W40K In Service to the Imperium: Episode 5 (IC/CLOSED)

[La Bandera Roja]

Pan Arcadia
Outside For Macharius
7th Tonatian Mechanized Infantry

The nearest star was shining down on the open field, soldiers on chimeras spread out and soldiers relaxing, sun bathing, eating, playing cards or sports, or cleaning their las-rifles after some drilling. Only after the senior officer, a lieutenant, was stopped in his faux-commanding against an invisible foe to "help handle a minor problem."

"How long has the vox been down?!" A gasmaked lieutenant in a long, black with red trim trench coat asked, agitation in his voice.
"I know not, sir!" The vox operator replied, a young soldier frightened, standing up straight but still not taller than his lieutenant still saluting after giving the news of their long-range vox-caster down. His gasmask was removed, trying to make his attempts to fix the machine less useless before someone noticed.
"Calm down, I'm not a commissar.. I won't shoot you that quickly. Anyway, we have plenty of followers of the cult mechanicus for a reason." The officer said, trying to calm his voice down, and obviously still very agitated. The Tonatius company was out almost the whole day in their chimeras to get used to drilling in their new organization of soldiers and machines. They needed to be ready for war, despite how fold regiments were used. The hammer of the Emperor could not be disgraced by lazing off in their drilling.

Behind the lieutenant, the machine voice of one of the company's tech priests whirred up. "And it is my pleasure. The machine spirit is crying out in pain, I must ease its weary spirit." The hooded figure said and moved past them both smoothly to the vox machine. The young soldier was still looking nervous, he looked back to the officer's gasmask. The natural lighting did not let him see the officer's eyes, but the officer was piercing through the soldier with his gaze.
"A whole day... deaf?!" The officer barked through the mask. He quickly ripped off his helmet off and gasmask, holding both in either hand. "An entire day. What if an emergency came up? We'd be out here while the rest of our regiment was out being useful! How would that reflect on me, on Tonati--" The tech-priest interjected, "The vox-caster's spirit is healed, sir." His machine amp sounded out, as if trying to cut between the officer and soldier.

The officer calmed down after hearing the news. He took a deep breath, let go of his gasmask to let it dangle and put his helmet back on. "Just do your job, Mendoza." The lieutenant sighed and said to the vox-operator. Ever since he became the senior officer of his very own company, he felt more and more displeased with how he was commanding. Had he learned nothing from his own superiors?

The officer, Alessandro Santos scratched his hair from under his helmet as he turned to look at the rest of his soldiers, all relaxing. They had it easy, just accepting orders. He had to make them...but he was being integrated into a fold-regiment and those were hardly ever used. Now he was going to live it easy after most of his original regiment got slaughtered? He looked up to the sky and took a deep breath, trying to wash all stress away. That's when the vox-operator called out to Alessandro, "Sir! Something important came up on the Vox. Voices going on talking about ..." He swallowed, "The PDF rebelling, they are attacking members of the imperial guard. The transmissions are hazy, and I can only hear frantic voices." A now, very frightened Mendoza said, face etched with fear.

Alessandro turned and looked at the operator, giving a deadpan look. Mendoza was serious. The Lieutenant wasted no time, he felt his heart rate pick up, the blood pumping as his mind and body readied for the heat of battle. "All units, pack up and hats on. Pan Arcadia's PDF is rebelling, this is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill. Everyone pack up as quickly as possible and assemble in your chimeras. All drivers follow me." Alessandro said. "You too, get that vox into the chimera." The lieutenant commanded casually as he stepped back into the chimera. This planet was supposed to be an easy place to relax... War seemed to always be behind him.

The commissar soon showed up to the open back doors of the pale blue chimera. "Ready, sir!" He said into his own vox, he was flanked by 9 of some of the best guardsmen of the company. "Come on in, it's just as comfortable as I remember." Alesandro said to the masked commissar. The lieutenant took his helmet back off and slipped his armor and rubber hybrid gasmask back on his face before putting his helmet back on.

After a few minutes, everyone was packed up and inside their chimeras. One by one, the chimeras sounded off their green status, ready to roll out. And they soon did, all following the lead Chimera.

---

The travel down the dirt road leading back to the fort was short before reaching something. The lieutenant was standing out of the top hatch of the vanguarding chimera. Chimeras! Wait... "All beasts halt here! We have guardsmen ahead." He commanded, the single file line of chimeras all screetched to a halt as the tracks grinned against the paved road, about 30 metered behind the Chimera formation. The chimeras in front of the Tonatians weren't of Pan Arcadia... not the PDF. Who were they... Ah! The Steel Legion of Armageddon. Fellow Guardsmen. The Chimeras seemed to be unloaded, at least most of them were. It was hard to tell though a gasmask, so far away, and the light didn't reach into the bay of the chimeras. Were the legionaries inside of the woods while the chimeras held the road? Only logical explanation, unless the Chimeras were holding out after their infantry got slaughtered or were just absent, and he knew the Armageddon soldiers were too tough to all get killed. But how many PDF were there? This needed answers.

"Beast 2 and 1, unload your crew and get ready to move to support me as I move to scout what the Steel legionaries are up to. Beast 16 through 20, cover the back of the road, all guns on there and report any PDF approaching. Every other beast, keep look out on the woods, we don't know the strength of the PDF in this Area, watch the woods for a surprise attack. Gunners at the ready!" The Leutenant barked out orders through the gasmask as he ducked back into the chimera, the 9 soldiers, the commissar, and the vox-operator Mendoza with the large vox-caster on his back all headed out with their lieutenant to get ready to move down the road. The sergeant and his 11 soldiers.

The 24 trench coated and gasmasked figures made their way down the road, towards the Steel Legion Chimeras. "Weapons down, we don't want to surprise them." The Leutenant said between heavy breaths through his gasmask. The last thing he needed was to be cut down by his fellow guards.

[Carcharhinidae primari]

Fort Macharius,
4th Company, Urdeshi hellhounds
Third squad, Passing little armegeddon

The three hellhounds roared forwards as the return fire from the PDF mostly stopped, parking close to the circle of chimeras and sending short bursts of flame out to silence the last few pockets of PDF still firing towards the steel legionnaires, seemingly caring not too much that the backlash would take another squad or so of wounded PDF's down as well. When the return fire stopped so too did the streams of fire, The urdeshi holding back to let the legionnaires advance through the gaps which aren't on fire. Confident that the remaining PDF would be all too aware what would happen should they try to resist.

Second squad, main entrance

Seeing the higaran company move up to secure the front gate, even if it was currently rammed open, They rolled out in front; seeing a lone chimera trying to escape the three hull-mounted heavy bolters opened up, scouring the front as it came closer; the explosive rounds pitting the armour as they detonate against it. The hellhounds rolling forwards to block the chimera's escape route.

[Morrdh]

Contested Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Fort Macharius
5th Company Morridane Barracks

Sergeant Baumer and Sergeant Schimt had led their squads across the open from the Higaran barracks to the Morridanes in an attempt to assist their fellow guardsmen. The Higaran uniform stuck out from the rest of the Morridanes greatly, along with the fact that each Higaran soldier had a mustache, as they weaved their way through the troops. Schmit spoke briefly with Baumer before taking his squad and moving to help several Morridanes dig through some rubble and put out some flames.

Baumer and his squad looked around before coming up to several individuals. "Where is Captain Stormwell?" Baumer asked in at thick Higaran accent, unknowingly speaking to Stomwell and the men around him. "We came as soon as we could make it over. We're here to lend a hand since the rest of our boys are dealing with the PDF off yonder." The man said, motioning in the direction of the headquarters that was out of sight.

"The cap'n?" Replied a Morridane corporal as he jerked a thumb in the direction of a medicae post. "He'll be over there, got injured during the bombing."

"Most o' on o' our platoons is still in there...somewhere." The corporal continued, gesturing at the bombed out billets. "A few o' our officers are accounted fer after that wee skirmish, plus all o' our remaining sections have taken causalities and th orderlies have their hands full. Got a couple more sections missing, they were over on the other side o' the base when things when frick up here."

"Would be pretty good going if it were a pubcrawl."

~

"Bloomin' heck!" Exclaimed one of the Morridanes that was part of Sergeant-Major Midnightte's relief column of Cargo-8 trucks as they neared the Morridanes' billets. Smoke was bellowing into the sky as shouts and alarms rang out, one of the base's fire tenders that had survived with only a scratched paintwork had pulled out and its crew were unwinding hoses to douse the flames with. Ambulances were also present as medical orderlies tempted to the wounded or pulled blankets over those that had departed the mortal coil, a rather sobering sight.

"Right lads," Said Midnightte. "We've got work to do, get some of this rubble shifted...c'mon at the double!"

~

"Ouch!" Captain Stormwell winced in pain as the orderly cleaned up the wound on his forehead. "Could ye be more careful fer frick's sake?"

"Hold still ay?" Muttered the medic. "Almost done ay?"

"Good, 'bouts bloomin' time." Stormwell grumbled.

"Just got bandages to put on ay?" Replied the medic as he throw his instruments to one side and pulled out a roll of bandages. "One more moment and we're done ay?"

"Anything fer the pain?"

"Pill mebbe ay?" Answered the medic. "Need to check me medikit ay?"

"That'll do I guess."

"All done ay?" The medic replied after he'd finished wrapping the bandages and then fished in his bag and pulled out a plastic strip. "These should help ay?"

"Thanks." Nodded Stormwell. "Never got yer name."

"Private Liddle, Medical Orderly ay?" Said the medic as he got up. "Got more to see to ay?"

[Great Houses of Xie]

Skies above Dresen:

"Leman Russ firing on the Balurians. Making a pass on it."

Deeeeeeeee~. The warning tone sounded in Air 1's headsets, informing the pilot and co-pilot that they're being locked on.

"Air 1 to Air 2. I'm being locked on. Breaking off." The co-pilot announced coolly. "Got a bead on that?" The pilot dipped the Vendetta lower to the rooftops, banking to the right in an attempt to break the lock.

"Negative, Air 1. I got nothing. Lighting up the target." Air 2 came zipping in low. The co-pilot's targeting reticle lit up and he triggered the three twin-linked lascannons. He kept the Leman Russ targeted for a second before the Vendetta broke off from its pass, banking towards the right to get sight of Air 1 and the potential trajectories from the targeting SAM battery.

Deedeedeedeedee... Air 1's instruments announced that a missile had been let loose and is tracking on the Vendetta.

"I see it, Air 1. Coming from your 4." Following the contrail of the missile, Air 2's co-pilot spotted the two men on the rooftops. The pilot slowed the Vendetta down to hover, bringing the craft and its guns about to bear. "Firing on the battery now." The co-pilot triggered another shot from the lascannons.

"Dropping flares." The blaring alarm ceased as the missile stopped tracking and whizzed off to detonate harmlessly. The Vendetta continued banking around to similarly bring its guns to bear on the battery's position.

---

Dresen, north side by the train yards:
The Xie Leman Russ advanced carefully, flanked by the Chimeras, the unmounted infantry staying in the shadow of the various advancing tanks. As they enter the streets, the Leman Russ remains on point, with the Chimeras trailing and the flak tank in the rear.

"Lt. Oda, take one squad of men and two autocannon teams. Continue clearing the buildings on the left side of the column. Lt. Takeda will stay with the mounted infantry. I will take the remaining infantry and clear the right side." Guiren spoke over the comms and the infantry split in accordance with his orders; Takeda remained mounted. "The traitor PDF may not know we're here, but stay alert."

Ahead of Guiren and the column, the second guard squad stacked up on the first building. The first trooper, kicked the door down from the side, then stepped back to allow the flamer-armed trooper in, followed up by the rest of the squad.

"Clear." The sergeant announced after moving up to the second floor. The announcement is echoed by Lt. Oda from across the street.

Guiren motioned his personal squad forward to cleat the next building. A Xie commander leads by example. He kicked the door in and entered, laspistol in his left hand and curved longsword in the right. Nothing shot at him, which is always a good sign. As his men entered behind him, he strode towards the back of the building, almost stomping up the stairs to the second floor. Confidently, he made for the window, opening it and looking down at the column as it trundled by; he watched the second squad moving to clear the next building.

"Clear." Guiren announced. However, the deeper they go into the city, the more likely the column is bound to run into the enemy. With luck, the PDF will be occupied by the Balurians and be caught off-guard by the Xie. Admittedly, because of its wariness of the unknown, the Xie are moving slower than Guiren would have liked. But, it's certainly better than diving face-first into an ambush or other nasty situation.

[Bredtonia]

Lt. Schulte
10th Company, 2nd Platoon, Command
Mount Marcharius Forest, High Fire Road

"New Conta.." the auspex reader called out from inside the command chimera before being interrupted by a louder yell from the IFV's commander calling out "Brace for impact!"  The lieutenant quickly grabbed onto one of the rooftop bars and held on for dear life.  He knew to well that if the commander was calling out to brace, it meant there was serious anti-armour weaponry coming their direction.

A second later, he felt the front of the Chimera buck upwards as the krak missile slammed into the chimera's turret.  There was a scream from the commander as she stumbled and fell down from the top and landed in the main cabin, clawing at her helmet and mask, trying desperately trying to pull the molten metal studded clothing away from her face.  The platoon medic ran over and helped her as best he could while the lieutenant went back to his command over the roaring sound of the hull mounted heavy bolter trying to extract vengeance on the missile team.

"New contacts, sir" the auspex reader repeated, trying to ignore the urge to panic.  "Lasfire coming down from the east ridge, opposite where the rifles were.  And now mortar fire on the PDF.  Looks like training rounds sir."  The last line came out in a questioning voice.  

LCMR Dominic Marki
10th Company, Company Command
Fort Marcharius 2nd Runway, West of “Little Armageddon”

"Ziegler, Voigt, have your troops advance unmounted along side the hellhounds.  We'll sweep them out from here and link up with the rest of the regiment.  Herrman, I want you to move your troops up to the defense line as soon as First and Fifth are clear.  Thomas, get your platoon mounted up and ready to move out as soon as the Techpriests clear the Chimera's for duty.  We've got them on the run, lets clean this filth out."

Lt. Deborah Ziegler
10th Company, 1st Platoon
Fort Marcharius, "Little Armageddon"

With her own chimera having been completely immobilized by the earlier bombing raid,  Lt. Ziegler has made the unorthodox decision to abandon it for now and lead her platoon on foot.  Strategically, it meant she was nearly blind.  But fancy maneuvering would hardly be needed to lead nearly fifty troops down a straight open street into the heart of the enemy. 

"Alright men, steady advance. Move!"  She called into the microvox in her skull-form mask.  Along side the men and women of the fifth platoon, her troops left the cover of the crashed Avengers and Aiges plates and leapfroged forward, keeping their lasguns trained as the pushed down the street.

Lt. Schulte
10th Company, 2nd Platoon, Command
Mount Marcharius Forest, High Fire Road

If the arrival of the Triplex Rifles had changed the course of the battle, the appearance of the Tonitainas' had the potential to turn it into a slaughter.  His command chimera was now safely backed up behind the smoking wreck of first squad's mount, his place in the line taken up by third squad's instead.  At least the battery of missiles had only truly taken out one of them.  The other line chimera, fifth squads, had gotten lucky, the missile had gone wide and taken down the tree adjacent to them.  I'd left a mighty dent in the roof, but nothing to impair their combat efficiency.

Schulte looked up from the Mixed Regiment Information Book he'd been flipping through and called out a series of numbers to the vox operator, who created a new channel that would include the Rifles and Tonitainas' command frequencies.  He had the vox operator activate the channel and picked up the microphone. 

"This is Lieutenant Schulte of the 10th company.  The enemy appears to be severely damaged and demoralized.  I am going to order a general assault, I'd be honored if your men will join us."

Meanwhile in the woods, the men having already received the order to prepare for assault, were making the needed adjustments to their equipment.  Unlike rifle-work, which the Steel Legion training crammed with discipline and control, the lords of Armageddon found no need to instruct their hive-gang recruits on close combat.  After all, almost every Armageddon ganger had been using improvised weaponry since their pre-teen years.  All among the platoon, rifles were securely slung in favor of shives, stub automatics, brass knuckles and/or the occasional linked chain.  The sergeants, all former gang leaders, primed their chainswords.  

A few moments later, with sudden ferocity, the Steel Legoion broke cover and sprinted for the PDF.  The Chimeras did one final suppressive sweep of automatic fire before falling silent.  A dozen frag grenades flew out of the forest to detonate among the traitors.  Then, without battle cry, the gangs of Armageddon fell upon them, their faces still unseen behind their masks.

[Drakulstan]

Cpt. Sharpe
95th Rifles Reserve Company
Mt. Macharius Forest, High Fire Road

Captain Sharpe knelt behind the ridge, occasionally peeking over with a pair of binoculars to observe the enemy. Fortunately, his camouflaged fatigues and armor gave him some concealment against the renegade PDF taking potshots at a possible leader. That didn’t stop some of them from trying however.

The vox-operator of the command squad tapped him twice on the shoulder, offering the Captain the speaking horn. After listening for a moment, he said only ”Copy, will support.”

Turning to the vox-operator, he had him switch to the Platoon Leader tactical net. With the jamming, only their vox-sets would cut through to allow field-level communications. ”Men, here’s how it’s going to go down. Bravo-Actual, prep your platoon for assault on my go. Alpha-Actual, your platoon is on overwatch. Charlie-Actual, prep an escape route for Bravo and be ready to respond in case things go frelling south.”

1st Lt. Decius Parrington
95th Rifles Reserve Company, Alpha Platoon
Mt. Macharius Forest, High Fire Road

”Yes sir!” The lieutenant handed the vox horn back to his man and turned to his Sergeant First Class. ”We’re on overwatch and we’ll provide covering fire. Switch to rapid fire and get the MG’s going. Maybe the sound will distract them.”

2nd Lt. Helstrom Cotant
95th Rifles Reserve Company, Bravo Platoon
Mt. Macharius Forest, High Fire Road

”Fixing bayonets sir, we’ll give ‘em hell!” Lieutenant Helstrom “Hell” Cotant grinned broadly as he tossed the horn back to his vox operator. Most of the Lieutenants in the unit used the Triplex Lasgun as their main weapon. Helstrom preferred the tried and true chainsword in his right hand with a las pistol in his left. It was a brutal combination in the right hands, and no hands were better in the company save for Captain Sharpe’s. Even then, the bettors were evenly divided. ”FIX BAYONETS!” Helstrom roared.

The men of Bravo Company pulled their “bayonets” from their sheaths and fixed them to the lugs of their lasguns. The common bayonets of other Guard units were similar to knives in their dimensions and use. The bayonets of the 95th were more akin to short swords, giving their rifles the image of pikes instead of short spears.

2nd Lt. Raythus
95th Rifles Reserve Company, Charlie Platoon
Mt. Macharius Forest, High Fire Road

”Copy sir.” Lt. Raythus nodded to his senior sergeant. ”Move the men out to the flank towards the base. We’re the exit corridor and QRF.”

The men were silent and damn near invisible to the untrained eye when they shifted positions.

2nd Lt. Helstrom Cotant
95th Rifles Reserve Company, Bravo Platoon
Mt. Macharius Forest, High Fire Road

Lt. Helstrom had crept to the front under the fusillade of lasfire, fully intent on leading the charge himself. His senior non-commissioned officer followed him, swearing under his breath about keeping his Lieutenant alive.

Hearing the order from Captain Sharpe, Helstrom grinned. It was finally time!

”MEN OF TRIPLEX, WHAT DO YOU DO FOR THE EMPRAH?!” he bellowed, his accent coloring his speech.

”KILL, KILL, KILL!” Bravo Platoon roared in response.

”FOR TRIPLEX, FOR THE EMPEROR, FOR THE GLORY OF THE IMPERIUM, CHAAAAAAAAARGE!” Helstrom commanded his men, rose and charged down the slope, his chainsword roaring it’s defiance.

”HOOAAAAAAAAH!” Bravo Platoon followed in his wake, adrenaline surging through their veins and their rifles spitting death. Lasfire rained down in rapid, stuttering bursts from Alpha Platoon accompanied by the deeper thudding of heavy stubbers on suppressing fire, ineffective though they were as they were firing blanks.

[La Bandera Roja]

Pan Arcadia
Woodlands of Fort Macharius
7th Tonatian Mechanized Infantry Company

"The Steel legion lieutenant wishes us to join him in the push to destroy the PDF." The vox operator called out to his own lieutenant through the heavy gasmask.
"Good! Let us show our brothers how hard we can fight." Alessandro said, slowing his jog down to a halt. He ressed the small button on his personal vox. "Soldiers of beast 3, 4, and 5, fix bayonets and make sure to watch your step. Charge over the Armageddon chimeras and reinforce us. Watch your fire." That's all Allessandro sent back to his own soldiers. The new squads from the chimeras would total 36 new soldiers. 33 guardsmen and 3 sergeants.

He motioned for his own retinue to keep following as he picked up the pace again. "Beast 2 and 1, fix bayonets, we're going to climb over their chimeras. Just as we practiced." He commanded them, breathing heavily. His adrenaline began pumping as he started to get tunnel vision only focusing on the chimeras in front of them. There he noticed one was taken down... not sure whether or not to be happy it wasn't one of his own that was out of commission.

When the lieutenant and his outfit of 23 other soldiers reached the Armageddon chimeras, they all began to climb over. Some quickly pulled themselves up over the tracks, some got into the actual bay of the chimera and pulled themselves up over the roof. Each climb was quick with trained precision to do these maneuvers under more stressful circumstances. Each soldier crouched over the turret and fired once upon the PDF before sliding down the front of the hull where the guns were not shooting.

Allessandro climbed on top of one of the chimeras, setting a boot on top of one of the turrets. He could almost feel the adrenaline pumping through every soldier about to make the hopefully final push into these PDF. Just as soon as his first soldiers reached the bottom of the chimeras, the Armageddon chimeras fell silent and the woods were suddenly alive with other gasmasked and trench coated figures charging out. He didn't even notice the stealthy triplex rifles.

The lieutenant felt a sudden rush, breathing in deep, "Quickly! Assemble at the bottom of the chimeras!" He yelled out, since the chimeras were silent, he didn't need to use his vox. With a quick rasp of a scabbard against blade, he drew his power sword out with his left hand and las pistol in the right. The lieutenant joined his 23 soldiers at the front of the chimeras.

The guards were crouching in a semi circle around the front of the chimeras, their sergeant and the commissar also lending what they could in las-pistol fire. Alessandro wasted no time to get at the head, lightly pushing his way through to get at the front of the group. "Let's bleed them dry, show them what it means to mess with the hammer of the Emperor! In His name!" He cried out, "WE WILL LAUGH IN DEFIANCE!" Each soldier proudly bawled out and stood, starting to move forward. In the charge, 3 of the Tonatians were hit harshly enough to put them down for good.

During the charge, the lieutenant only could hear the loud boots stomping against the paved, and the heavy breathing through his gasmask. For a moment, the sound was almost soothing. But before the PDF met the Guard steel to steel, he realized he was going to be fighting his own men. Once used to the Emperor. Humans fighting humans, as if fighting xenos wasn't bad enough.

[Aelosia]

Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Outskirts of capital center of Nova Prime
Fort Macharius
Medical facility
3th Company, 557th Segmentian
12:00

Sabrina Ashdown

Hell was coming, and coming fast. The façade of the medical building had turned into a skirmish firefight that was going to devolve into a massacre pretty quickly unless measures were taken. Lieutenant Sabrina Ashdown was not a Scholam War Maiden as most of her colleages from the Thermidorian Company were. First and foremost, she was a surgeon. A very good surgeon, that was rather impaired regarding military actions. She was talented at preserving lives, not ceasing them. During most campaigns, she and her personnel had been covered by the troops of the thermidorian companies and had been hardly forced to face any enemies, no even close. It seemed that this campaign was the exception as the rebel troops assaulted the windows of the medical building of Fort Macharius, with most of her aides trying to assist the wounded coming from every company in the regiment as victims of the recent aerial bombardment of the base.

Some wounded soldiers from other companies had come to medicae carrying their weapons, and those few brave souls were everything that was holding the enemies soldiers out, but that inefficient and undermanned defense was going to crumble as soon as the remaining invading squads crossed the space across their disembarking places from the medical building. Whatever they were doing to keep the enemy out, though, was quickly failing. Surgeon Lieutenant Ashdown sighed and activated her comm bead, as she had no way open to decide a further course of action.

A torrent of lasbolts came through an open window as she opened the channel, leaving scorching marks along the rockcrete of the structure, one of them perforating the hanging leg of one of the casualties of the bombardment lying on a stretcher. Another soldier in a higaran uniform and a bandaged arm moved to the threshold of the door, returning fire with a short burst of his own issue lasgun. As she awaited for an answer, she tried to remember the name of the trooper. Palor, that was his name. Wounded by shrapnel after an explosion, classified as levity by triage. He was one of the few guardsmen that had tried to coordinate a defense of the compound, but they were too outgunned and outnumbered to do anything but to delay the assault.

Over the sounds of the firing a tech-ping in her ear caught Lieutenant Ashdown's attention. "Vanhayn here, Ashdown. Get me a sitrep, because it doesn't look good from out here", chimed in the voice of the thermidorian commander transmitting from the company's tank headquarters.

"Not good from inside here anyway. I'd say a perimeter have fallen, Major Madam, but I don't think we had a perimeter to begin with. In a matter of minutes I will have enemy troops wandering inside the compound. Do we have reinforcements inbound?", answered the Lieutenant as she cowered beside a large steel cabinet meanwhile the higaran trooper kept launching shots over the door opening towards the window.

"You do, but I don't think they will arrive in time to prevent the breach of those installations. The squads that are assaulting you carry several flamers. If just a pair of those get inside, you can count all yourselves dead. There is no way you can hold it. You need to leave the building and wait until our soldiers can clean and reclaim. The base is almost secure and the perimeter almost secured, but we can't keep them out in time", as Vanhayn finished her words, a grenade exploded somewhere inside the compound. There was a handful of Armaggeddonian lightly injured troopers that had booby trapped some entrances of the buildings with the gathered remains of their grenade belts. Pretty sure the PDF troopers were jumping over the last options left to the loyal defenders. Next squad won't get any booby traps left to get inside.

Lieutenant Ashdown placed her hand over the laspistol she had grabbed from her desk, still secured in her leg holster. The gun had never been used, but was still in perfect condition. The surgeon officer pondered about unholstering it, but refused. She had a decision too difficult in front of her as to be taken with a pointed gun. In one hand, it was her duty to protect the wounded lying inside the medical facility. At least a dozen of the wounded from the different regimental companies could not be moved. On the other hand, her superior officer was right. If they stayed in the building, the PDF troopers would kill them all.

"Better to lose a dozen than one hundred and twenty", Ashdown told aloud and yet to herself. As an experienced surgeon and combat medic, she was used to making life or death decisions regarding other people. This one came as a logical conclusion given the assesment of the situation by her superior officer. It was not that she did not care about the wounded. It was that she cared about the living.

With a silent sigh over the sizzling lasbolts ricocheting inside the white painted walls, she opened her comm bead to the squad leaders of nurses and combat medics in the building. "Thermidorian Lieutenant Ashdown here. Superior orders are to evacuate the building immediately. I repeat. Immediate evacuation in full haste. Abandon all patients unable to move and leave the premises towards the administrative building. All patients able to walk must follow you. Get to the vehicles and leave this place to the enemy in full rush. Ashdown out".

With those words, the thermidorian Lieutenant withdrew the laspistol from her holster and started to shoot single bolts through the nearest window from her cover, as Palor seemed to have displaced to cover another point of entry. At least some semblance of resistance was going to slow the enemy down as for the evacuation to succeed. Her earbead chimed in, the signal coming from one of the higaran medical personnel present at the medical facilities. "Corporal Kline here, Lieutenant. Did I get you right? Are we supposed to abandon our wounded? Are you insane? The enemy is incoming, and it is our responsability to defend..."

Ashdown let another bolt fly out to the window as she issued her response, and managed to crouch near a medical supply case, barely avoiding getting pierced by an inaccurate auto discharge coming from outside. She interrupted the higaran Corporal mid phrase as she did so. "It is our responsability to treat them, not defend them!", she yelled, almost panicking given the situation and the harsh decision she had just taken. "And we can't treat them if we are incinerated! It is our duty to remain alive to keep taking care of the wounded, Corporal. Desperate situations, desperate measures! You have your orders, now leave the building now!".

Her anger at being misunderstood forced her to stand and unload the rest of her power clip unto the nearby window, although most of her shots did not even left the building, leaving scorched marks in the wall around the opening. For sure the higaran thought Ashdown was a coward, bolting out at the slightest sign of danger and abandoning her wounded behind. Around her, groups of people were already following her orders, all personnel and wounded soldiers able to walk were running towards the back exits of the building. Ashdown would stay until they all left the place, to show that higaran she was no coward, that she was no...

A shadow filled the window opening as she kept those thoughts, a figure jumping inside the building, and Sabrina realized it was the first of the PDF troopers coming inside, his lasgun braced against his chest. She pointed her laspistol at the intruder and pressed the activator, and yet no bolt of laser came out. The cell was empty already. Ashdown could swear the enemy trooper smirked as he levelled his lasgun to his shoulder and fired a short burst of fire aimed at her. The thermidorian tried to hide behind the cabinet but it was too late. Heat went through her body two times, the sudden flame in her gut forcing her to double over and fall to her knees, losing the grip on her sidearm.

The enemy trooper passed her by, not taking the effort to double tap her, believing her dead or close enough, and opened fire on full auto on a pair of thermidorian nurses that were trying to take out a patient in a rolling stretcher across the nearby hallway. Those two had refused to accept the order of leaving the disabled patients behind, and were going to pay for it. The two women went down with multiple wounds, and the body in the stretcher received several impacts that silenced its complaints. The Lieutenant rose her gaze towards the window, watching how a trooper with a rather large cylinder hanging from his back jumped through the window a few moments after his first comrade. The flamer was inside, and Ashdown was mere seconds away from a painful and horrible death.

Suddenly a storm of lasbolts filled the area nearby, and the PDF trooper fell to the ground, pierced several times. The flamer trooper braced the nozzle of its deadly weapon, but suddenly another figure appeared next to it, pressed a laspistol against its temple and executed it point blank, forcing the man to fall like a puppet with its strings cut.

Ashdown looked around, and saw trooper Palor standing next to her, returning from a nearby room and offering a hand to the Lieutenant while he held his lasgun close. The other figure approached, also dressed in higaran colors but with a white helmet and a white armband around his arm. "Can she walk?", he asked aloud to Palor as he shuffled around with the equipment of the fallen flame trooper.

"Can you?", Palor asked her in kind, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her to a standing position. Her gut burned with the flame of a hundred suns, her belly rippling as she regained her footing, but she managed to gather the strength to nod. "She better do, or we leave her. Her orders were to abandon all wounded unable to move, Right?", added Corporal Kline without any tone of irony or sarcasm in his voice, just icy steel on each syllable.

"Do...it, then", whispered Ashdown almost breaking down with her face as white as a paper sheet. "I...will...be...last...out...", she tried to issue as her world threatened to go black, barely maintaining her balance by grabbing Palor's shoulder, who in kind took a look at his Corporal. "She's still in here, however. Can't say she led by example", said Palor with a slight shrug. At those words, Kline seemed to soften a little. "By the Throne she means it. I thought you were a bloody coward running away first. I came looking for you to shoot you on your back", he said, picking the fallen lasgun of the PDF and discharging in short burst through the window to delay any further entrances, although without any second thought for accuracy. Then he turned to Palor, visibly affected. "Take her out as long as she can walk, then leave her on an ambulance. A Chief surgeon is too valuable to be left behind. In that at least she was right.", Kline said, as he spent the last charges of his lasgun as cover fire. "Almost everyone is already out".

To her merit, the Lieutenant managed to cling to Palor and place one step after another until they reached the back exit of the building, and there she was taken to the back of the last departing armoured ambulance before passing out. Kline reached out a few steps afterwards, knowing that there was noone behind him but the enemy troopers who had taken the entire building, and that they would be pursuing them in a few minutes.

Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Outskirts of capital center of Nova Prime
Fort Macharius
Thermidorian Barracks
3th Company, 557th Segmentian
12:05

Violet Kaylock

The Lieutenant Kaylock was the higher authority officer on the thermidorian barracks as the PDF infantry squads raced through the open terrain towards the buildings in order to assault them. They had grenades for sure, and flamers too. Any attempt to fortificate the barracks would be eventually defeated, and if the troopers remained trapped inside the buildings the flamers would tally a large amount of victims. Of course, given the readiness status of the thermidorian company, only a pair of platoons remained inside the barracks. The Mechanics Auxilia and the Foodstuff Detachment. The Security details were aboard their chimeras, the Munitions Auxilia on the motor pool, and the rest of the gunners aboard their vehicles or manning their weapon platforms. However, both the cooks and the wenches were not armed nor trained to resist the incoming assault even if they tried, and would end decimated at best or massacred at worst if they decided to make a stand at the barracks. Kaylock had precious seconds to formulate a plan, and she did it quick remembering the protocols established by the company in case of extreme situations as the one at hand.

She opened her bead and gave her orders to every squad leader on the barracks. "Evacuate in full haste, but in order, ladies. Leave the buildings to them, let them advance. Retreat. I repeat, retreat according to protocols", she said, and watched how the women started to flee the buildings in good order through the opposite side of the buildings, as if it was a fire fighting exercise or simulacrum. She opened another channel to the rest of her squad. "Get the rides ready. They are coming".

The thermidorians still in the buildings left them in full haste but retaining discipline, quickly abandoning the barracks before the PDF assault platoons bathed them in fire and then proceeded to assault them with grenades and riflemen charges. Once they left, the thermidorians raced to their vehicles in a tactical retreat, looking for cover and without suffering a single loss, although they abandoned their positions to the incoming enemy forces without even slowing them down.

Lieutenant Kaylock was one of the last women to leave the premises, but even then, that gave her time to get to her ride, climb to it, and get the pintle gift ready for when the PDF troops checked the barracks, found them empty, and tried to pursue the retreating thermidorian to the other side of the buildings.

A Trojan support vehicle is not a highly value combat asset. It is not able to fight any other kind of armoured vehicle with enough chance of success, and its importance comes mainly by the utility advantages it can give a company in the field.

People tend to forget, however, that the Trojan support vehicle, on its Vanaheim variant, comes equipped with a hull mounted heavy bolter. And that a heavy bolter has enough rate and power of fire as to supress infantry forces with quite potency and efficiency. Also, its armor makes it resilent to most infantry fire, from lasguns to flame weapons, although it is extremely fragile when exposed to the heavier anti armour variety. Heavy anti armour weaponry that usually is absent on assault platoons like the PDF ones that stormed the thermidorian positions, however.

When the assault PDF troopers left the buildings, and tried to race towards the fleeing troops and the exposed anti air weapon platforms, they found six Trojan support vehicles waiting for them at the explanade, cutting them from further pursuing of the retreating infantry platoons. Six heavy bolters can deliver a lot of supression, or seven, if we count the one deployed in the pintle mount of the command vehicle, manned by noone else but the Lieutenant Violet Kaylock. It was time for the Thermidorians to surprise the enemy now, she thought as the heavy bolters opened fire upon the assault troops, turning the tables on the enemy once more.

Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Outskirts of capital center of Nova Prime
Fort Macharius
Explanade near Medical Building
3th Company, 557th Segmentian
12:00

Yuri Nonsilva

The thermidorian squad leader blew with a strong exhalation her raven hair from her face as she dismounted from her chimera, coming out of the top hatch and jumping to the ground with a fluid movement. The rear compartment door of the vehicle was opening, and the rest of her squad was coming out in good order. Her bead chimed out with orders from Lieutenant Forge, leader of the Security details of the thermidorian company, the only infantry forces at disposal of Major Vanhayn. Clean the explanade, then race to medical and evict any troopers remaining. Accept capitulation and surrendering., had explaioned Forge. There was no time for further explanation. It was up to each squad leader to direct the actions of the dozen gunners under their charge.

Yuri advanced through the smoking explanade, all around her the destroyed husks of enemy chimeras, either smoked by the allied Hellhounds, or blasted apart by the Hunter Killer seeker missiles of thermidorian vehicles. She signalled her squad to follow her and approached one of the vehicles. The rear compartment of the Armoured Personnel carrier was open, its passengers having left their transport to go and assault the medical facility. It seemed that someone was moving inside. The front half of the vehicle had been smashed by a missile, but two bloodied and dazed PDF crew appeared from the inside of the vehicle, clearly wounded by the destruction of their vehicle. They seemed to be unarmed, and given that their ears were bleeding, their condition was not good at all.

Not that Squad Leader Nonsilva cared. This was the enemy. And according to Major Vanhayn, a corrupted enemy. Chaos corrupted PDF. As in Evisor. Yuri had not the chance to thank the enemy for Evisor. She remembered the maddened PDF slaughtering civilians all across Evisor. Crazy and mad PDF, as those in front of her. The enemy. At last.

One of the men in front of her, clad in the uniform of a vehicle driver, tried to raise his hands over his head. He didn't made it before the loud thud from Yuri's grenade launcher launched a 40 mm projectile to his torso and turned him into flying paste. One of the vaporised man's boots hit the remaining one on his side, and the panicked PDF turned around and tried to return to the cover of the wrecked vehicle. Yuri smirked. She imagined how confident these men were ten minutes ago, when they were rushing with armoured vehicles a medical facility. They were for sure even making jokes about how their flame armed troopers were going to cook the imperial wounded. One click, Yuri counted, as the massive revolver-like drum of her grenade launcher span. One click, two clicks, fragmentation. Three clicks, four clicks, krak. Fifth click, smoke signal. Sixth click. Oh, the sixth click was incendiary.

Yuri looked at the figure of the PDF trooper dissappearing inside the chimera as her grenade launcher sent the last round to the insides of the carrier, setting the entire compartment on fire and sending the man inside to an incredible loud yelling of pain and agony before death.

"You are a gakking psycopath, Nonsilva, those wanted to surrender", said the squad's corporal, a thermidorian rifle gunner by the name of Vangelisen. "You heard the Lieutenant".

"I did. She also said race to medical. No time to race to medical if we carry prisoners. Also, this is war. If they did not wanted part on it, they shouldn't had signed for it", she answered, slipping more fragmentation grenade into the open compartments of her drum magazine. "Throne knows I did sign for it. Let's kill them all", she said as she pointed at the small squads entering the medical building through its windows, and letting loose her grenades in parabole arcs to land amongst the exposed infantry before they could enter the facility.

At the sides of Yuri squad, the rest of the security detachments advanced from cover to cover, cutting the enemy as they did so, and starting to open fire on the few remaining elements of the assault squads that had not entered yet the medical building. Soon they had to stop fire as their advance was overwhelmed by a higaran charge that overpassed them and crashed into the weakened rear of the PDF assault squads.

Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Outskirts of capital center of Nova Prime
Fort Macharius
Back of the medical building
3th Company, 557th Segmentian
12:15

Amirale Vanklein

"May Throne protect your souls, Pearlescent Blade", whispered Master Pilot Vanklein as she received the imperial ship's last transmission. She felt grief, of course, but then again she was a veteran of war, and in war, stuff breaks and people die all the time. She took a deep breath and opened a company wide channel, with an alert chime directed to the Major. "Orbital allied and rebel assets have destroyed each other. No support incoming from orbital, yet neither we can expect hostile action. Orbital debris coming in hard in a few minutes, hold your ground", she informed as to prepare the troopers for the incoming impact, and to let the officers know that it was not consequence of enemy bombardment.

Vanhayn chimed in a pair of seconds later. "Copied. Relaying information to the rest of the companies. Massive orbital debris, I take it. Vanklein, I have a favor to ask", added the thermidorian Major with a serene tone of voice.

"You don't need to ask, Victoria, You just need to order", answered Vanklein with a tired sound on her words.

"I don't order friends around", added the Major. "Can you see medical from up there?"

"I can", answered Vanklein as she took a look from her circular cockpit. "People leaving and ambulances speeding up. Hostile elements entering the building from the other side, and being pursued by our higaran shocktroops at the same time. A clusterfuck, if you ask me. What do you want me to do about it?".

"I think the medical personnel might be short on time to leave the building before the enemy catches them on the other side. What can you do about it?", asked Vanhayn with an ironic tone.

"I see, let's see. I will do whatever I can", answered the Master Pilot as she turned her Aquila Lander around with a hum, and opened the twin linked auto cannon switch in her control panel. The circle of glass in fron of the cockpit went alight with a large huge and moving crosshair.

The aircraft hovered towards the back exit of the medical building as the last of the medical personnel was leaving it, with the PDF squads hot in pursuit. Vanklein did wait until positive identification on the PDF elements leaving the building before preparing an attack vector. "Let's strafe them for good", she said as she discharged her guns to cover the retreat of the medicaes and wounded. As a bird of prey the shadow of the aircraft covered the zone, before a torrent of heavy rounds rained upon the lead PDF pursuers, leading them back to the medical building and into the hungry bayonets of the higaran soldiers who had charged inside. The enemy was trapped inside the medical building now, getting bitten by two pincers, the firing aircraft on one side and the higaran charge on the other. It was a matter of time before their discipline and fighting spirit collapsed.

[Pragia]

Road to Fort Macharius
2nd Argentum Heavy Armored

The 2nd Argentum was moving down the Fire road, driving to Fort Macharius from Nova Prime. Each individual Leman Russ following in the treads of the one before it, forming a line stretching on for about half a mile, engines rumbling as they ran off cheap fuel brought with them from their last deployment. As they rumbled forward along the road, Thomas Steele was inside his Mars-Alpha Pattern Battle Tank, leading a charge with the company standard propped out of the Commander's hatch.

The standard blew in the breeze caused by the vehicle moving forward, a steel-colored fist with crossed lightning bolts at its base over a black background. The company had just received a new one after their last campaign on Teris II. The former regiment lost a massive number of men in their recent fighting against the Tau in another sector. Despite winning the planet against the Xenos, the regiment had lost a lot, and was folded into the Segmentians.

They had just made planetfall at Nova Prime, and was ordered to meet up at Fort Macharius, and had begun their movement to the Fort when they heard the news of the betrayal of the PDF, heard through the familiar crack of a lasgun. There were sounds of battle in the distance, and Thomas summoned his squadron commanders for a battle plan. The hull of the command tank was emptied from all except planning equipment and maps.

The 13 squadron commanders and head teach-priest Adrastus all went back to the Mars-Alpha, their formal uniforms lined up along the planning table to overlook their map. Thomas had an exquisite-looking pointer, a bronzed tip pointing at the road they were following. "Gentlemen." He said to them, his powerful voice with a slightly posh tone "There is much work to be done." He paused again, pointing to Fort Macharius. "Our new assignment post is under attack, as you could tell from sounds, and the lack of the sound of something xenos makes me fear the worst."

He moves his head over the assembled officers "There is either a betrayal of some companies in the Segmentian, or the PDF forces have turned on those they were assigned to protect." He says, sounding annoyed at the end "Such disloyalty and insubordination must be dealt with swiftly and brutally. The current objective is to enter the nearby fray, and help secure the fort. From there, we work on reclaiming and organizing the region." He says simply. This would be his first work fighting other men, not the forces of Xenos.

He then said "We shall enter battle formation, 3 columns, a squadron to a row. Lead group shall be led by Captain Shaw's Demolishers, followed by normal order of battle. Any questions?" He leered at his lieutenants, all of whom remained at attention, and remained unflinching. None dared question him, and the request for questions was near rhetorical at this point, as they were well drilled in their tactics.

The commanders left in unison, all saluting and going to their respective squadrons. The engines started up again, the tanks entering their formation and moving forward towards the battle, awaiting what lies along the road.

[Aelosia]

Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Outskirts of capital center of Nova Prime
Fort Macharius
Inflecto Maestus Command Macharius Tank
3th Company, 557th Segmentian
12:20

Victoria Vanhayn

The insides of the Consul Class Macharius Tank was bathed in the clear blue and bright green of console screens as the instruments and sensors tracked each bit of data produced by the battle both inside and around Fort Macharius. As far as Vanhayn could see, her own company had been pushed back from both the Medical building and the thermidorian barracks, that were now occupied by enemy troops. The accesses of Fort Macharius from the northeast and the northwest were already secured by the stormtroopers of the Black Man, the Morgothi and the armaggedonians, the morridanes had defended their piece of base accordingly, and the south access, the most disputed one, was pretty close to remain safe by the coordinated effort of the urdeshi, the higarans, the segmentians and the Steel Legion troops.

The assistance personnel had withdrawn from the medical building, but the enemy inside was being challenged by a strong higaran charge that had pushed the enemy into the facility, supported by cover fire from the thermidorian own security detachments nearby. The segmentians seemed to had decimated the resistance around the administrative building, and on most fronts the enemy was already surrendering or being slaughtered. Few pockets of resistance remained, but one of the most important ones were inside the thermidorian barracks, only held in check by the supressive fire of the Trojan support vehicles of the logistic company. It was a matter of time before those ridges of PDF resisting troops were conquered by imperial force, however. In so far, the PDF assault has been contained and defeated, with only mopping up inside the compound remaining.

Regarding the woodlands, it was another completely different confusion. It seemed like Imperial reinforcement companies had arrived to the place, supporting an attack of the Armaggeddon Steel Legion through the wood areas in order to push back the remaining elements of the armoured PDF convoy. Across the vox there was talk of armoured wedge attacks and bombardments at the same time of bayonet charges. some order would be needed around the zone before those troops started to slaughter each other as much as they were killing the enemy.

Vanhayn sighed, relaxing at last. The gamble of the PDF attacking the Fort by surprise almost caught them off guard and massacred each and every guardsman left on the planet. Whoever was the commander of the PDF, it had learned well the use of combined arms to achieve victory. Barely the quick reactions of a handful of companies had saved the Segmentian 557th from total annihilation.

She opened a secure channel to the rest of the 557th standard companies, still waiting for Colonel Victoria to check on the vox. According to the reports of the segmentian company, she would be able to coordinate the rest of the operation soon. However, the new loyal companies on the theater needed to be assimilated into the combat grid before confusion caused friendly fire incidents or a further collapse of the recently achieved perimeter security. First of all, order and discipline.

"Gunnery Major Vanhayn here. Good job everyone. The enemy seems to be repulsed and the perimeter secure, although we still face pockets of resistance inside the compound. To eliminate these pockets have the highest priority, even before pursuing the enemy outside the walls. As a matter of fact, shock infantry or heavy troops are needed inside the thermidorian barracks to be evicted from the premises. I request assistance from any infantry assault company available to clean the thermidorian buildings from opposition. I repeat, securing the base has ultimate priority. We will have time to coordinate an offensive later. Secure, seal and guard all the base entrances. Commence fortification protocols as soon as possible. I am glad to report that the Colonel will be able to direct your orders in minutes". She closed the channel, being sure that was more than enough as to let the other company commanders to coordinate the defense of the Fort.

She gathered a list of the frequencies used by the vox of the Imperial Companies deployed nearby on the woodlands, the directed power of the Macharius Consul Tank communications breaking through or around the feeble jams attempted by PDF forces, and prepared a response. "To all Imperial loyal forces in the wooded area around Fort Macharius, report through these vox channels regarding your current position, intention, and combat strength as to be included in the general combat grid. Otherwise you could end as the objetive of any indirect friendly fire attack. I repeat, I need the location, strenght and situational report of all imperial loyal elements in a radius of at least 20 clicks from Fort Macharius in order to include you in the combat grid as soon as possible, over". And that would be enough for coordination, Vanhayn thought, waiting for answers.



“To all commanders, requesting danger-close indirect fire support to coordinates 0.03, 0.01, 0.02. Repeat, requesting danger-close indirect fire support to coordinates 0.03, 0.01, 0.02.”

[Bredtonia]

LCMR Dominic Marki
10th Company, Company Command
Fort Marcharius 2nd Runway, West of “Little Armageddon”

Dominic had been listening to Victoria with one ear while still trying to figure out exactly the best path to contain and clean the PDF out of the northern sections of the base would be. He knew one of the most dangerous positions for both sides was on the cusp of a route. The PDF, of course, would be demoralized and easily destroyed. However, as the Tactica Imperialus tells us, green troop and green officers will often go after them over-eagerly, leaving pockets of soldiers behind lines where they can cause considerable damage, particularly if they are fanatical. So to that end, Not-Quite-Captain-Yet Marki was providing orders and advice to his advancing infantry to make sure they covered everything. He was still doing such when he registered Victoria’s call for fire support in his ear. He started with alarm as he recognized the coordinates. That had been his request. Dominic swore and flipped his vox to the regimental command line.

“Cancel danger-close fire support, I repeat, cancel fire support. Friendlies at those coordinates. We’ve already advanced on that position.”

Dominic turned to his command chimera’s vox operator, asking him to bring up Victoria’s direct line. “Major Vanhayn, this is Commander Marki of the 10th. What is the data-vox code for your command vehicle? There’s no reason you shouldn’t be seeing what I’m seeing.”

Lt. Schulte
10th Company, 2nd Platoon
Mount Marcharius Forest, Fort Access Road

“The PDF on the road have been routed.” Lt. Schulte answered the question tossed his direction by thermidorian command. “My troops are currently engaged in CQC cleaning, supported by…” A slight pause while the Lieutenant turned around and found his note pinned to the corkboard on the chimera’s side. “The Tonatian and… either the 95th Rifles or the 12th Sacristan. No artillery support required at this time.”

[Drakulstan]

Captain Sharpe
Reserve Company, 95th Rifles
Mt. Macharius, High Fire Road

Sharpe sat behind the ridge with his command squad, with twenty-four mortars firing off nearby. Delta platoon was arrayed around the mortars as security, protecting the only fire support the company had. The lasfire on the other side of ridge was joined with heavy stubbers which puzzled the Captain. They only had blanks with laser modules attached on the end of the weapons. They would be loud enough, perhaps enough for the enemy to keep their heads down. Then the roar from Bravo Platoon sounded out and Sharpe grinned. Helstrom was crazy, but he and his boys were the best assaulters the company had.

"Sir, word from Command!" his vox operator handed the phone to Sharpe and crouched facing outside. Sharpe listened to Aelosia and pulled out his map, checking his reference points and nearby landmarks. "Captain Sharpe, Reserve Company, 95th Rifles, to Command, be advised, our coordinates are grids 48, 56 and 38. Am currently engaged with enemy tangos supported by AFVs. Artillery support is not required at this time, over."

Five miles east by southeast of Cpt. Sharpe's position
Sniper Team Delta Two

Two men were on their bellies in the brush, watching a long stretch of road. They wore their forest suits with local vegetation wound into them, turning them into little more than walking bushes. Their long-las rifle were turned into the same, with the Triplex Rifle carried by the spotter just painted in a forest camouflage pattern. The spotter however, was eyeing something in the distance.

"Got something here. Looks like exhaust fumes and a lot of them, sector four, two miles out." Private Horst said cautiously. The Sniper, Sergeant Gerhardt slowly moved his rifle to the direction and peered out. The owners of those exhaust fumes were about to turn the...

"Armor, counting three, six, nine, twelve... full armored company with support vehicles." Private Horst's mouth went dry. "Can't make out their insignia."

Sergeant Gerhardt aimed his rifle at one of the first row tanks. He didn't have any illusions about being able to do anything about the vehicles with his long las. Some artillery support was a different matter. "Check their insignia private and let them pass. We'll let the others call in the arty, let's make sure they're friendly or not."

[La Bandera Roja]

Pan Arcadia
Access Road of Fort Macharius
7th Tonatian Mechanized Infantry Company

"Sir! Command is requesting our position!" Mendoza called out. He was in the back, the vox-operator hadn't gotten into the frey. Most of the Tonatian assault force had barely gotten into melee with the remnants of the once strong PDF force. Only one of the soldiers had gotten stabbed in the forearm, as most of the PDF were tied up with legionaries before the Tonatians joined.

The lieutenant walked back to Mendoza, putting the power sword back into its scabbard. "Give me control of the Vox..." He breathed heavily through the mask and held out his gloved hand. "Sergeant! Come here with your map at the ready." He commanded to the sergeant, she walked over as she pulled a map out of one of the many pockets on their trench coats. Mendoza handed over the radio input module connected by a radio to the vox-caster. The slightly muffled voice through the gasmask spoke out, "This is 7th Tonatian company..." He took a quick peek at the map and read out some coordinates, including his current position and the coordinates of the rest of his company. "We have few wounded and dead, close to 240 strength with 20 chimeras." He said and then gave the module back to Mendoza. Now that he thought about it, he wondered if any of the chimeras in reserve were still alive.

"Get back the the Chimeras, all units." Alessandro said into his skull-bead. The soldiers in the second wave sent to support had already climbed over the Armageddon chimeras. Disappointed, they all started to disembark off the back to head back to their own chimeras. Before he climbed back over, he grabbed the vox-module back off Mendoza's back. "Lieutenant of the Armageddon force, we request you move your chimeras out with all haste. We need to get back up this road and to the fort as quickly as possible." Was all he said before hanging it up, carefully, he climbed up the front of the chimera and helped the vox-operator so he wouldn't fall down and hurt himself or the large machine on his back.

[Legital]

Contested Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Fort Macharius
Fort Macharius Medical
Third Platoon

---

12:11 PM

---

The fighting within the hospital was fierce to say the least. First Sergeant Hall, with a bolt pistol in one hand and a chainsword in the other, moved quickly with a gaggle of Higaran guardsmen as they moved through the damaged medical facility. Most unit cohesion was lost once they had entered the medical facility, as guardsmen entered through various windows and doors, and simply moved to eliminate the PDF threat which now inhabited the hospital. As it would seem, due to the lack of medical personnel on station, that the medicaes and most of the wounded had manged to find time to evacuate. But as he and his adopted squad of guardsmen moved from various hallways quickly, they found many nurses and orderlies riddled with las shots, along with various bodies of guardsmen who were already in the hospital at the time of the attack.

Most of the PDF, as it appeared, were either dead or on the other side of the facility, pursuing the retreating medical personnel. Despite this, there were still plenty of PDF still in the immediate vicinity, ransacking rooms and searching for further targets. Each small firefight that erupted as Higarans and PDF clashed eventually turned into brawls spread out amongst several rooms and corridors. In some places, the fighting was with bayonets and hands.

"Over here, this way!" Hall shouted, waving his hand and motioning forwards as a squad of guardsmen ran past him down a hallway, their booted feet echoing loudly. Several troopers were already engaged on the other side of the hall, firing into an open double doorway at PDF who were holding what appeared to be a surgical operating room. From his position, Hall was just able to see the white tiled floor and walls before a lasround impacted near him, prompting him to take cover beside a distant perpendicular wall next to another hallway. Hall glanced down the corridor, simply checking for more PDF, when he noticed a closed door along the wall which appeared to be another entrance to the surgical room. As it appeared, no one was getting through the two doors, so Hall grabbed three guardsmen and pulled them with him as they ran down the hallway. The door was shut, perhaps locked, but that did not stop Hall from attempting to bust it down. Raising his black booted foot, he kicked in at the door and found that it was locked, although the lock was very weak and the door came crashing in.

Hall immediately found himself face to face with a squad of olive drab uniformed PDF troopers who were taking cover behind a waist high tiled wall with sinks. Unable to pause, Hall simply ran into the PDF squad with his chainsword and bolt pistol. He shot a man to his left, who was crouched and was bringing his rifle around to shoot him, and he hacked his chainsword to his right at a man who attempted to jump back from the swinging man, but the man was too slow and his belly was cut open, causing the man to howl and fall to the now slippery and blood stained white floor.

The three guardsmen behind Hall moved into the room, moving a few feet to the side, and fired at the startled PDF troopers. From the double doors on the other side of the room, more Higarans moved in as their chance had appeared. Something intensely hot seared his left shoulder, prompting Hall to yelp and drop his bolt pistol as his arm went numb. Not stopping to check his arm or grab his bolt pistol, Hall simply continued forward with his chainsword, slashing another PDF trooper across the chest and bashing another one into a sink before running his chainsword into the man.

In a matter of seconds, the other PDF troopers were shot dead by the other Higarans and Hall took another quick glance around to ensure that none were left. The scene before him was quite gruesome, thanks to his chainsword. The once sterile and pristine white surgical room looked more like an animal slaughter house as three PDF troopers lay dead because of the weapon, two with their fronts cut wide open and the other with a serrated and ragged hole torn through his chest. The blood pooled around the small drains in the floor that were, Hall assumed, for blood to drain through anyways during intense operations. The amount of blood in the room on the walls and floor was a bit more than what he thought the drains could handle, and because of this, gore pooled the small drains.

Shouts and shooting drew the attention of most of the troopers out of the room as they went to reinforce another squad in need of assistance, but the three troopers Hall selected kept with their platoon first sergeant. One of the guardsmen, a younger lad by the name of Rauser, gestured at Hall's left shoulder. "Your arm, sir. Are you okay?" The boy asked, and Hall took a look at his arm which was limp beside him. His uniform along his shoulder was seared away, showing burned and cauterized flesh with a fist sized opening carved an inch into his skin. He grimaced, not feeling the wound much besides a hot numbing feeling, and he realized he could barely move his arm. The ligaments were likely destroyed, and he would have to see a medicae soon to get it cleaned up. And tor regain movement of his arm, for that matter. However, after a brief grimace, Hall could not help but chuckle. Why? He couldn't say. "Oh, frakking frak me." He said simply, laughing as he stumbled backwards into the wall behind him.

Rauser quickly reached out for Hall and helped hold him up, gripping his good arm. "Come on, sir, let's get you to a medicae. I'll take you." He said, nodding at one of the troopers to help him with the man. Hall, however, shook the men away. "No, no. I'm fine for now. Let's get moving, I can't feel a damn thing in my arm anyways. When the adrenaline goes away, it'll hurt more than a scholam child's behind after a good paddling." Nodding towards the door and grimacing at the odd sensation that tingled through his shoulder, he went to leave the room, the three guardsmen behind him. Their feet sloshed through the accumulated blood on the floor, and they left bloody tracks as they left the room and into the hallway.

---

Pan Arcadian Port Town Sevastev

The PDF Leman Russ Battle Tank that had fired upon the Imperial Guard chimera lurched forwards, turning down the road of retreating chimeras. It pushed the burning wreckage aside easily enough, it's main cannon turning to target another chimera. Several seconds passed as it pursued the retreating units before it's cannon fired again, shaking the nearby vicinity and even blowing out two windows nearby. It's target was another chimera, it's barrel pointing directly ahead at the front armor of the Imperial Guard vehicle. There was no doubt that it would penetrate and likely destroy the entire vehicle, which it did. The second chimera erupted into a blazing fireball, killing all who were within in and raining shrapnel into anyone standing too close.

However, the tank continued closer, ignoring whatever may lay above it on the upper floors of any buildings.

The other three tanks, unable to all fit down the road, simply allowed one tank to follow behind the first, while the other two turned away down another road, rumbling away into the town. It was entirely possible that they were moving to flank the PDF, but in the maze like streets, it was impossible to tell where the tanks would arrive from without prior knowledge of the towns layout.

---

Contested Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
City of Dresen
Near the Trainstation

The PDF tank exploded in a magnificent display as the lascannon rounds punctured the front armor of the Leman Russ, miraculously hitting it's ammunition storage, and causing the entire metal beast to explode. Shrapnel peppered the area like a shotgun as thick metal plate shards flew into walls and windows, and the fireball pushed the smoke from the smoke grenade high into the air, dissipating most of it.

Several PDF squads were holed up in buildings around the tank, and several men took shrapnel to their bodies as they were too close to the windows. However, this did not lull their return fire as many of it shifted towards the building which held the Imperial Guard lascannons, the massive las shots easy to track. Heavy stubbers mixed with lasguns peppered the Imperial Guard held positions, with a grenade launcher from one of the windows firing into the building which held the lascannon teams. One grenade exploded deep in one of the rooms, likely doing some damage, while one of the grenades blasted a hole in the outer wall as the round did not make it through the window.

Despite the destruction of the tank, the PDF were not going to give up their positions easily.

---

Contested Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Town of Dresen
Unknown location, rooftops

Pallor and Franck watched in idle disappointment as their missile was deflected away from the Imperial Valkyrie, though it was expected. Franck held the missile launcher pointed down for a moment, before standing from his kneeling position. "Let's get the frak out of here before they spot us." He said simply, the launcher slung across his shoulder. Pallor nodded, hefting a small covered missile rack onto his back. He grabbed the small vox set that sat up right, and he slung that over one shoulder. Nodding towards the stairs, he began moving to them when Franck cursed aloud.

"Shit! Move, it's coming for a pass!" He shouted, and the two men quickly moved to and down the stairs. Upon reaching the bottom of the top flight of stairs, the lascannons from the Valkyries exploded against the roof, the impact shaking the building and creating a sizable hole in the ceiling as brick exploded downwards. Pallor coughed, waving away the dust that filled the room. His uniform and his friend were covered partly in dust, and Franck groaned. "Eh. Could've been a bit worse. Come on." He said, stepping around the rubble which lay along the floor, and the two men jogged down the next several flight of stairs until they hit the ground floor.

Jogging to the doorless frame of the building, Pallor peeked his head out onto the street both ways before he ran across the road to the building across from them. Franck followed close behind, a laspistol in his left hand as he continued to hold the missile launcher with his right.

A brief inspection of the ground floor of the shop they just entered proved they were alone, and the two men jogged up the stairs to the roog, Pallor looking around to make sure there was no one. That, and to ensure that one of the two Valkyries were not immediately nearby.

Kneeling down and removing the missile pack from off his back, Pallor readied a missile and fed it into the launcher as Franck knelt in front of the man.

"There." Pallor said, pointing at the same Valkyrie they fired at from before. It was still in range as it just finished another pass on the other roof they were on previously. Franck mumbled an acknowledgement, and the targeter on the launcher came to life. Several seconds later, another missile was launched, and instead of foolishly waiting around as they did last time, Franck and Pallor retreated down into the building.

---

Contested Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Fort Macharius
5th Company Morridane Barracks

Sergeant Baumer nodded to the Morridane guardsmen, following the mans gesture as he showed the Higarans where the captain was. Baumer nodded his thanks quickly, adjusting his helmet as it tipped slightly, and he led his squad over to Captain Stormwell.

Coming up to the captain, Baumer made a hasty and quick salute. "Sir. Captain Gustav sent us to assist your company with whatever help we can offer." He explained. "Sergeant Schmit, off over there assisting your men, and I, Sergeant Baumer, are what could be spared." He said, taking a look around at the devastation. "We're not much, but where do you need us? Anything you need specifically, sir?" The sergeant asked, his squad standing behind him.

---

Contested Imperial Planet
Outside Fort Macharius
Mount Marcharius Forest, High Fire Road

The arrival of several Imperial Guard elements was extremely overwhelming to the already diminished PDF who remained along the road. Men, finding little cover, found themselves riddled with las and bolter fire. Everywhere, men fell in bloody heaps as they were unable to find proper cover to protect themselves from the onslaught. Each passing moment, more PDF died and the return fire weakened. Before too long, the return fire was isolated to several bursts of lasgun fire and the occasional grenade as most of the men lay either dead or wounded. The chimeras were completely wasted, most little more than burning wrecks, while almost all boasted some form of external damage. Several appeared to be in working condition, but if they were, their crews were either dead or unable to move the vehicles.

After several minutes, the return fire from the riddled convoy had stopped completely. Men cried out from their wounds, while several made hasty and panicked runs into the forest to escape the bloodbath. Most were cut down mid run. The convoy grew quite as the fires burned from the vehicles, and the distant battles nearby created a bellowing background noise.

---

Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Outskirts of capital center of Nova Prime
Fort Macharius
Thermidorian Barracks

The PDF assault platoon, so intent on carrying out the momentum of their charge into the Imperial Guard barracks, had soon emerged from the doors of the barracks outside. The first men were unable to stop or turn around as bolters from the Thermidorian centaurs erupted, turning several men into fleshy bags of pulp. The second group of men, having little more time to react, panicked and attempted to move back into the barracks. Most were shot in their backs as they tried to enter again.

The remains of the assault platoon took up positions along the windows of the barrack building, spread out among the several floors. Lasfire sporadically fired at the centaurs as men hoped to nab some gunners off of their mounts. But the heavy fire from the bolters raked the windows, inflicting more casualties. The heaviest weapons they had were two grenade launchers and four flamers, the latter being useless at the range they were at.

Several grenade launched rounds erupted before the gathered centaurs, concrete being pushed into the air as the mild explosions created small craters. However, one particular round found its mark on a centaur, and it exploded along the front top of the vehicle. From their position, the PDF were unable to see if they had scored a kill or simply injured the gunner.

---

Contested Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Fort Macharius
Higaran 2nd Company billets

First Lieutenant Brier awoke for a second time today out of unconsciousness, this time with a scream upon his lips. He yelled, trying to get up, only to find his legs unresponsive yet again. Hands clamped down on his arms as he felt his torso erupt in the most unimaginable pain possible. He screamed again, nearly hyperventilating. Another flare of pain washed over him, and he felt as if something was digging into him. Blinking his eyes clear of accumulated sweat, Brier noticed that he was in a room, and three faces loomed over him.

"Hold him still damnit, I can't get the bullet out if he keeps moving!" A hard voice barked, though the strain of stress was laced within the words. "We're trying, but without proper anesthesia it's a hell of a task!" A voice, young and full of fear, spoke back. Brier could not prevent his body from spasming even if he wished, as the pain was too immense. Tears and sweat rolled down his cheeks as he was held down by the two guardsmen. "Stop!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Merciful Emperor please stop!". Another set of hands gripped the side of his head from behind him, as he lay upon a table, to prevent himself from knocking his head back into the table hard.

"Take it easy, sir! It'll be over soon, just hold on!" One of the guardsmen above him said, attempting to comfort Brier, but the mans voice was strained with stress and fear as well and it did little to reassure the ailing lieutenant. "Just hold on, the Emperor is watching over you!" Another voice said as a cool rag was brought upon his forehead as he thrashed again, the two men straining to hold him down. Brier was not exceptionally strong nor larger than average, but two men could barely hold him down as his body reacted to the intrusive surgery.

Elsewhere, there were other shouts of agony, and from a tear filled glance to the side, he realized he was in some makeshift hospital with other wounded men. He was not sure how he ended up inside a building, which he realized to be the Higaran barracks and not the hospital he was laying out side of earlier. Another sudden flare of pain, this time more intense than ever, rippled across his lower waist and he screamed in terrible agony.

"Got it! Kristofer, Kristofer! Pinch the artery!" The voice of the other man said, the one who was operating on Brier. The lieutenant saw the other man pull his hands away from his torso, his arms up to his elbows completely drenched in glistening blood. In the mans hand, a small set of pliers held a large blood covered bullet. Yet again, his attention was shattered as pain washed over his body as another set of hands entered his wound. Despite the pain, Brier felt himself growing weaker. There was no doubt that he had lost a lot of blood, and he was now feeling the affects of such.

The other man returned, a small tool in his still blood covered hands, and there was a small audible snap. "Artery cauterized partly, it'll hold. Major bleeding stabilized. Grab that rag. Yes, wipe the blood away from the wound, we need to get him cleaned and stitched quickly." The voice said, and there was movement around his waist and legs that he could not see as his sight was confined upwards into the faces of three young guardsmen. "Throne, he's lost so much blood!" A voice said, before the apparent surgeon barked back a response. "Then get a bloody fething blood pack you fething moron!" The response prompted the man holding Briers head to disappear from sight.

After a moment, as the pain lingered with numbness, Brier realized who the man with the harsh voice was. It was Corporal Anders, a fifty something year old ex-medicae. Brie knew that the man was relatively quiet, rather humble, from his memory, and quite caring as well. He knew the man used to be a civilian surgeon, however, he had his practicing license revoked after Anders had operated on a man in a drunken state, which ended up killing the patient. Brier was horrified when he read the file, but upon reading the next section, he came to realize why Anders was drunk. In fact, he remembered the news report in his town as both men were natives of Joatsville. Anders wife, and his two sons, had been murdered in a robbery. It was apparent that the grief stricken surgeon had drunk himself into oblivion for several days before returning to work at a hospital, operating on a man in his ill state, which ended up in the patients death.

As far as he knew, Anders had not operated on anyone for nearly a decade or so. And here he was, back in the business out of necessity.

No longer thrashing about as he was too weak to do so, the two guardsmen slackened their grip on Brier's arms, and he weakly motioned at Anders. He attempted to say something, but his words came out in a jumbled mess. Anders, however, saw Briers attempt to gain his attention, and he allowed the other man to continue stitching up his wound. Brier raised his hand weakly, and Anders clasped his blood soaked hand with the lieutenants and leaned over the man as he tried to speak.

"...make it?" Brier said quietly, his opening words unformed as his throat was almost completely dry. Anders got the message, however, and his grim set and harsh face nodded sternly. "By the Emperor and all that is holy within existence, I won't let you die, lieutenant." Anders said, shaking Brier's hand firmly in a firm and determined grasp. "I swear it, sir. I swear it." Anders said, and Brier noticed something in the old surgeons eyes. Managing a weak smile, Brier tried to nod, but darkness closed in around him. Unable to say anymore, Brier simply closed his eyes, and his breathing slowed.

[Imperial City-States]

Pan Arcadian Port Town Sevastev

The PDF Leman Russ Battle Tank that had fired upon the Imperial Guard chimera lurched forwards, turning down the road of retreating chimeras. It pushed the burning wreckage aside easily enough, it's main cannon turning to target another chimera. Several seconds passed as it pursued the retreating units before it's cannon fired again, shaking the nearby vicinity and even blowing out two windows nearby. It's target was another chimera, it's barrel pointing directly ahead at the front armor of the Imperial Guard vehicle. There was no doubt that it would penetrate and likely destroy the entire vehicle, which it did. The second chimera erupted into a blazing fireball, killing all who were within in and raining shrapnel into anyone standing too close.

However, the tank continued closer, ignoring whatever may lay above it on the upper floors of any buildings.

The other three tanks, unable to all fit down the road, simply allowed one tank to follow behind the first, while the other two turned away down another road, rumbling away into the town. It was entirely possible that they were moving to flank the PDF, but in the maze like streets, it was impossible to tell where the tanks would arrive from without prior knowledge of the towns layout.

Seastev
82nd Vakarian Heavy Infantry
Chimera 1-3


" Mother Fucker ! " Shouted Corporal Green as the chimera infront of him detonated .

"Smoke ! Smoke ! !" shouted Green as his driver threw the chimera into reverse even quicker a cloud of smoke behind it Several Vakarian's dived out of the way to avoid getting smashed.



Seastev
82nd Vakarian Heavy Infantry
Whiskey 2-3



Sergeant Locke leaned heavily against the window corner concealing himself from view . Across from him O'Neal stood also leaning Melta gun in hand as the first tank passed below the window.

"Kill the Bastards ! " shouted Locke as the two Tanks entered the Platoon's Killzone .
Immediately O'Neal and another unnamed Private one floor below Spun into the window Melta gun pointed at the thin top armor of the Tank and he squeezed the trigger .
Across the Street the Whiskey 2-1 also fired both their Melta guns into the second tank hoping to bring both of these behemoths down.


Seavastev
Whiskey 1-0
Company Command Chimera


" Second platoon reports that two tanks broke off and are entering the town from a different angle " Sounded the vox operator reporting to Captain Schweitzer .

Schweitzer shifted slightly in his carapace armor .
" Order third Platoon to break off on foot and spread to coordinates Five-Two-Six-One-Three and standby to engage enemy forces. First platoon stays here . I want constant situational awareness. All Chimera's are to standby with doctrine and deploy smoke screen's to cover from enemy fire for withdraw into the city " Ordered Schweitzer his voice completely filled with ice.


Shortly after the Vox Operator relayed the orders to the troops and outside the Command Chimera Third platoon took off on foot to where they could cover several cross streets at an intersection where the enemy tanks could fit though reasonably well .

[The Empire of Pretantia]

Fort Macharius
Road to Ruing, South of Administration
Captain Kar Hawken

Today was a bad day for Hawken, as expected. A good morning, a good night, and a bad day. Nevertheless, this exact moment was the day's highlight; a victory, as far as the company was concerned, overrunning the woefully unprepared traitors before lunch. Granted, Hawken probably would not have lunch today anyway, and so the statement would be true no matter when the PDF is routed. It seems a bad day is a good morning, a good night, and a missed lunch.

The situation for Hawken had diminished sufficiently so he may cross the road without his existence being rendered irrelevant. He and his squad-including the mutt-sauntered from the Administration Building, greeted by their humble centaur steed. Soon the PDF forces would rout completely, and Hawken could get rid of this blasted dog; although he was loath to par with the beautiful pocket watch. However, as all enemies had not been destroyed, the Morgoth 1st still needed to... Destroy them, beginning with those pirates and charlatans in the Thermidorian barracks. Again, Hawken gave the command from atop his Centaur.

"Hawken to First and Second Platoon. To your right are buildings containing bad people. Kill them. Swiftly so. You shall be accompanied by the Ogryns shortly. That is all, continue the good work."

---

Fort Macharius
Road to Ruing, South of Administration
Malcador Defender I, "Bulldozer"
Sergeant Shirowana Kira

"Alright, Bonehead! Get to those buildings over where I'm pointing and kill every PDF guy you see!"Ordered Kira. Nacka the Bonehead immediately acknowledged, and directed his squad to do as told. The ogryns trod in a slow but purposeful gait ahead of the Bulldozer, keeping a steady course to the barracks. Fire rang out from the Bulldozer and other armor's bolters and lasweapons, suppressing the rebels as the Ogryns, Forgemen, and Byronians advanced . Soon they were upon the structures, preceded by their conscript pools.

---

Fort Macharius
Road to Ruing, South of Administration
Second Platoon, Conscript Section
Sergeant Malcolm Klakker

"Come on, bust the frakking door down already!"Grunted Klakker. Not that he didn't mind surviving, but Katchoo was taking too damn long to breach a frakking door and there were literally twenty other guys waiting to get in.

"Hey, you try kicking down a frakking barricaded door!"Retorted Katchoo with a grunt, still hammering away at the door with his foot.

"Maybe they got the hinges welded, maybe they got the handle propped up with a chair, maybe there's just a bookshelf full of The Imperial Guard's Uplifting Primer keeping the damn thing shut with sheer weight. If you wanna climb through a window-"

A streak of light tore straight through the wood of the door, cutting Katchoo short and blasting a fist-sized hole in his abdomen. Klakker was naturally startled by the wooden structure's inability to deflect lasbolts, and so fell flat when he found himself caked in his friend's breakfast. However, despite the initial shock, Klakker could only utter one laconic and impersonal response.

"Holy frak!"

He wasn't so much paralyzed by his "friend's" death as much as he was caught off-guard by it. Klakker quickly recovered, but did not try to breach the door himself despite the weakened structure, and neither did the other conscripts along the wall. Hell, Klakker was probably about to be shot by the commissar if he didn't haul ass soon, but peace and blessings upon him, a guardsman cried,"OGRYN INCOMING!" Klakker cleared out from next to the door as an Ogryn came barreling through the door, taking it, its frame, and a bookshelf with him as he shredded the immediate inside with his ripper gun. Well that's the end of that door. Now the poor Morgoth boys had to follow through...

[Aelosia]

Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Outskirts of capital center of Nova Prime
Fort Macharius
Medical facility
3th Company, 557th Segmentian
12:14

Sophia Scharnblücher

The ribs still hurt. The carapace vest under her Commissar attire was keeping everything in place, however, noted the Mordian-born Thermidorian Discipline Officer as she went swinging her power blade again, impaling a fallen soldier cut in pieces just out of spite, and to shut up his whimpering. She has resisted as she could in the third floor of the medical facility, alongside a pair of lightly wounded troopers, blocking the access in the stairs, the most feasible defensive position. As expected, Commissar Scharnblücher had refused to follow the order to evacuate the building, although she did not enforced any of the assistance personnel to disobey the order and stay with her in the building. To evacuate orderlies, medics, nurses and medical staff in front of enemy assault troopers made sense, especially when stormtroopers from other companies would reinforce them soon and retake the building. She respected the decision of the Thermidorian Lieutenant, but she was not trained in the combat arenas of Thermidor to flee in the face of an inferior enemy anyway. The fact that she had been present in the medical building because of an earlier training accident that left her with a pair of badly bruised ribs would not stop her from practicing some fencing.

She had taken the loaded laspistols of the three nurses on the third floor before they left, of course, knowing that to present extended resistance would buy time for the wounded to leave and the reinforcements to arrive, and for that ammo would be required. As for skirmishes, until she was relieved she had fought three with a pair of PDF squads before the higarans exterminated all the remaining assaulters in the ground floor. During the first one, she had hid alongside the two Leznii injured troopers she had available in secondary rooms at the sides of the stairs entrance, ambushing the PDF as they went up the stairs. Laspistol fire took the heretics on surprise and culled three of them before they could answer the attack. Scharnblücher raked one of the kills herself, while the Leznii went for the other two before losing one of their numbers from a full auto fusillade from a fourth PDF man shooting from the hip at the stair's rest that hit the loyal soldier on the neck.

The second skirmish lasted longer, with the enemy trying to take blind potshots from the second floor, and with the Commissar and the remaining trooper returning them until they managed to fell one of the enemies by sheer luck. By then they were already firing the looted lasguns of the fallen PDF, just trying to keep them down. The second skirmish ended when the sound of a full charge of loyalist troops echoed on the first floor, drawing the enemy attention elsewhere. Several minutes afterwards a full PDF squad rushed the stair access, trying to clean their ascent lobbing several frak grenades ahead of their advance.

As far as she could remember, the Commissar and the Leznii had thrown the grenades back, even kicking the last one when she realized she had less than a second before it filled the space with shrapnel. the PDF squad suffered by their weapons turned upon them on the small stairs, several of their number cut down by their own grenades. The distration was enough for a couple of them to reach the position and riddle the remaining Leznii trooper with lasbolts before turning into the target of a desperate charge by a madwoman wielding a empowered saber in circles around their formation. One laser beam had taken off her Commissariat cap, another singed her cascading blonde hair, and at least two opened holes in her justacorps before being stopped by the armoured vest under her garments, as she went through the enemy troops weaving, chopping and stabbing, her powered sword going through the enemies as a hot knife through butter, separating limbs from bodies and tearing apart without effort any of the attempts of blocks and parries from the PDF bayonetted lasguns.

She took down the four remaining enemies at the stairs hole in a flurry of blows and reached their sergeant on the last steps to the second floor, a burly strong mass of muscle that faced her swinging a chainsword two handed, trying to cleave her in half in one massive blow. Ceramite teeth were no match for a charged electrofield, as someone should had told the man during his training, and Sophia went through the strike sending a chop of her own, destroying the mechanical blade as the swords met and kissing the skin of the Goliath's face enough as to leave it as a scorched mess of burned flesh before executing a classic three saber blows fencing combo that left her opponent as a whimpering limbless mass on the floor.

She went down the stairs without her cap on and the humming curved blade of her cutlass-like sword empowered to the max, and walked into a hallway with a squad of four higarans advancing in the opposite direction, recognizing them for their grey uniform that contrasted against the olive green of the traitor troopers. She nodded to the loyalist troops that had impaled the traitors upon their bayonets and searched around for any kind of resistance left. The thermidorian commissar managed to smirk at the leading figure of the higarans, a Sergeant with a limp arm and wielding a chainsword, as was usual for guard NCOs, then looking down at the boots of the troopers covered in blood up to their ankles, and the red footprints they were leaving on the floor.

"I take there will be no more enemies coming from that direction", said the Thermidorian Commissar to Sergeant Hall. "Neither from mine", she added, gesturing with the crackling blade to the stairs steps behind her. "I swear I was only looking for a handful of painkillers when this hell of a mess started. Not my fault", she said taking her free hand and placing it over her chest, wincing a second. "I guess you brave guys were looking for the same?", she asked pointing now at the wounded arm of the Sergeant.

Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Outskirts of capital center of Nova Prime
Fort Macharius
Thermidorian Barracks
3th Company, 557th Segmentian
12:15

Violet Kaylock

The small thermidorian Lieutenant held to the massive weapon deployed in the pintle mount as she cut down the charging troops. Kaylock was not much of a shot, as most of her gunners were, more able and adroit around their tools and inventions than any kind of guns, but with basic training, the short distance and the amount of enemies given the circumstances, you did not need much aiming to score kills. The recoil of the mounted weapon was rather exciting, however, making her to rock back and forwards with each burst of mass reactive bullets that turned both the ground in front of the barracks and the troops charging towards the vehicles into dirt and flesh stains. She was the only gunner trained and equipped with a pintle heavy bolter, as the rest of Trojan vehicles in her squad were only armed with the hull mounted variant of the weapon, limiting further their aim and visibility. After a few seconds, Lieutenant Kaylock had got enough of the weapon behavior as to improve her aim, and started to rock a heavier toll upon the enemy as the remnants of them turned tail and started to flee back into the building.

The PDF soldiers went inside and prolonged the firefight further, refusing to surrender and taking shots from the windows with their weapons, not managing to hit anything at the long range, their lasbolts just sizzling against the armoured hulls of the combat transports. from time to time. They even fired a pair of grenades that exploded in clouds of dirt nearby the vehicles, the shrapnel from the weapons failing to damage the reinforced hide of the Trojans. The PDF was taking additional losses by their effort, the pintle mounted bolter operated by Kaylock raking the windows from the upper floor and popping the Arcadian soldiers like exploding bags of blood, sending the pieces of their bodies down from their window cover.

"I can't elevate the hull gun enough as to reach them", chimed her vehicle gunner from the inside of the vehicle. As a point defense system, the hull mounted guns of the Trojans were unable to get a full field of fire against an enemy positioned on higher ground, leaving Kaylock's bolter as the only gun able to keep them under cover. As such, the enemy PDF started to shake off their pinned status and focused fire upon Kaylock's exposed figure. She was the only option firing for effect against them, but also was the most exposed target of the entire thermidorian line, being the only pintle mounted firing gunner on an opened hatch, in opposition to the hull mounted bolters. The gun shield in front of her massive weapon deflected several lasgun discharges before she answered with fire of her own, taking apart a pair of enemies and forcing the rest to duck or get pasted.

"I could get the grip of this", she said into her bead as she failed to realize that the infantry shooting at her was just distracting her with covering fire from the PDF specialist taking aim with his grenade launcher to her vehicle. "I see why boys always say combat is fun!", she added, before the 40mm standard issue fragmentation projectile impacted againt the fron of her vehicle, sending a blast of heated air that singed her skin followed by a short rain of stell pellets that mangled her flesh and shocked her senseless out of her conscience behind her bolter.

Lieutenant Kaylock did not know how much time she was out until a spasm awoke her lying on the ground, her driver next to her trying to force her to remain lying down, saying something she could not discern over the high whistle that left her deaf. "What did you say?", she yelled, totally unable to hear her words or to read her lips, raising a hand to place a finger in her ear as to improve her audition.

To her terror, her hand was unable to find her ear where it was supposed to be. Kaylock was not able to see herself, but if she could, she could see that not only her left ear was missing, but that also her left eye and her left cheek with half her teeth were gone, and that the thing flapping against her shredded face was the remains of the left side of her scalp falling down, and not her hair as she initially thought.

Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Outskirts of capital center of Nova Prime
Fort Macharius
Thermidorian Barracks
3th Company, 557th Segmentian
12:17

Corellia Lexington

"Kaylock is down", issued her colleague Captain Irvine on her bead, the news filling the mind of the second Thermidorian Captain with dread as she realized the losses the officer cadre of the thermidorians had suffered in the last hour.

"Sinnet dead, Ashdown with an open gut and now Kaylock is down?", answered Captain Corellia Lexington with a despairing tone. "Do me a favor and do not leave your vehicle under any circumstance", she advised Irvine on the vox. "We have enough casualties as it is. More would leave the company crippled", Lexington added trying to not think that those women were more than just other company officers, they were her family and friends too. "She had the enemy contained, care to tell me what happened?", Corellia asked as she checked the operational status of the war engines under her direct orders.

"The enemy occupied the higher level of the barracks. The guns of her Trojans are hull mounted were not able to elevate enough as to keep pinning them. She was the only one able to fire from her pintle weapon at the enemy troops until they placed a grenade on top of her mount", answered Irvine without pausing. "As far as I know, no other company has answered the Major's request for infantry specialists to clear out our barracks. The higarans are close but busy to the knees in enemy soldiers inside of medical. It seems we are on our own to dispose of the enemy hiding there".

"I see", said Lexington in a spiteful tone. "Noone willing to spare a squad to help the ladies is it?", she said to half to herself as she opened a new comm channel. "The ladies will have to help themselves then". the voice of one of the gunners under her charge came from her vox console. "Captain Lexington Madam. Mount Commander Raycraft here. Orders?", asked the thermidorian subordinate with a succint voice.

"Advance and give me a firing solution on the top of those enemy occupied buildings. Mechanic platoon says their weapons can't elevate enough to hit them. For all your gun depression problem, I don't think it will be an issue for your armament, however. I want you to keep firing on the enemy positions until your sensors stop recording movement inside. Are we clear, Commander?".

"As clear as the Celeste Lagoon of Thermidor, Captain. Engaging", was the short answer of the commander as the Hydra Flak tank attached to the Second thermidorian platoon detached itself from its current position, advanced to a firing arc at medium range well out of enemy reach, and started to pound the upper levels of the thermidorians barracks with tracing currents of auto cannon anti air rounds, blasting apart the structures and the troopers hiding inside, the flak guns quite comfortable to aim at an elevated target. They did not stop until all of the enemy soldiers stopped moving, even if that meant collapsing the roof of the barracks.

Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Outskirts of capital center of Nova Prime
Fort Macharius
Inflecto Maestus Command Macharius Tank
3th Company, 557th Segmentian
12:20

Victoria Vanhayn

Vanhayn got Marki's and Schulte's messages from the Armaggeddonian formation immediately, and opened a response to both. "Copy my code from this transmission, officers", she personally responded. "I read your position quite clear, but I can't identify the other elements that seem to be working in tandem with your movement. That is what I am asking for. Those Tonatians and Triplex guys you are working with. I have no visual and have to trust my unit tracking relay, so as you might imagine, all companies in the 557th will want them to appear as green triangles instead of grey circles or worse, enemy-marked red squares, do you understand?", she added, making clear that while she had a clear reading on the position and disposition of the Armaggeddon Siege Company, she did not have any further readings on the new reinforcements identities. "Do not use any channel outside the Company secured frequencies as any other channel might be compromised by enemy psychic influence. Do you copy that? Traitor forces might had contaminated other frequencies, so refrain from communicating with unknown sources outside the company identified elements. That is an order, officers. Please keep the good work with repulsing the traitors and enter the base perimeter as soon as you are done. Also, please coordinate and escort the entrance of both Tonatians and Triplex forces inside the base as you see fit".

Vanhayn then turned to her communication Lieutenant onboard of the command tank as soon as the message from the 95th Rifles Reserve came through. "Is it clean?", she asked to her subordinate, that seemed to be running some sort of soundwave scan over the incoming transmission. "It is", the Lieutenant answered before opening the channel to the Major, who flipped the switch and got the message from Captain Sharpe. "Copied, Captain. Adding your position and disposition to the regimental combat grid and calling off any friendly bombardment on that position. I am attaching to your vox operator a number of safe frequencies for our regimental communications. Please refrain from using any kind of frequencies not including on that list, as the enemy is using some sort of psychic agent to contaminate comms. I might suggest you finish your cleanup advance to the southern entrance of the base and rendevous with the 557th elements waiting there. Welcome to Fort Macharius, Captain, and thanks for the support".

Finally, Vanhayn checked the incoming message from the Tonatian Lieutenant as soon as her own vox officer could guarantee it was free from taint. "Got you, 7th Tonatian. Adding you to the combat grid of the 557th Segmentian. Please coordinate your entrance into the base perimeter alongside the Armaggeddon and Triplex forces. I am attaching you the safe regimental frequencies that you are going to use through the process. Please refrain from listening to any transmissions outside those frequencies, as the enemy is psychycally interdicting them. This order has the highest priority. Welcome to Fort Macharius too, Lieutenant, and thank you for a job well done".

"Anything else incoming?", said Vanhayn, already tired of the coordination of the defense of the Macharius Complex. After a quick check that secured the rest of the frequencies from further enemy action, she turned to the corpse lying on the floor of her command tank, covered by a white sheet. "Now call someone to retrieve her out of my tank. Tell the company to stand down from maximum security status, and finally raise me Amsel on the vox", she said, her forehead sweating by the intensity of the last minutes.

As soon as the vox officer gave her the go, Vanhayn picked the mic and talked into Commissar Amsel's personal bead. "Commissar, Vanhayn here. If you are alive and kicking, and not bleeding somewhere, I need your support to raise the Colonel and pick this motley mess of a regiment from combat and into maximum awareness condition. An officer gathering is in order, I think, the minute the cleanup is over. I prefer you to summon the others, if you may".

[Glovania]

23rd Balurian Infantry Company

Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Contested City of Dresen

Captain Lucas Andros w/1st Platoon

"We need contact with Fort Macharius - squad, set up the vox comms!" Andros yelled, before ducking as a grenade round went into the buildings where the lascannon teams were. "Lascannons, get out of that building now!" After half a minute, they managed to get out of the building, but one team was killed to but a man. The company only had one more lascannon to deal with enemy armour. Thankfully the tank in the courtyard was destroyed, but who knows what other enemies could be in the rest of the town? "1st Platoon, keep up the fire - suppress the enemy! 2nd Platoon, cut through the buildings and come up behind the PDF in the courtyard! We will storm in when you distract them!" He yelled into the comms.

2nd Platoon

"Yes sir, redirecting now." The platoon commander replied to Captain Andros' command. The platoon kicked in a few doors and began to move through the buildings towards the courtyard. They came out the back of the buildings on their side of the street, into an alleyway behind. It seemed as if a few PDF men were here earlier, but had moved into the courtyard to support their comrades. There was a barrel with a dying flame in it, as well as some crates that must have been used to sit on.
"Men, We need to be stealthy and surprise the rebels. Lets go." He opened the door, and entered the building. The sound of lasgun fire was much more clear now, with both sides trying to weather each other down. The Lieutenant gestured for one squad to take each side of the courtyard. He was a behind a wall to the PDF forces, and gently opened a door to try and look round. He managed not to distract any rebels, and saw that this was because almost all of them were firing at the 1st Platoon. He leaned back in and waited for the ready call from the other two squads.

3rd Platoon

The train had arrived and the last two platoons were unloading from it. They had with them 4 Chimeras, which the rest of the 3rd Platoon used, as two of their squads were already aboard the first two Chimeras to arrive, and 4th Platoon had the rest of the heavy weaponry with them. 1 more autocannon and four more heavy bolters. They were the 'heavy weapons' platoon, and the 3rd was the rapid deployment platoon.
"Alright men, load up onto the Chimeras. We have received word from Captain Andros that we need to follow the first two of our squads to arrive, and move along the outskirts of the city to meet up with the small friendly company on the other side of the city. We are to handrail the city, as the built up areas will be filled with hostiles. Lets move out!" Lieutenant Faruel ordered. "3rd and 2nd squads, hold position until we arrive. We will be with you shortly." His platoon boarded the Chimeras, and sped off, around the edge of the city.

[Bredtonia]

LCMR Dominic Marki
10th Company, Company Command
Fort Marcharius 2nd Runway, West of “Little Armageddon”

“Logistics is your call, Vanhayn, we’ll comply.” Lcmr Marki replied, his wording intended as a subtle and friendly reminder they were technically of equal standing, even if she did outrank him. “Schulte, make it so, and stay on this channel until your back at the fort, you’re too far afield.”

Clicking off the microphone for his personal vox, Dominic looked up to his own command crew. “You heard her, Brandt, hit the frequency limiter and punch in the authorized channels. I don’t know what she’s talking about with Psychic Interference, but I’m not keen to find out. When your done send a message to the LTs and make sure they do the same. We’ll worry about the Hymn-voxes when this is all through.”

“Symeonu, put the board through the Rite of Communion with Vanhayn’s frequency. Afterwards double check the markings, I don’t want her shelling one of our own. Otto, take us out to the end of the runway, I want our auspex to have line of sight on the main gate.”

The various sergeants of the 10th company command squad acknowledged their orders and got back to work, tapping, dialing and flipping away at the various control stations while Dominic himself focused his attention on the hololithic board, its small icons and models moving around as they’d been ordered. He subconsciously raised a hand and grabbed the rail to steady himself as the tracked command vehicle started forward.

A few minutes and a half-dozen orders and reminders to his lieutenants later, the board went fuzzy for a second as the new data from the Macharius started streaming in, populating the rest of the base with little IG and PDF models. If everything was plugged in right, the sensor data and ID marks he’d made should be flowing the other way as well. Of particular note to him was a fair number of PDF marks sitting on the Thermidorian barracks.

“Thomas, take your platoon down to the medicae building. The 3rd company needs support to distract the rebels long enough for the Higgerians to clear buildings. Then wrap around and follow the hellhounds to the gate.”

Lt. Schulte
10th Company, 2nd Platoon
Mount Marcharius Forest, Fort Access Road

“Sergeants, let’s try and clear the left lane for our Tonatian friends. Anyone who’s Chimera is still working, line up behind me. Drop the ramps, let’s get the wounded loaded up, I’m sending the platoon medic out. Everyone else, check the wreckage ahead to see if any of them still move. Gather up any krak grenades or missile launchers that look serviceable as well, Emperor knows we may need the firepower before this is over.”

Sgt. Bryant
10th Company, Company Staff
Thermidorian Quarters
Adeptus Munitorum Office

A PDF trooper, one of a small group that had gotten ahead and round the building, burst through the door into the Adeptus Munitorum office and swept the muzzle of his Lasgun across the room. He saw no targets – natural as Bryant had intentionally hidden himself behind Bellona’s desk, alongside her and the whisky. Their best hope, he knew, was that the trooper would simply think the room empty and move onto the next. Unfortunately, as the solder took another step into the room, it didn’t appear it was going to go that way.

The soldier stepped closer, then over to the side of the room. He was less alert now then distracted by the room’s contents. Finally, he reached an invisible line in the sand Bryant had drawn. A point where he just couldn’t assume they’d go unnoticed. He counted to three, and in one motion stood up from behind the desk and fired three shots from his Laspistol into the PDF trooper’s side and back. The trooper twitched with the impacts and started to collapse, swinging around as he did. Bryant fired twice more, one going wide and scorching the cabnet, the second cutting into the trooper’s head.

The Steel Legionnaire quickly spun his pistol around and covered the doorway, expecting to be shot down by storming PDF troopers at any second. They never came. All he saw was the chimeras of the Armageddon fourth platoon speeding by to aid the Thermidorians.

“I think we survived.”

Lt. Mikhal Thomas
10th Company, 4th Platoon
Fort Marcharius, Thermidorian Barracks

Six Chimeras, looking a little weathered from the bomb blasts but otherwise good to order, were driving by the barracks on their way around to link up with the southernmost approach to the main gate. A small periscope on the autocannon turret swiveled around, tracking the Thermidorian AA guns, then the rather quickly being obliterated top of their barracks. All the while, the rest of platoons turrets and more often, the mounted lasguns, were plinking shots at the few scattered PDF who weren’t yet destroyed.

“They’re hitting the barracks with the Hydra’s sir.” Lt. Thomas reported about the Thermidorians, “Don’t think they’ll need much help.”

The Chimeras continued on past and turned the corner.

[Legital]

Pan Arcadian Port Town Sevastev

The sudden blindingly hot melta blast fell upon the first PDF tank with great success. In an instant, the top metal of the turret simply disintegrated into molten metal that fell within the tanks crew compartment. Before the men even had time to react to the metal pouring onto them, the melta wave continued in mere milliseconds into the men, completely melting the top halves of the commander and loader into nothingness. Following that, the melta cone hit the ammunition storage on the opposite side of the tank and detonated it and the rest of the ammunition.

The explosion was spectacular as instead of exploding in the tight confines of the tank, the force of the explosion had room to funnel out. The blast extended high into the sky like a shotgun blast, sending shrapnel and concussive force into top windows of the buildings beside the tank where the melta gun wielding men were. The driver and loader perished in an instantaneous death.

The second PDF tank was fired upon a second after the first blast was fired on the first tank, however, this tank was slightly out of range. The melta fire washed over the turret of the tank, though no damage was immediately noticed. The tank reared backwards, it's turret elevating to fire upon the building in which the second team was located in. After a tense second, the front of the tank exploded as the round attempted to pass through a warped barrel, erupting within the battle cannon before it could escape. The main barrel ripped into a flower-like shape with blackened metal making up the petals. After several more seconds, the tank continued backwards as thick black smoke reared out of the barrel and engine. It was evident that, at the very least, the driver survived. Either way, the main barrel would no longer be operational.

---

Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Outskirts of capital center of Nova Prime
Fort Macharius
Medical facility

First Sergeant Hall and his three accompanying guardsmen watched as a, rather, the only, Thermidorian commissar descend the stairs from the second story to the first. The three Higarans kept alert, their weapons half raised as they each looked around, ensuring that no more PDF would come from any direction and surprise them.

Hall nodded to the commissar as she approached. As she spoke, Hall offered a wry but pained smile. "The wound is fairly recent." He said, looking down at the tear in his deep blue uniform. Blood began to seep from some sections of the wound where the heat from the lasround had not fully cauterized it. "Throne, Emperor knows I could use some painkillers. Unfortunately, the Munitorum won't appreciate me taking any without the proper authorization. I'm sure you know how all those papers can be." Hall explained without sarcasm.

Before he could say any more, one of the troopers tensed up and raised his rifle. "I've got some movement over here!" He said, raising his voice as the other guardsmen turned and raised their lasguns down the hallway left of the stairway. Hall turned to look down the hallway just as a squad of similarly uniformed men came jogging down in their dark blue uniforms, grey flak chest pieces, and black helmets with a bronze spike atop and aquila on the front. "Friendlies!" The first man shouted, but the guardsmen around Hall had already lowered their rifles as fellow Higaran men approached.

It was obvious the squad had seen some fighting as each man bore some form of wound or damage to their uniform. One had a tear in his sleeve with a bleeding wound, while another was missing his helmet and half of his hair was matted down with blood. The man leading them, a corporal from his rank insignia, offered a quick acknowledgement to Hall and his rank by clicking his heels and straightening to attention quickly. "First Sergeant, thank the Emperor you're alive. A number of our men got split up in the fighting. We've lost Sergeants Klipper and Valner, along with several other troopers." He said, pausing and looking at the Thermidorian commissar before looking back at Hall. "We think most of the PDF have been wiped out. We ran into second and fifth squad, and they said that they met no more resistance. They continued on to the other side of the facility, but unless anyone is hiding, everyone else is dead." He said.

Hall, letting out a very slight sigh, nodded. "Right, good work. A damn shame about Sergeant Klipper. I was just speaking with him earlier this morning.... No matter, have you heard any word about Brier?" He asked, and the corporal nodded. "He's alive the last I heard, though in bad shape. He's been paralyzed from the waist down, a hard round apparently shattered his lower spine. First Squad took him back to our billets to seek medical attention from Corporal Anders." The corporal explained, and Hall nodded with a grim set look. He said nothing before shaking his head and swearing aloud. "Brier, frakken paralyzed. Throne, damnit." He said, and the other guardsmen said nothing besides a few of the men shifting around uneasily. Hall and Brier were, naturally, very good friends as both were the leaders of their platoon.

"Let us pray the medicaes will be able to do something to get him walking again." He said, and the corporal nodded. Hall then turned his attention to the commissar and spoke up. "Well, mamzel Commissar, do you require an escort? We'll gladly get you back to your girls, wherever they are. Just lead the way."

---

Contested Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Fort Macharius
Main Administration building, Segmentian position
First Platoon

Captain-Commissar Amsel stood amongst the men of First Platoon as they mopped up the remainder of the wounded PDF outside of the Segmentian held main administration building. The Segmentians were able to keep the PDF suppressed enough to allow first platoon cover to charge across the open ground from the Higaran billets to dig into the PDF in close quarters combat amongst their burned out chimeras. The Segmentians also joined in on the charge from their position on the flank of the PDF, and the two Imperial Guard forces ripped into the wounded PDF as they fought with bayonets.

Amsel had cut his way through more PDF than he cared to count with his power sword, and blood covered his great coat in several places. Some blood had even splashed him in the face, and he had to wipe it away with the back of his gloved hand. Under his explicit orders, he ensured that wounded officers were captured and detained to later be interrogated and executed, while the regular PDF troopers were to be executed on sight. The price for heresy and treason was quite clear.

He watched as Sergeant Gernor's squad pull out an unarmed PDF lieutenant from a chimera. The man did not fight, but the guardsmen handled him roughly and removed everything from his pockets, slamming him roughly against the side of the vehicle as they did so. As he watched the scene, a sound emitted into his commbead, followed by the voice of Vanhayn. He turned his gaze away from the scene, placing his hand against the bead as he listened.

"I'm still amongst the living, thankfully, and I am glad you are as well. Everything seems to be under control from where I am. We've secured the outer perimeter of the Colonel's building. Segmentian troops are out here, so I take it she is at least still alive hopefully." He said, turning to look at the building as smoke and fire rose into the air from the prior bombing raid. "And I agree with you whole-heartedly. I'm going to seek out the Colonel in hopes of allowing her to get back in control of her regiment. Emperor knows we could use some proper guidance, but I commend your valiant efforts at doing what you can. We Higarans have been having some trouble with our voxes, but we've secured the front gate and are in the process of clearing medical. I'll send for some runners to seek out the other company commanders if our voxes are still down. Is there anything else you needed to speak to me about, major?"

---

Contested Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
City of Dresen
Near the Trainstation

Private Selouvo, along with his squad and another, fired down at the Imperial Guardsmen that were located in the buildings across from them and down on the street. Down below the PDF position was the remains of their tank, black smoke billowing up into the cold sky. Selouvo fired at the guardsmen at whatever chance he got, a slight snarl upon his lip. He hated the Imperials with all his heart. Here they were, trying to fight a loosing battle, and in doing so, more PDF died.

Firing several more shots to the building across from him, his lasgun made a clicking noise. He was out of ammo. Swearing aloud, he turned his gaze from the window and placed his back against the wall, glancing up towards the door to the room as he reached into his fatigues and pulled out a power pack. He slid the ammunition into the underside of his rifle, and glanced up at the door directly in front of him. Something had just moved out of sight, and he could have sworn that the door had just been pushed open slightly.

Frowning, Selouvo took a step to the side of the room, his rifle half raised as he looked out of the door. He thought he saw a figure, but he could not exactly tell. Was that someone from fourth squad? If so, what were they doing hiding outside the door?

Selouvo continued stepping to the side, turning to tap the shoulder of a trooper to get his attention, and he pointed at the door. The other man had a questioningly look on his face, but Selouvo shook his head and brought a finger up to his lips. The two men strode over to the wall of the room, rifled raised at the door.

Just around the edge of the door, Selouvo spotted a figure. He could not make out what exactly the figure was, but he saw part of it's sleeve, or at least clothing. And it was not olive drab.

Selouvo fired off several shots towards the door, followed by the other trooper firing as well. Several PDF in the room noticed this, and turned their attention away from the window and towards the door.

[Drakulstan]

Cpt. Sharpe
95th Rifles, Reserve Company
Mount Marcharius Forest, Fort Access Road

"Copy Major, will coordinate." Sharpe handed the phone back to the vox operator, who busied himself with writing down the new information on the proper vox channels. He knew his job well enough that he didn't need an officer looking over his shoulder. "Link up with the 557th tactical net and instruct the other vox-ops to do the same. I don't want any of our men getting an artillery barrage dropped on them."

The vox-sergeant nodded, tapping information into the comp-sleeve he wore. Sharpe turned his attention back to the unfolding battle below. It seems the rebels had been completely routed, and Lieutenant Helstrom's platoon had rushed in to deal with the survivors. The returning fire was slackening off, but a bolt did lance out into the treeline and denude a tree. Several branches came down on top of one of Alpha platoon's squads. He could hear the call for a medic going out. Lieutenant Parrington knew what he was doing and wouldn't need any assistance.

Lt. Helstrom
95th Rifles, Reserve Company
Mount Marcharius Forest, Fort Access Road

The fighting was a slaughter. Several bolts and grenades exploded, and some of the Riflemen fell. But Bravo Platoon fell upon the traitors, lasguns set to burst fire, long bayonets stabbing and slicing, the roar of Helstrom's chainsword carving rebels left and right. Helstrom moved around the corner of a burning Chimera to face a PDF trooper, wearing the insignia of a platoon leader. The two Lieutenants stared at each other for a moment, chaos ringing around them as the Steel Legion joined the fray. It was over for the rebel leader and he knew it. Still, he stared at Helstrom with hate in his eyes, bellowed a challenge and lunged.

Helstrom danced aside and parried the blow, the charge almost knocking the chainsword out of his hands. The enemy Lt. was more than human, possibly aided by the Ruinous Powers in some way. Helstrom aimed his laspistol and fired into the rebel's side, his bolts hammering his enemy's torso. The flak armor stopped the blasts and the leader charged again. Thinking quickly, Helstrom ducked under the snarling chainsword, rolled and slashed in one movement, the teeth biting into his enemy's hamstring. The muscle snapped and sent the enemy leader to the ground. The former man lashed out with his own weapon, the tip slicing Helstrom across the face. Blood flowed and Helstrom screamed in pain, his gun hand pressed against the wound to steam the bleeding. He looked down at his enemy who was currently struggling to stand. He aimed his pistol and fired again and again and again, the BREEOW BREEOW BREEOW report sounding in his ears every time he pulled the trigger. Craters appeared in the enemy platoon leader's chest armor, opening holes the allow the follow-up shots through.

By the end of it, Lt. Helstrom stood victorious over the cooling body with an empty, smoking laspistol in his hands and the left side of his face a mess from a vicious cut in his cheek.

Sgt Kail
Bravo Platoon, 2nd Squad
95th Rifles, Reserve Company
Mount Marcharius Forest, Fort Access Road

Second squad hustled down the slope towards the enemy convoy, running through the hail of lasbolts, screaming at the enemy under the cover of Alpha Platoon's suppressing fire. One of Kail's men went down from a lucky hit to the face, the body crumpling to the ground, dead before he knew it. The men slammed against the flank of a mostly intact Chimera, turning around and stacking up against the rear, tossing a practice grenade inside. There was yelling from inside along with coughing as smoke and men boiled out. The squad opened up with their lasguns set to burst fire, cutting the traitors down with lasbolts and bayonet as they came out.

Kail felt a presence from behind him and turned around. A force slammed him to the ground as a traitor hit him in the head with the stock of his rifle. Kail looked up through blurry vision as the man reversed his rifle, aimed and...

The next sound he heard was the BREEBREEBREEOW of a Triplex rifle on burst as lasbolts slammed into the traitor, the first bolt fracturing the flak armor allowing the closely grouped second and third to penetrate into the man. The traitor fell to the ground with a clatter, the hole in his solar plexus smoking. He felt a hand tapping his shoulder and was pulled to his feet by Private Johnson, Private Karl moving to the fallen man to place another burst in the man to make sure he stayed down. Karl relieved the dead man of his frag grenade, moving to another Chimera and tossing it into the troop bay after cooking it for three seconds. There was yelling for a few seconds, followed by a blast that silenced the yelling from inside.

Just as suddenly as it started, it was all over. There wasn't much resistance after the rifle fire the company had given them, with the runners being cut down as they fled. A ragged cheer arose from the men of the Triplex 95th Rifles from having bested the forces of rebels and traitors once more for the Emperor.

Cpt. Sharpe
95th Rifles, Reserve Company
Mount Marcharius Forest, Fort Access Road

Captain Sharpe walked among the remains of the traitor convoy. The ground had been cleared of bodies, being piled off to the side. The dead rebels were put into a pile after being relieved of their weapons and ammo. Nothing else was to be trusted. The butcher's bill had been surprisingly light for the attack with only three Triplex dead and four seriously injured in exchange for an entire oversized mechanized platoon of dead. One of the injured was suffering from a concussion as a tree branch had fallen on his head. The four medics of the company had the situation well in hand.

Chaplain Blochberger was saying the rites over the three Triplex dead, their dog tags dangling in his hands. A gathering of men surrounded the Chaplain, their jungle hats off their heads. Captain Sharpe could hear some of the words from the old man.

"...I am ready to die for Him." the Chaplain intoned, and the fifteen men surrounding him responded "Only in death does duty end."

"Without purity, we are lost. From true doctrine, never waver! Praise the Emperor and strike down his foes. The Emperor protects." The chaplain finished, crossing his arms in the form of the aquila as did the men around him. Captain Sharpe thumbed his palm and moved on. He approached his command squad who were sitting in a only slightly damaged Chimera, but appeared serviceable.

"Sergeant, open a channel to the Steel Legion and the Seventh Tonatian." he instructed his vox-operator. The man handed him the vox phone. "Gentlemen, this is Captain Sharpe of the 95th Rifles Reserve. There appear to be two or three enemy Chimeras that are still operational. I would be grateful if I could borrow a few drivers so my casualties can have a ride back to base instead of being carried by stretcher."

Sharpe looked out at the tops of the Chimeras, and an idea struck him. "Also, if we could get a lift from you gentlemen, I would take it as a personal favor. Since we have to coordinate our arrival, it would be best to travel at vehicle speed instead of infantry speed from us walking."

[Imperial City-States]

Sevastev
82nd Vakarian Heavy infantry
Whiskey 2-3



"FUCK YEAH !" shouted O'Neal as the first tank Detonated which was quickly followed by an "OH SHIT" as shrapnel peppered the window.
A Secondary explosion quickly followed up as the Second Tank detonated but survived and quickly went into Reverse.

Sergeant Locke quickly opened up his Vox channel.
" Whiskey 1-0 this is Whiskey 2-3 Enemy tank destroyed and another damaged . Be Advised we should leave NOW ! " shouted Locke into his Helmet .



Sevastev
82nd Vakarian Heavy infantry
Whiskey 1-0
Command Chimera


Captain Klaus quickly picked up the Vox transmitter upon hearing news of the two disabled enemy tanks .
"Vakarians ! WE ARE LEAVING!" he shouted and promptly began spouting orders to the Chimeras that had gathered in the area.

Rapidly the Vakarian troops from First and Third Platoon quickly mounted up into their Chimeras .

" All Whiskey 2's we are coming to you standby for immediate Exfil !" called the Vox Operator letting Second platoon know of the impending situation.


Very Rapidly the remaining Fiveteen Chimeras proceeded at a quite rapid pace toward where second platoon was holding .




Sevastev
82nd Vakarian Heavy infantry
Whiskey 2-3



"MOVE!MOVE!MOVE!" shouted Sergeant Locke to his squad. In a Near immediate reaction a twelve pairs of boots thundered down the Stairs and stood by for the arrival of their extraction. smoke from the burning tank flooding the building.

[Glovania]

Pan Arcadia
City of Dresen

23rd Balurian Infantry Company
2nd Platoon

The Lieutenant leaned back around the door, and waited for the ready up call of the two other squads, who were just now getting into position. He looked up to see a rebel pointing a lasgun at him, and that was the last thing he saw. The first shot passed through his head, and the second hit him in the chest, blood exploding over the trooper next to him.
"Shit! Squad, engage the enemy!" The sergeant yelled. He turned around, and managed to fire off some shots, which caused the man who fired first to be hit in the chest twice, and stumbled backwards, before falling to the ground. The man next to him was not hit, but ducked behind the doorway.
"2nd Platoon, engage the enemy! Captain Andros, sir, we have engaged the enemy around the courtyard, some support would be appreciated." He yelled into the coms.
"Okay Sergeant, what happened to the Lieutenant?" The reply came.
"He's dead, sir. Should I take command until someone else is appointed?"
"Yes, Sergeant. You have control over your platoon, until someone else is appointed head of it. We are moving into the courtyard now."
Some troopers loaded up on the door next to the Sergeant, taking potshots around it occasionally at the rebels.
"Lets go boys! Someone put a charge on the wall, a grenade or something! Fix bayonets!" The Sergeant yelled, and one trooper put a charge on the wall, and stepped back, letting the charge take out a large hole in the wall. This was used to confuse and divide the rebels. There were only two doors onto the balcony from this room, and it would be easy to gun down anyone who came through them. The sergeant, followed by two other troopers, ran out onto the balcony. He shot a rebel in the chest, who was leaning against the wall of the balcony. The sergeant continued running, and hit him with the butt of the gun, causing him to fall backwards, off the balcony. He ducked behind the wall, after looking around at the progress of the other two squads. The left squad had cleared out their balcony, but the squad on the right was pinned down, as they had only one way out of their room, which was being locked down by several PDF.
"Take down those rebels!" The sergeant yelled, pointing over at the right balcony. The PDF were quickly dispatched.

[Morrdh]

Contested Imperial Planet Pan Arcadia
Fort Macharius
5th Company Morridane Barracks

Sergeant Baumer nodded to the Morridane guardsmen, following the mans gesture as he showed the Higarans where the captain was. Baumer nodded his thanks quickly, adjusting his helmet as it tipped slightly, and he led his squad over to Captain Stormwell.

Coming up to the captain, Baumer made a hasty and quick salute. "Sir. Captain Gustav sent us to assist your company with whatever help we can offer." He explained. "Sergeant Schmit, off over there assisting your men, and I, Sergeant Baumer, are what could be spared." He said, taking a look around at the devastation. "We're not much, but where do you need us? Anything you need specifically, sir?" The sergeant asked, his squad standing behind him.

Captain Stormwell meekly returned the salute, though he seemed a little dazed and fresh bandages showed under his helmet. "First thing first sergeant, make sure our perimeter is secure."

"After that we need a headcount, who's where and who's still alive and kicking...that sort of thing." Stormwell continued. "If we can we'll see to our dead, but other than that I need to find out if there's any orders from higher up."

[La Bandera Roja]

Pan Arcadia
Access Road of Fort Macharius
7th Tonatian Mechanized Infantry Company

"Sir! The 95th Rifles are requesting transportation..and a few drivers." Mendoza said, as he did a mild jogging next to his leuitenant, behind the group of soldiers who were trying their hardest to help the bleeding soldier who got their leg gashed open.

"A ride AND some drivers?" Santos expertly grabbed the com-module off the vox-caster. He held down the button and through his gasmask he said, "Take my drivers and my chimera space. Maybe while you're at it you can borrow some septums and my my wine!" He chuckled and after a short pause he added, "But, really, all doors will be open to accommodate any soldiers who need it...and I'll be sending over two drivers." He said to the 95th's officer. He put the module back and opened up the link to his own forces on his comm bead, "All soldiers, dismount and assume second mounting position, we need to give our comrades a ride so keep the back doors open. And gunners of beast 3 and 4, you will to dismount an report to the 95th. They need your skills to drive some of the traitors' chimeras... and be quick about it! As for the empty gunner seats, sergeants, you will take to the chimera's guns. When all beasts are ready, move up the road, the sons of Armageddon will have cleared the way and we will move to the destruction we created. Single file and drive safely. That is all." By the time he was done giving out orders, the whole detachment was back at their respective chimeras. Gasmasked and trenchcoated figures all climbed up to the backs of their chimeras in a well oiled fashion.

"Don't worry, you can stay sitting in here." He said to the soldier who had wounded his leg as the lieutenant passed him on his way to the front. The gunner already knew what was happening and took a seat. The lieutenant climbed up and took the gunner's spot to pop open the hatch on the turret and look out. Santos checked behind him and in front, making sure the Armageddon chimeras were cleared. "Hold on tight, you all know how these machines kick as well as the road being inclined." Santos gave another survey, made sure the gunners were sprinting up the road to the 95th and then ordered. "Alright, move forward." There was a small pause, then the chimeras lurched forward.

In a single file line, the light blue chimeras all moved moved up the road. As they slowly moved up, the new drivers reached the 95th.

The two soldiers were hardly out of breath as they stood erect in front of the captain of the 95th. "Prive Suero!" "Private Marino!" They both sounded off as best they could through their gasmasks.
"What do you need of us, sir?" the second, a slightly shorter one asked through the mask.

Behind them, the first of the Tonatian chimeras rolled up in front of the wreckage of the PDF's pitiful assault force. "We have 20 chimeras all open and ready, don't be shy to get comfortable." Santos said over the vox.