[Necris]

Demos halted dropping his aim.

"Peleus, if they are fighting fit arm them and have them conduct you to the holding cells to free the objective."

He looked round pulling his helm off he sniffed the air, looking at the marines what had joined him.

"That way, close order fire pattern."

He directed them to his left and watched as they moved past him weapons trained controlled bursts of fire cutting down the enemy, he went right breaking into a sprint those humans and tau that got in his way were smashed aside as he stormed past, reaching the end of the block he scaled the wall his powerfist tearing chunks from the wall as he climbed to the roof.

Surveying the area he could see other members of the team following Corvin and Sirus smashing his way through the buildings reducing them to rubble as he followed giving heavy support to Corvin and those following them, his eyes snapped round as his fist followed catching a crisis suit as it landed beside him a melta weapon firing over his shoulder, closing his hand he tore open the cockpit the tau inside ejected but he shot the fleeing xenos as it tumbled through the air.

Three more landed a short distance away on another roof and he was forced to duck behind the ruined suit and replace his helm, standing he fired and backed up several paced before sprinting forward and launching himself through the air several shots slammed into his armour but it held despite the warnings in his helm he crashed into the first of them dragging it to the ground at the close range he put a bolt round through the hull and rolled backwards twisting he destroyed a leg unit from another and tore an arm from the next the two suits too to the air and fled as something demolished the corner of the building he'd been standing on, as the roof cracked and crumbled he ran again throwing himself from the building he landed in a roll coming to his feet he rushed towards the Leman Russ switching his long strides to wide steps so he moved in a zig zag preventing the heavy bolter mounted on the front from getting a fix on him, he went down the side of the tank he fist obliterating the tracks as he went past it.

Moving beyond the threat of the main gun he stopped suddenly and sniffed again, even through the helm he could smell the green suit and he smiled as he moved slower now stalking, his combat map told him the others that had followed him were close by, moving but their life signs were strong so they were alive, fighting and more than likely pinned down, a twinge of guilt struck him for a moment having left them but the hunter in him called and the choice had paid off, the marines were pinned by crisis suits plasma fire pinning their position, they were led by the green suit, he dipped low watching the fire exchange.

"Rant, Artos, Kurtis toss a volley of frag grenade on my mark and get ready for a kill shot on the lead crisis suit."

He bunched up his body coiling like a spring, he would need to be fast now, faster than the enemy.

"Ready yourselves."

[Swarbie]

Artos, coiled up behind the scant cover afforded by a ruined wall, primed a grenade.
He looked at Rant and Kurtis. "Brothers, there is more than one crisis suit pinning us down. The main target is the leader. After you throw the grenades, I'll break cover and draw their fire while you take out the commander. I'll get behind them and try to ground them."

Rant nodded in agreement, but Kurtis decided to speak up. "This plan is dangerous brother."
Artos inclined his head. "I know. But the other suits will be able to pick you off without a distraction. My chapter trains in stealth. I will make the best use of cover and go for their sensors or jet-packs."

"Very well," said Kurtis. "But be careful."

"I shall."

Demos began speaking through the vox.
++Grenades in five seconds, brothers++   

"Be ready," said Artos.

They threw the fragmentation grenades over the wall towards the crisis suits.

Artos began to run.

[Inquisitor Ranovack]

'Very good captain' repliad Peleus before turning to the gaurdsmen and asking
'are you ready to serve the Emporer again', and was again gratified to hear a ripple of yessirs as they bent to pick up their weapons from where the traitors had left them.
'Where is the Lord Inquisitor holding cell?' asked Peleus
'We don't know precisle but we heard them taking him down to the interrogation room and individual secure confinement corridor, follow us we'll take you there.' said the leader before indicating to his men to advance down the corridor in a stagard file so they would be prepared to meet any counter attack. Peleus walked down the middle of the corridor half way back in the small squad and watched admiringly as the men who until just minutes before had been about to be executed while a battle waged outside and were now moving through the building with precision almost worthy of a newly clawed unit of lions.

After a few minutes of moving quietly through the ccorridors of the gaurdroom complex with only occasional contacts with small groups of Tau and traitors Peleus and his group mad it to a large door with a plasteel veiwing port. Peleus looked through and saw the objective in a chair with 4 unarmoured tau with 3 gaurds one of the unarmoured tau  was preparing a vial of some liquid for injection into the inquisitor. Peleus absorbed this in a micro second and let out a growl.
he stepped back looked at the sergent and asked.' how do you get this open?'
the soldier pointed to the small pannel next to the door and said,'you need a 6 digit code or an ID card, but they took ours and changed the codes.
Peleus again started to growl as he brought hispowerclaws crackling to lif looked at the locking echanism and stabbed his claw staight into it the twisting his hand cut it out os that he could pull the doors open.
As he pulled the doors open the tau gaurds opend fire killing one of the gaurdsmen and wounding another befor the precise voly of lasgun fire and shortly after bolter shelt swiftly dispatched them. Peleus streicked into the room slashed the tau preparing the injection before he had a chance to inject the Inquisitor, checked that the inquisitor was ok then swirlled round on the last two tau in the room who had been surrrounded in a courner by the remaining 3 gaurdsmen one of them had a sword drawn and wasa standing infront of the other, olderlooking tau who was holding an ornate staff. befor he could shoot the tau the one with a sword shoute in accented gothic, 'Leave this is our world you do not belong here any more,' Peleus merely laughed at this and tooka step forward and told them, 'This is one of the Empporeres worlds in one of His systems and you dare to accuse us of trespassing, ' and raised his bolter to shoot the worriorbut before h could pull the trigger the older tau started to talk,' I am Etherial Ji'oie and I suggest you leave now, we have called for reinforcements from our head quarters and they will be at our location very soon.'

Peleus laughed again and said,' Your head quarters is in no position to provide reinforcments or do you think I came alone, but I think we will leave and you will come too.
'we will not.' shouted the swordstau and started forward
'I didnt say you were coming,' Said Peleus as he shot him through the head moments before his body was riddled with laserfire.
'Sergent secure the prisoner.' Said Peleus as he turned back to the inquisitor
'My Lord it is time for us to be gone from this place.' He said as he cut the Inquisitors bonds and picked him up as he was still to weak to stand and he could only just manage a whisper of,'Yes, tell Seargent Tellken to look after the prisoner, I will look forward to repaying the debt of hospitality.' Peleus passed on the message then radioed the captain.

'Package seccure, have also found  a highranking xenos who the package would appreciate a conversation with at a later date,permission to head for the EZ and make it seccure over'

He started to walk up to the reception with Tellken on point the wounded soldier holding his pistol to the head of the prisoner next then Peleus and the 2 remining gaurdsmen one of the carrying their dead comrade the other gaurding the rear.

[Necris]

Demos bolted from his position running at the backs of the crisis suits he spotted Artos

"Artos Get back into cover!"

HIs voice roared over both the vox network and from his grilled helm as he charged into the back of the closest Tau his fist tore clean through it igniting the jump pack fuel cell and enveloping him in a ball of flame his fist continued into the next a trail of flame in it's wake punching into the back unit and through the tau inside.

Artos drew the Crisis suits fire as Rant and Kurtis peppered the leader with bolter fire he ducked and leap landing squarely on a Crisis Suit dragging it to the ground Demos kicked on out at another twisting it away from him he fired into it with his bolt pistol and then then turned, shot hammered into his armour and he growled as he swatted away another Crisis suit and pounced into combat with the Lead suit, the suit brought it's plasma weapons to bear and fired striking Demos in the face, he snarled and lashed out as he tumbled tearing the offending arm from the crisis suit, the damage sustained to the suit ruined the shield generator and shots from Kurtis and Rant brought the suit down it struggled to to rise and Artos finished it roaring in fury over his fallen Captain.

Artos turned to regard Demos his helm was ruined the left side melted away and shattered the skin under blackened and bloody, his eye snapped open a stark whiteness in the black he sat upright pulling the helm free he looked over it and tossed it to one side before standing.

"Good work, all of your. Confirm one Enemy command figure dead."

His vox crackled to life.

"Confirmed, all free brothers form up on Peleus and act as honour guard. Xenos Bane begin Extraction."

[Swarbie]

Artos stayed where he was.

"One moment, Captain." He stooped over the wreck of the tau leader's crisis suit. Tearing off its iridium armour plating, he revealed the shattered form of the tau Shas' El.

He unhooked his small brass grail from his belt and filled it with the tau's blood. Then, using his knife, he carefully removed the creature's heart.

"Captain," he said. "Will you drink with me and share my Chapter's customs?"

"I shall," replied Demos.

Artos removed his helmet and drank, cyan splashes covering his lips. He handed the grail to Demos, then began to build a small fire, using pieces of wood from a shattered building. He placed the tau's heart on top of the pyre, then knelt and kindled a flame.

As Demos watched, Artos bowed his head and murmured, "To you, my Emperor, the flesh of a worthy foe."
He rose and turned away, walking off to join Peleus and his fellow marines.

[Inquisitor Ranovack]

Peleus' group headed quickly to the prearranged EZ and encountered little resistance. When they were around half waay several large figures loomed out of the smoke ahead and within seconds Peleus had his bolter aimed at the lead one, but before he opened fire he called out, 'Well met Brothers,' and he relaxed as Brothers Hunrk, Martell, Simion and Laran joined the group of the Emporers followers.
'well met Brother, My Lord,' Hunrik sad in reply and acknowledgment of the Inquisitor.
'Lets go brothers the  transport will be here soon,' said Simion
'Agreed,' said Peleus s the started to move again with the  forming a ring around the others. 
They got to the EZ and Peleus put the nquizitor down and placed a beacon near to him to show the transport that they were in position. The others hhd already spread out into a defence pattern when he looked up and the gaurdsmen were in a smaer pattern around the inquisitor. When Peleus was satisfied that the are was secure he radioed Demos,'Captain i've lnked up with  the  others nd have secured the area we're just waitng for you, cptain corvn, Artos, Kraven and Rant, Over.'

[Necris]

Demos dropped his last opponent and turned.

"All units converge on the EZ, begin extraction."

He moved emptying his last rounds into the enemy and darted shots rang after him as he bolted round a corner, the EZ was on the other side of the command bunker and he was a good deal of distance from it, Rant joined him at his side turning expertly he fired the last of his own rounds into the ranks giving chase. stepped into view giving cover as the bolted past then joined the flight too, Demos' heads up showed him the route and he plotted a new course as he ran shouting out.

"Left."

As one the three marines turned left heading for a wall Demos hit it first his powerfist crumbling the wall his bulk shattering it as he charged through, the corrected their steps and carried on weaving, until they reached the EZ where the others stood in a defensive pattern, they slowed as the rest joined from other directions.

"Ammo counts?"

They all fed the information back to him and he sighed.

"Alpha, what is your ETA?"

"Seventy seconds."

Kurtis stepped up to him.

"A minute is a long time brother captain, especially when we are surrounded on all sides by the enemy."

Demos nodded and turned looking off in a direction.

"Sirus we could do with some cover."

+I obey brothers!+

Sirus crashed into view and charged into their centre his gun barked in rapid succession as it tore lines from the surrounding buildings cutting down the enemy as it swept his gun round wide arcs. Demos touched the connection node on the dreadnaught and pulled up his ammo count at twenty five percent the assault cannon would be dry in thirty seconds.

"Make you last shots count, show these xenos scum that we are Deathwatch and we do not fear death for we are it's reapers!"

He looked round as Rant passed him a bolt pistol clip and nodded his thanks slotting it home he looked at the enemy they were mostly tau firewarriors, Kroot and Vespid now, the human allies had fled or were preoccupied elsewhere. He joined his brothers in their last stand gunning down those foolish enough to charge them eager to rescue their Ethereal who cowered beside the Inquisitor.

A Kroot broke through the fire but Corvin ended the beast his powerswords making short work of the xenos creature, then the roar of engines came to his ears a moment before the rest heard them, Thunderhawk engines gunned in five of them in total they banked and laid down a hail of fire before one broke off from the wing and dropped to the ground.

"On board now!"

Demos watched as they all backed into the Thunderhawk Peleus making sure the Inquisitor and guardsmen still alive went first, they'd lost several during their last stand, After the majority of them were on board he ordered the take off and was the last to leave the world covered by heavy bolters and the weapons of the other thunderhawks, he took his seat and sat back a dull throb in his hip where a shot had impacted in the last few seconds, already his body was combating it when his vox came to life on a secure feed.

"Good work Captain Demos, how does the squad feel?"

He paused for a moment looking at the marines around him they were unaware of the voice he could here, when he spoke they looked at his slightly confused.

"They work well together, I could not ask for finer Brothers."

"Good because the situation your team was assembled for has taken a turn for the unexpected."

"How so?"

"I have a Stormhawk prepared for immediate deployment upon your arrival, Time is of the essence in this matter."

"We live to serve."

He looked round at the team and took in their states of armour.

"We have need of repairs."

"I have already assigned a techmarine to you, we awaits you upon the Stormhawk, likewise all your requirements await you as well as your briefing, I will follow with the Xenos Bane after my debriefing with the Lord Inquisitor."
 
"Understood."

The vox link went dead and he turned to the waiting faces of his team.

"We are being deployed immediately upon arrival on the Xenos bane, when we land board the waiting Stormhawk, I will brief you enroute to our next mission."

"No respite?"

One of them pipped up but Demos missed the source of the voice, Kurtis spoke his voice clear and full of zeal.

"The enemies of mankind give us none so we cannot allow ourselves any." 

"Well said brother."

The flight to the Xenos Bane lasted thirty minutes and it took them less than ten more to transfer them selves to the waiting Stormhawk designated Rogal's Might, five minutes later they were under way and ten after that Rogal's Might plunged into the warp en route to their next mission, Demos had stripped from his armour and sat within a private sanctum reading the briefing notes.

[Swarbie]

Artos and the others were in the main holding bay of the Stormhawk; waiting for Demos to return and tell them their next mission. Artos felt uneasy. He had not expected his next mission to be so soon, and his mind was still clouded by the battle.

To put himself at ease, he decided to go talk to Martell and Rant. He sat down on a bench opposite them and turned to Rant.

"Well done, brother. I have a feeling that we would not have lasted long without your help in closing the gates." He turned to Martell.

"I thank you for watching over me. I appreciate it, and it warms my heart to know I have help at hand. We of my Chapter are used to working on our own; for long periods of time if necessary." He looked to the door to see if Demos had arrived yet.

"I wonder what mission is urgent enough that we must be diverted straight to another battlefield? At least we have the aid of a techmarine to help us repair our armour."

[Koval]

"Find out soon," Rant grunted, checking the ammo for his bolter and noting with mild apprehension that he was down to four mags. He resolved to acquire a backup weapon in the event that he ran out or simply couldn't get the replacement bolts for whatever reason; his bolter, an older Thunderclap pattern, accepted only straight mags and those were scarce in comparison with the more standard, and larger-capacity, sickle and drum mags. Bolts were bolts, and Rant could simply replenish the magazines, but nonetheless, the newer styles were different, and incompatible with a Thunderclap.

"Can make preliminary repairs to armour before arrival," he offered, gesturing first at Artos, then at his belt, before drawing a small tube of repair cement. "Can at least make job easier for other Techmarine."

"I keep forgetting you have training," Martell chuckled from Rant's right.

"Probably serve better as soldier than as armourer," Rant mused, smearing some of the repair cement over the cracks in his greaves where the Hammerhead had shot him. "But still serve regardless. Serve as soldier, sent to new war zone. Can at least look battle-ready."

[Kallidor]

Laran sat apart from the other Deathwatch, not that he was really aware of their presence. The audio-senses of his helmet were set to emit white noise and the gentle hiss blocked out any conversations taking place. He was leaning back with his hands clasped and resting on top of his head, his weapons practically dumped around his armoured feet.

Inside his helmet, Laran was snarling, an involuntary reaction to the violent thoughts whirring through his mind. Anger and hatred were not simply emotions or abstract ideas that his Chapter taught its sons to utilise and call up, Hatred especially was a divine communion, it was the very stuff of the Emperor, living through their bodies, hallowed instruments of War created by Him and through which He enacted His Will upon the galaxy.

In his mind's eye Laran saw figures, they were silhouetted against the ruddy sky of a blasted landscape, never ending waves that came at him without mercy or sanity. He fought them, he killed them, in their thousands he killed them. There were always more and he welcomed them for even a legion of enemies could not sate his need to slay.

Laran was blind to the confines of the Stormhawk and as he imagined another shadowy figure rush towards him he struck out with a fist, punching nothing but air in reality but in his mind pulping a face. He acted out the motions of bringing down his hammer, empty hands gripping a non-existant haft. He swung over and over, killing his foe once was not enough and he saw himself crush the skull many times. Sitting forward, hands still gripping the invisible hammer Laran was motionless, seemingly staring at the floor, his violent thoughts comsumming his attention utterly and transporting him far away from the Stormhawk's bay.

[Swarbie]

"Indeed we can, brother," said Artos, now sharpening his combat knife. "Although, there is no shame in a little wear and tear. It simply shows we have been fighting hard. Perhaps our next set of foes will take it as a warning."

"Perhaps," replied Rant. "Or see as laziness."

"True," said Martell. "Of course, we may not be dropping straight in amongst the enemy this time."

Artos chuckled. "I certainly hope so. It has been some time since I have been able to use stealth-tactics. I miss the hunt."

[Inquisitor Ranovack]

Peleus walked to the stormhawks small armoury and replenished his bolter ammunition, He then walked over to the secure crate with his personal badge on it and open it. He gave his ump pack a quick check over. he thanked the emporer that he'd made sure it was operational efore the frst breifng as there was not the room or equipment here to do so and he may need it in the near future.
He remembered the last ump insertionn he'd lead. On Terax VII, against the PDF forces who had turned their backs on the Emporer. He smiled as he remembered that mission and his brothers. He noted that his longing to be fighing along side them had diminished since he'd seen his new battle brothers fight bu new that the Den would always be home. he replaced his pack in the crate then went back to his seat and started to pray to the Emporer in thanks that they had all made in back un harmed from the successful opertion. He then asked for the Emporers guidence in the upcoming battle, and that he protect his brothers both here and amoungst the Lions.