Demos strode away from the group heading for a singular drop pod already secured within was the vast form of Sirus, he patted the dreadnaughts armoured hide before turning back and observing the task force from a distance breaking them into squads in his mind, Matthias moved to him handing him the heavy flamer he took it swinging the weapon up onto his shoulder with ease as strode towards the Drop Pod in the centre of their three, the one Rant had placed himself in, as he strode he spoke his voice raising high filling the bay.
“Ancient Lords of Haemos, Fathers of our Clans past
My Father and My Emperor,
Bath me in your golden light
Guide my hand in battle
Make my aim true and my arm strong
Let all those before me stand in fear for they know I do your bidding
For I am your Templar
Your warrior
And above all I swear that in your name
Blood will Flow.”
He stepped up to the pod and deposited the heavy weapon in the cradle beside his locking it into place, pulling a vial from his effects on his belt he drove the spike built into it deep into his neck depressing an activation rune the vial filled with his blood, releasing it he looked around the task force.
“Helmets on and mount up brothers and pray to the machine spirits and the Emperor that our chariots carry us true.”
He slid his helmet on and stepped into his cradle locking himself in place, the command console fell in front of his and he cycled the pod engines bringing it to life. He watched as the others climbed in locking themselves into place the close the hatch catching the other pods doing the same as the world went black then red as the pods internal lights illuminated.
“See you on the ground brothers.”
He triggered the launch sequence an the pod started to rumble as they were loaded into the tubes, keying his vox he spoke.
“Matthias, if there is no vox signals within ten minutes launch the deathwinds, and brother Sirus five minutes after that.”
“Understood Captain.”
He ran through the launch procedure then he punched the launch command and the pod accelerated at an exponential rate as they left the strike cruiser.
++Scarre++
++PDF Regional Headquarters – Designated ‘Safehaven’++
++Currently held by Tau and Rebel PDF forcers++
++Sector 17 – Human habitation++
Colonel Tiberius Sommer was the commanding officer of those humans who had defected from the Imperium into the Embrace of the Tau Empire, it had been him who’d convince his entire battalion to turn coat and wage war against their kinsmen, and it fell upon his shoulders to show them the light the Tau offered. Their technology unbound by the archaic religion of the Adepts of Mars was far in advance of the Imperium, and he had to take the hard line to ensure that his people saw the light.
He was pacing through the Human Habitation to the Tau, sector 17 to the humans on his way to the morning inspection a life in the PDF had taught him the rigors of discipline and routine and he was a stickler for such, but even by his standards the tau were far beyond him or any human, he’d formed the alliance and as such they had rewarded him for his loyalty with a modified suit of armour and a pulse carbine, his personal guard a dozen other men that had once been trained assault specialists had also been gifted with such technology making their a force to be reckoned with. He rounded the last corner where the morning detail troop of men stood waiting for their inspection before they could relive the nigh[EXCOMMUNICATE]ch of they guard detail. A series of booms drew his attention looking towards the outer walls he keyed the vox built into his armour.
“Are we under attack?”
“Negative sir.”
The wall detail reported nothing untoward and his eyes went skyward as the clouds split as fires tumbled to the world.
“What the hell are they?”
“Meteor storm?”
“Only three, it’s not possible and they are heading for... Holy Throne! Take Cover!”
++
“Impact in ten seconds, inertia thrusters firing!”
Demos braced himself as the thrusters fired shaking the drop pod the altitude counter in his helm told him that the landing was imminent, the pod screamed as it impacted close to sixty feet above the ground, they’ struck a building the floors tearing away as they came to a stop. Disengaging the restraining clamps he stood up fully hefting the heavy flamer he’d chosen as his first wave firearm.
“Hatches deploying strike team prepare to move.”
++
Sommer and the morning detail moved towards the nearest impact a building had been hit, one of the barracks buildings, it would have been filled with men resting from the late detail, he despaired at their loss it was a great blow to his troopers stationed here.
“Get fire control over here now!”
“What is the situation Colonel?”
He stopped turning and bowing his head quickly as a group of firewarriors approached.
“A Meteor Shas’la it’s hit one of my barrack buildings with men inside.”
“It was not a meteor colonel, our relays picked up metal and life forms.”
++
“Deathwatch! Forward!”
He stepped from the drop pod about him were dead bodies shattered and broken from the impact of the pod he guessed they’ struck a barracks building judging by the furniture littered about the place dust and steam filled his vision but he was astrates and his helm compensated switching visuals he could see heat signatures and clear as day.
“Cleanse and Destroy”
Striding up the rubble he cleared the dust his vision snapping back to normal before him lay squads of men and a single group of the blue skinned Tau conversing with the Human officer, he armed the weapon as they noticed his presence but it was too late for the closest of them as he fired the heavy flamer washing them in burning promethium, striding down into their midst amongst the screams of agony he continued to wash the throngs before him his ears picking up the sharp shouts that raised the alarm, the others followed their weapons adding to the chaos and the noise, his weapon bled dry quickly and he dropped it his bolter swinging round from it’s shoulder strap into his waiting hand, levelling the weapon he fired dropping a dozen in the first hail of fire, a glance left and right told him the others had joined him forming a solid line Brother Kurtis stood to his left a heavy bolter barking in his hands as he walked forward. He paused as he took in his surroundings.
“Xenos Bane start the second wave.”
He didn’t hesitate for a reply instead he threw himself into the PDF with a vicious roar his powerfist shattering bodies as it swung he caught the sight of crisis suits taking to the air and roared his orders at Kurtis.
“Bring them down!”
Obeying without question the Angel swung his heavy weapon skywards and unleashed a salvo of death at the Tau Battlesuits bring one down like a poor mimic of their own fiery decent to the ground, another tumbled away but the third vanished from sight and Kurtis turned his gun back on the rebel PDF troopers who fell away under the fury of their sudden attack. Demos pulled the vial from his waist he dropped it stamping on it to spill the blood, over his vox he spoke.
“This world has tasted the blood of Astartes, It shall have no more instead it will have to be slated with the blood of the Xenos and the Traitor, Kill them all!”
His bolter barked as he strode forward forcing the breach even more.
