+++Sgt. Dapphon, perhaps you are right. Propose we advance carefully towards the situation, hopefully we can rendezvous with some Legionaires on the way. I can't imagine many Marines that would be running away from the LZ+++ Barak says over the comms. His voice is tinged with strain, as though taking a great effort to not fly off towards the battle without a second thought.
"that is probably the wisest course of action world eater, everyone should try to reestablish contact with their chain of command. For know though, I recommend you only talk to people who were on the ground when the attack happened."
Toc falls in as rearguard with practiced precision, moving with the motley group towards whatever fate had planned for them. Switching back to his trusty bolter, he pans the surrounding areas.
...does the emperor protect?...
You begin your march to the LZ; it's not far but you need to hustle to have any hope of getting there to see the Storm Ravens. Despite this they end up touching down before you and shortly after the sounds of battle grow absolutey cacophanous. You can hear the sounds of bolter fire and shouting even without your enhanced senses from a good distance away. Above Storm Ravens continue to make strafing runs at unidentified targets in and around the plaza.
As you approach the plaza your tactical maps show you that it is flanked by hab-centers and three sides, with the fourth side being open to allow for the approach of large vehicles. For the small squad of marines they have the luxury of choosing their approach.
"To any surviving death guard units, this is recon sgt Dapphon. I have met with a few survivors and we are attempting to reunite with any other survivors."
+++Alright Legionaires, supposing we do need to be wary of those Ravens, I propose we make our way through those Hab Centers. It should provide some menial cover.+++
Barak points off towards the LZ and gives a general wave towards any of the obvious Hab Centers. Over the comms his voice seems distant, as though he's having a hard time keeping focused on the task at hand.
Dapphon will attempt to navigate.
Nav (surface) base 40 +10 cartograph 4 degrees of success.
"I believe we need to go this way marines."
Dapphon will take point sticking to places where his camocloak will do the most good.
In his continued attempts to raise some order out of the voxs chaotic command and general channels Dapphon learns that several officers of his own legion and other legions have survived with some still under fire from some force.
In his continued attempts to raise some order out of the voxs chaotic command and general channels Dapphon learns that several officers of his own legion and other legions have survived with some still under fire from some force.
towards the biggest grouping of officers from his legion. presumably they have a decent sized force that the party can link up with.
As we approach the LZ...
"Still no contact made with friend or for?... I suggest we move round the plaza and keep our heads down, we need to link up with whoever is still holding out here. If anyone makes any contact shout it loud and clear that we are not with the assaulting force!
"I think Dapphon should range well ahead of the rest of us, he's by far the stealthiest and may well be more trusted by the defenders than... Some of us.
"I have made contact with deathguard officers, but linking up with them will take us away from the LZ. I believe it is worth it."
"Captain Temeter? Captain Garro? Have they responded to your vox?"
Toc seems visually relieved at the prospect of a chain of command.
"Commander Koloth Vorr of the 7th grand Company, seems to have the best grasp on the situation, but communications by vox are still spotty. I am somewhat familiar with the name, he is a teran veteran of old."
Trusting them is the best choice I have.. I'll just do it
"Be careful. They may have turned traitor too."
if they did...
In a level, consideted tone...
"Do not confuse my tactical caution with cowardice world eater, question my legion brothers' honour again and I will cook you where you stand. I see only one set of legion colours 'turning traitor' here..."
Turning to Dapphon...
"Did the commander give any indication of his forces' movements, are they headed this way? Should we move to meet them sergeant?"
"Did i call you a coward? Oh, and one possibility, they might not even be your legion brothers. For all we know, they could be impostors tricking us right now"
"I believe we should head towards his position. At this point I have no indication of his plan. But the world eater is correct we should approach with caution until we know for certain what is happening."
"Very well, then. Shall we head that way, then?"
Torv shoulders his heavy bolter, and readies to move out.
"And what of Captain Akioro? Is it wise for us to bring him to our new destination?"
"I think in this time of confusion anyone would be happy to have the bulk and firepower of a contemptor supporting them."
"But surely we can't just leave the defenders here without assisting! Has anyone made any contact? Do we even know who is defending this area from Angron's forces?"
"I can't seem to get through the screaming." Barak states with a hint of annoyance. "It matters not who's forces defend this area. If you are right then it is Legionaires who defend with their lives, if you are wrong then it is Legionaires who land to desperately take back this area from a seemingly formidable force. You talk of traitors yet, from where I stand, it is only the Deathguard who have wronged me. It is not my Legion who is known to carry the force of a life eater virus into every battle. I do not beleive that I or any of you are traitorous to the Imperium. Infact, I don't beleive any true Legionaires capable of such thoughts. So I march to the LZ. You do not need to march with me, but I will be moving soon. If it is my brethren who fall to wreak havoc then I will fight them to my last breath as a Legionaire of the Imperium of Man. If it is not, then I hope some have the answers I seek."
With that Barak readies his jumpack and moves into the Hab Centers.
a lesson in level headedness from a devourer of worlds... This day has reduced me...
"you are right sergeant, I regret speaking ill of you earlier. We must enter this arena, it is the only way to know..."
The hab centers suffered heavily from the initial bombardment, then again during the pacification, and a final third time during the virus bombing. Much of the building has been destroyed, leaving little in the way of intact areas. It takes you some time to navigate the rubble properly. Nothing could have prepared you for what you saw on the other side.
Endless Slaughter.
Finding a broken section of wall that serves as both cover and a means to see the plaza itself, you see literally thousands of world eaters engaging a disorganized slaughter against one another in the plaza. Brother strikes brother and transhuman bodies are literally hacked to pieces in a horrendous display of fratricide. In the other Hab Centers you see that devastator squads have established firing bases and pour death into the crowd with little being done to distinguish one target from another. Several fire teams even inhabit the hab center you've taken cover in, one so close that only a few floors separate you and they. In return Storm Raven gunships hound them endlessly, sending missiles into pill boxes, blowing apart the unfortunate occupants within.
In the center of it all a god rages. Angron, Primarch of the World Eaters, takes to his sons with his twin chain axes. Clad in burning gold and wreathed in fury he turns aside bolter round and chainblade at every turn, leaving only broken, dismembered bodies in his wake. Blood flows like water across the plaza square.
"Now can we go and link up with forces that can actually prepare for such an assault? We can do little here but die."
"We can fight, die and make little difference. Or we can join with other legionnaires, fight and make more than a difference"
"This....this is not right. Something terrible has happened; we cannot allow ourselves to fall in this slaughter. Let us go on to join with those other captains...."
"We cannot let this go unanswered! To walk from this fight leaves us as onlookers, I have never been an onlooker in this lifetime. We must strike a blow first, then make all haste to link with Vorr and the others. We cannot be bystanders to this fratricide... I may speak out of turn, I am outranked on all sides, but I say we cannot let this stand..."
Toc slumps, his vitriol fading
and yet what can we possibly achieve
"...you are correct sirs. Though the words stick in my throat. We must be wise in our actions. Which way to Vorr, Sergeant Dapphon?"
Barak extends his lightning claws which spring to life with violent arcs instantly. "You all do as you must. To leave this sight without doing what must be done would be a shame greater than death. As I said, as a Legionnaire of the Imperium of Man, of the World - " He stops himself a moment, "As a War Hound. This transgression will not stand. I said I will fight my so called brethren to my last and I meant it. If you believe you must walk across the length and breadth of Choral City just to make contact with a random superior of the Deathguard, but I ask are there none here that don't deserve the same devotion? Are there none dying before you that have earned that same level of respect from you? Are us Legionnaires nothing but walking corpses for you?" What started as nearly a whisper from a broken man has slowly become yelling with a righteous fury."I will not stand by as my brothers and my cousins fall at that hands of that filth."
Barak, only steps away from blind fury, falls into cover and sets up to fire into melee. He only had a few clips so he hoped, more than anything, he could simply draw attackers into the hab center and open up with his Lightning Claws.
Toc steps up to the former world eater, Laying a hand on his pauldron.
"Stand down sergeant. Please. I do not command, the rank is yours. But I ask as a brother marine, as a comrade. I hear you renouncing the actions of your legion. Renouncing their name. Renounce with that their reckless abandonment of sense. Step away from this fight and prove yourself the better marine. There will come a reckoning, I oath myself to that, but sell your life more dearly than this. Take this oath with me... All of you, take this oath with me. We march to our certain deaths, but not here, not now. The Imperium will sing our names for all eternity!"
Toc gently urges the warhound to his feet and turns to the group
"Dapphon, lead on to Vorr. And on the way, keep an eye out for somewhere we may take an oath..."
Barak takes a hard look at Toc. He stand silent fir a moment, giving a final glance towards Angron as the gore of those had had called brother washes the plaza red and the names if the dead are called aloud by the fallen Primarch.
"Hm." He lowers his bolt Pistol and allows for his lightning claws to retract. A simple nod seems to be all he can muster from his boiling rage and bloodlust. He turns away from the battle and awaits for the rest of the squad to move out. It's clear that he will cover the rear.
Geroros nods thanks to Toc then moves near the front. "Did he say how many men he has with him?"
"Dare I suggest we return to Captain Akorio first, brothers? Or at least let him know of our plans. I'm not sure if Vox-casting is safe, given our situation."
"Dapphon, can you find our way back to the Captain, maybe he has made contact with other forces."
The marines move off
once we have regrouped with the captain we much take an oath, we must be united in this
Dapphon will lead the team away from the slaughter and back to the dreadnought.
You all return to your Dreadnought alley, leaving the carnage behind. The reprieve proves short. The sky above flashes crimson again as you recognize the deafening sound of drop pods tearing through atmosphere. Once again through flashes of crimson you see World Eaters colors. By the looks of it they are descending all across the hive city, though with a larger concentration aimed at the plaza and the area immediately surrounding it.
Once we meet the dreadnought, Dapphon will lead the group towards the deathguard force he made contact with.
"What...what is happening over there? What did you see at the plaza?"
"The devourers of worlds sailing a seal of blood captain, legion blood, with Angron their oarsman."
and it seems we may be about to join the flow...
"Madness and death Captain, madness and death."
Dapphon with drop pods landing throughout the city will you change your course at all?
Dapphon with drop pods landing throughout the city will you change your course at all?
Unless directed otherwise he will try to avoid drop sites.
As the group move through the ruins...
"is there anything you can tell us of what happened when you were in orbit captain? Anything at all? I understand you had to make hasty planetfall, how are your ammunition supplies?"
"It would be wise to avoid the drop pods I'm sure, at least as well as we can."
"I don't exactly have much knowledge about the situation up there, as I just came down with a contingent from the Children. As for ammunition, I haven't fired a single shot planetside yet, so I'm fully stocked. As you can see, my frame was properly equipped for whatever they needed me to do down here."
"it would be wise to avoid drop sites. However, if one lands close to us, would it be wise to investigate it once the enemy abandons it?"
Drop pods make land, further battering the broken city. One touches down a little more than fifty meters outside of your current position, though a series of rubble piles blocks your line of sight.