! aim further away!"

Khafur put the phone back down and sighed. what a regiment, he thought. He opened the hatch and peeked out for a better view of the field. It seemed the Chimeras had done a good job, neutralizing the artillery then fighting back to allied troops. The flank looked a little delectable now. Khafur shut the hatch again and picked up the Vox phone. As much as he hated the idea, the Bangalores would have to get in on the action, no matter how bad it was. He switched to the company line.

"Bangalores, that tenderized flank looks tasty. Take a bite!"

[Imperium of Tanith]

"Well Frak..." Cpt. Jack cusses as missiles and autocannon rounds fly past the Chimeras. "Sir, we need to turn around!" Henry tries to plea, as explosions rock the fleeing APC's. "Frak it, if we die, were taking those rebels with us and saving our boys!" Jack says, as the Chimeras roll into a Gigantic line "Men, Trench formation!" The Captain orders, as the Chimeras slide into a horizontal line, cutting off the Guard from the tanks, essentially using themselves as shields. The rounds begin to hit home as several Chimeras erupt into balls of flames, killing all hands. "Open fire on those Tanks! For the Emperor!" Jack orders on the megavox as the Chimeras and their crews unload on the pursuant tanks, as slowly the line dwindles down as the APC's are boiled up. "Keep it up, dont stop firing!" Jack yells as he begins firing his Heavy Bolter Turret. "Creed, little Tactical Genius would be nice right now..." the Captain prays as the Chimera line dwindles.

[Aelosia]

"Imperial Guard, do not fire at incoming Chimeras! We are Friendly units!"

"Who in the name of the Macharius' Golden Balls are you and what are you doing in that position?", barked Vanhayn through her comm vox as the message of Captain Jack reached her command tank. "That is not our fire, asswipe, but the enemy barrages. You just plunged yourself in the midst of an armour formation! Major Vanhayn of the 6th company here", she said placing a special accent on her rank, to reinforce what was to follow "My orders are for you to enter the smoke barrier and trench yourself there with whatever men you have remaining until the Colonel orders you something else. The enemy tanks are going to mince you up, pretty much, but then you will likely prefer that than what is waiting for you", she finished still climbed to the hatch of her tank with the vox mic in her hand. As the unknown Chimeras tried to retreat, she watched as the PDF company guardng the flank started to unleash everything they had towards the chimeras. Of course, they were unknown chimeras, coming from the enemy lines. It was a natural reaction. If not for Captain Jack's message through the regimental channels, she would had the thermidorians do the same. Right now, all batteries were retreating and consolidating into a position in the back of the imperial lines, if there was something you could call an imperial line now.

She rotated the turret of her tank as her own driver turned the tank around and started to go back when she got another mic incoming message.

"Attention elements of the 1162nd regiment, this is Captain Mogul Khafur of the 13th Bangalore company. Infantry, you are firing on your own chimeras! Just look at the emblems! Artillery, your fire is falling on top of your own armor! aim further away!"

Oh for the love of the Sigillite, Vanhayn told herself before opening the mic again to asnwer.

"Captain Mogul Khafur. First Gunnery Major Vanhayn here. Your orders are to retreat to the Colonel's position and reinforce him", she said with a calm voice before exploding in what was almost a shriek. "And what is hitting you is not your artillery, for He Who Rest Gilded, but the enemy's! You just landed into the wrong landing zone and joined the wrong ball! We have no common emblems and we are a mashed regiment of different companies, there are no emblems and the rebels use our same tanks and APCs, there is no way anyone can recognize friend from foe in this clusterfrak! This is a direct order from a superior officer, Captain Mogul Cockfull or whatever you are called, pull your Bangalores back to reinforce the Colonel's position TOWARDS THE CITY!", and the last words where clearly a yell.

[Hamste]

Olov finally got his men into order and calmed them down after the trip. He looked around at the battle field and decided since no one had told him anything since he had woken up they would simply go behind cover and wait for the Emperors speakers to tell them what to do. They saw another unit attempting to dig trenches and set up defenses so they rushed over and started helping dig the trenches as well so that they could use the trenches for protection against the attackers. The Ogryns worked fast and pulled rocks out easily but they didn't have proper tools so they weren't a lot of help other then when rocks got in the way. He hoped no one else needed them but if they had needed them they would have told them what to do before they were loaded into the transports. He wondered briefly on who they were fighting but then again it really didn't matter so he decided to forget it.