Sizzle arrives at the door of the bunker and aims up at the tower. He waves Hella in, ready to suppress anyone who might peek over the edge at them.
Asbjörn, not having been willing to advance on his own had turned towards the others, waiting for a chance to do a little preening or even gloating if given a chance.
He HAD after all done something almost as brave as he was handsome, witty and skilled after all, surely SOMEONE would say something?
What he had not expected was an explosive retort, the air being forced from his lungs, and feeling something snap inside his chest.
Staggering backward, he felt his back collide with the wall, and then found himself sliding down it, wheezing and finding it hard to breathe all of a sudden.
Oh man, is my first medal really going to be a purple one?
"Ouch..."
BS45+10(aim)+5(accurate)+30(unaware)-20(combat movement) = 70
=> 1 DoF
Most of the squad files into the relative safety of the bunker under the sheltering fire of the heavy gunner.
The Sergeant, after checking Asbjörn over and a small clap onto his shoulder, gives the room a once over.
"Sergey, check everyone over.
No need for a hidden wound to kill someone.
Enginseer, I'd be glad if you take position by the internal bulkead and be ready to repel any curious visitors.
See if you can break the security codes. Otherwise we'll just have to blast through."
Once everyone is in, the rhythmic stubber fire abruptly stops and the heavy gunner hefts her still smoking gun and hurries uphill.
As she has barely reached the top and is about to start an all out sprint, a bright lasbolt flashes down from the watchtower and misses her right boot by less than a finger's width.
The blonde trooper flings to the left and shouts something into her com-bead that is better not repeated anywhere, followed by:
"DAMMIT, WILL SOMEONE PLEASE SHOOT THE FRIGGIN' TOWER NOW?!"
Sizzle doesn't spot the shooter, but he can trace a rough area of where he should be. Good enough. He empties his clip in that direction hoping to give Hella the support she needs.
The Lasgun whines as the clip runs dry.
"Broken...broken rib, felt it snap."
Panting a bit, Asbjörn remains on the floor, having little problem playing up the injury for effect.
"Good time for some tactics right Sergeant? If someone peeks around the corner and make sure there are no obstructions, my brother can just send a missile down the corridor, that'd clear up some chaff down there no doubt."
Frowning for a moment, Asbjörn takes another deep breath.
"As long as we are just meant to stop the bunker from obstructing our regiments advance.
Does it matter if we take the bunker undamaged or not?"
Sergeant! Bolus announces. This bunker has three openings firing upon our allies to the south all sealed from each other with a fourth facing west in an L configuration. We have cleared one. With your assistance I shall bring purifying flame to them from their own openings. I shall not need my armor for this. Help me shed these so I may crawl out safe from the sniper and hand me my tank of fuel so we may assault the traitors from both sides!
"Oh, sealed...well, that scuppers that plan."
Asbjörn manages to look just a bit disappointed at that.
"Remember though, we do have two Breachers, opening sealed doors is what we do!"
Base =20 + 30 (DoS) + 10 (RoF) +40 (small area) - 10 (distance) - 45 (shooting cover) = 45
40+10+10+5=65
The Sergeant looks surprised for a moment, clearly taking a moment to understand the plan.
As understanding dawns, he nods respectfully.
"As you will, father Bolus."
And he personally helps you to get out of your armor quickly.
Bolus is nearly ready to go when a shrill, inhuman shriek echoes from outside - very close by!
Being the only one looking outside, you are the only one to see Hella fall.
The blonde gunner ducks and weaves, never running a straight line for more than a handful of meters.
But it is not enough.
Barely a handful of steps from safety, a single lasbolt sears from the tower and melts away the entire left side of her skull, revealing charred bone and ash-turned muscles.
She drops with a shrill, inhuman shriek of pure agony and writhes on the ground, her hands searching for her face and eyes - both of which are pretty much gone from what you can tell.
Sizzle swipes the dead power pack away wand slams a fresh pack home. He scans the tower, trying to spot his quarry.
He thinks he sees something, but he's just not sure. Somebody grab her, I'll cover! he shouts into the bunker, then he opens up on the area where he knows the sniper is.
Yeta doesn't resist getting dragged along by the Father, praise to the emperor. However hearing the shriek, and Sizzles frantic.. request. He looks outside and sees the trooper lying down, but still very much alive with all the shrieking and writhing. So he steps out once more, behind Sizzle - he's not quite stupid enough to walz THROUGH full auto fire point blank - and starts pulling her inside.
"Aw Grokk! We got to put her under! She needs serious medical help far beyond field medicine."
in:
The Commissar looks at the grevious head injury, then to Elofsson, then to Sergey. Waiting for a nod of confirmation.
"Do so if you have the supplies. However no one gets left behind on this heretical battlefield. Know this Trooper Hela: If the tide of the battlefield forces us to quit you then I will save your immortal soul and deliver the Emperors mercy personally and your valiant conduct will be made known to the home planet."
Trying to rise, Asbjörn gasps and falls back against the wall.
"Grokk! Sergey! You have to take point on this. Give her a doze of painkilers, then tranq her, apply disinfectant to the wounds and then bandage her face.
Hmmm, probably will take some time before we get support, better make it two dozes of tranq.
All we can do for now."
Bolus grimaces as more of their squad fall. He proceeds to take off his flame weapon and crawl out the gun slit and then waits for someone to hand him his flamer back.
Base =20 -10 (DoF) + 10 (RoF) +40 (small area) - 10 (distance) - 45 (shooting cover) = 5
The Commissar bolts outside, just as Sergey is about to do so himself, a sick expression on his face.
Instead he turns around and rummages through his field medikit.
"Asbjörn, you took Gustav's kit right?
Then we have two doses of painkillers.
I'll shoot you one to get you back on yer feet and then give the other to poor Hella."
Yeta is quickly at Hella's side and grabs the wounded trooper under her shoulders and starts pulling back.
An ill-aimed (probably a hasty snap-shot) lasbolt lands half a meter to the right.
Then, the deed is done and everyone is in the bunker.
For all of one second, then Bolus is out the firing slid - it is very narrow and he has to squeeze his old bones quite a bit but he makes it through.
Anatoly (or to be precise, his servo arm) is handing the flamer out after you - without leaving his post at the door.
Sergey is at Hella's side in an instant and injects the writhing trooper with the second dose of painkiller - while Yeta speaks to the wounded trooper.
It is unclear whether anything he said registers with her.
The Sergeant looks down at the trooper with a grimace and then visibly pulls himself together and returns to business.
"Oy, Sizzle, stop wasting you ammo and close that door already.
Asbjörn, you're done relaxing after your circus trick?
Good, I need you and your bro to fix a well proportioned charge to that door.
Just enough to blast the door in. We don't want to reduce everyone present to a puddle of gore on the opposite wall - understood?
We wait for the screaming to start, then blast the door in and dispatch the enemy who still live after Bolus' ministration."
From your position you see the main advance having arrived at the bottom of the hill by now.
But they have hit an obstacle in the shape of a deep-dug tank-pit trench, making it impossible for the chimeras to advance further.
And without the cover from the APCs, the infantry is pinned down, making an advance up the steep hill all but suicidal.
As you watch, several bursts of mortar rounds erupt all around the formation and even from this distance you can see casualties mounting.
All the while, the remaining two heavy weapons of the bunker continue to pour down autocannon and bolter fire.
To the west, you can see distant flashes of gunfire coming from the line of dead trees.
It seems like both other portions of the attack force were unable to complete their advance and you are the only imperial force to have reached the hill as of now!
"Just...just help me get to my feet and I'll be up for it Sarge."
As soon as Asbjörn is on his feet, he grabs a demo charge, remote detonator and combi tool, ready to get to work.
"Good to get back into the technical side of things, always did enjoy the tinkering with high explosives me.
You know, finding the proper spot, using just the right amount of equipment for the job.
It's like a clockwork piece, just like dad liked to tinker with on long winter nights.
Probably how me and my brother started getting interested in these things."
His servo arm retracting from the firing slit after releasing the father's flame tank, Anatoly tries to crack the opening codes for the next sealed chamber.
Muttering imprecations at the traitors and Hereteks that must have changed all the encryption codes, Anatoly turns to the sergeant, "Sergeant, I can certainly crack these security codes given sufficient time. There is a 84.32 percent chance that result can be achieved in the next thirty seconds. It may, however, be more expedient to use the breaching charges if we have sufficient explosives available."
"Don't you worry about that enginseer, we came well prepared, hehe."
Sizzle falls in bedside his brother and helps set, even tweaking a few things he and there.
And he almost sets the thing off, but his hands and nerves are steady as ice and nothing bad happens.
He glances over at Asbjorn with a look that says, Don't tell mom!
Bolus waits at the west edge of the slit for the hand motion telling him to proceed. Then he walks up to the next window and sticks the nozzle in from the edge and sprays fire, making sure the bolters firing down are covered in flame then backs away and crouches to not give any chance of counterfire.
The Sergeant just nods at Anatoly's report, then waves for the Breachers to handle the obstacle.
He then crouches low beside the wounded trooper and whispers into her ear, while carefully holding her by the shoulders.
"We are here for you, Hella.
No one is leaving you behind, don't listen to Mr. Ironheart.
Just you wait, a few augments, a bit of synthskin and you're as good as new.
Sergey will tranq you now, until we can get you a proper medic.
Sleep well.
That's an order, trooper, alright?"
Then waves nods to Sergey who has readied the tranq dose.
Upon getting injected, Hella rears up for a moment but collapses nearly instantly.
A worried Sergey controls her breathing and then looks up with a relieved expression.
"She's out for at least an hour.
We got another dose as backup should she need it later on.
Or someone else does."
Anderson gets back up and calls towards the working brothers.
"You two ready?
Then...
Father: GO!"
The moment you shove in the flamer, a surprised voice from inside says in a distorted and quite antiquated form of low-gothic:
"Huh, what is tha-"
And is cur short by the roaring of flames and screaming.
A moment later the screaming starts from the other side of the bulkhead.
"That's your sign, Boom-Bro's!"
The sound of the detonation is very loud indeed within the close confines of the bunker as is the sucker-punch like force of the shock wave - but at least you are prepared for it.
The door is blasted inwards and reveals the flaming inferno of the priest.
All five occupants are ablaze and three of them are all but headless chicken, running around at random.
One is actually trying to climb out of the firing slid, in the hope to get away from the flames.
The last, having been knocked prone by the blast, is grabbing for his shotgun with trembling hands.
Asbjörn, seeing the glorious flames burning, decides that "Hey, more is always better."
Sizzle's barrel follows closely after Asbjorn's nozzle as the second to enter the room. Sizzle squeeses off a couple shots into the guy reaching for a shotgun while the flaming crossfire takes care of the rest.
but the heat of the flames throws off his aim.
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Or he thinks it does. He's sure of it! Then the bolt hits a pocket of much cooler air and lenses itself back into the filthy heretic! Sizzle is so shocked he momentarily stops shooting!
Did you see that? The Emperor is with us!
Yeta, being in the back for once since a closed door is not a heretic to punch, stays his hand for now. He knows he is not the greatest shot. And firing mass reactive bolts into an inferno might also be unhealthy if they go off too soon. Not that that'll stop him if it is really necessary.
So instead he steadies his aim while standing and make ready to shoot anyone getting too close to the breached door.
He'd rather not have the burning guys bearhug one of the breachers hung with semi-volatile ammo.
With generous application of flames and a couple of lasbolts, the crew of the second bunker cell is quickly dispatched.
The smell of burned humans is sickeningly strong and it takes a few moments for the flames and the heat so dissipate enough to allow entrance into the room.
The Sergeant, showing a freshly improvised face mask from a spare uniform undershirt, looks around the inside of the scorched room, then points at the next door.
He holds up four fingers then folds in two.
Two down, two to go.
Sizzle crosses to the next door and sets the charges. Then notices a problem. We'll have two packs left after this door, sarge. We'll have to breach the last one some other way.
"Eh, not an issue.
Shaped charges, using wired krak grenades to improve the blast, wire up a missile...
Improvise, easiest thing in the world.
Besides, we got an enginseer who already checked the system and is confident he can hack it open if need be."
As you make your way towards the next firing slid, you hear the main gun going silent for a moment and voices from within.
"... fine, I'll check in with them.
But I tell you, it's only a jam again..."
As Asbjörn and Sizzle work on the next door, the red glyph, indicating a door lock, suddenly flips to green and the door starts to open!
Surprises are the bane of all demolition troopers in the universe and this one has the potential to be pretty fatal.
Sizzle and Asbjorn aren't just any breachers, however. They're the Boom Brothers. Sizzle was wiring the charges with just this type of thing in mind!
Bolus quickly pokes the nozzle into the opening and sprays fire inside.
The door opens without causing a sudden explosion to everyone's relief and reveals a soldier in shabby uniform and a lit Lho-stick in the corner of his mouth.
A lascarbine is hanging loosely from his shoulders.
He is already talking and taking a step through the door before recognition stall him.
"Hey'ya lot, got 'nother jam, or what's'with the hol'uuuhh..."
Behind him, the inside of the compartment suddenly fills with burning promethium and screaming.
"Hol'uuuhh"? Terrible last words mate!"
Quickly drawing his lasgun, Asbjörn makes a show of attacking the trooper while he is still confused.
Asbjörn performs a flawless, text-book bayonet thrust to the chest against the traitor guardsman.
It is such a basic move that every soldier in the galaxy worth his gun would be ably to parry in his sleep, but this one is utterly surprised.
With a pretty chilling sound the sharpened steel parts his flak west and slices deep into his thorax, sending the man stumbling back, his uniform already reddening quickly.
Before the traitor hits the ground, Anatoly's heavy servo arm has crushed his head in with merciless force.
As the surprised (now dead) soldier falls out of sight, the view into the inferno, which the room has become, opens up as well.
Three men are burning head to toe, screaming and running through the flames seeking and failing relief from their suffering.
To right and end of the compartment, a fifth man is frenetically trying to open the door to the last compartment (the one facing west).
Bolus watches the dying heretics with a dispassionate pride at ridding the world of heretics and saving his comrades at the foot of the hill from their foul weaponry.
The last heretic trying to flee could work to his advantage. He sidles up around the corner to the edge of the last firing hole to see if he can hear how the last compartment is reacting without being seen.
As he rounds the corner he comms to the rest of team. Permit the burning heretic to flee to his comrades. I shall use that distraction to put them to the Emperor's flame as well. Truly he will be a glimpse into their futures and to the folly of heresy.
Sizzle quickly removes the det packs from the door in preparation to move across to the last door should it be needed. Let's see if this idiot opens the way for us!
"You know short stuff, an open door in a bunker, it just BEGGING for a missile isn't it?"
"You are the detonation expert, specialist but would a grenade not do exactly the same work given how close we are to the next room?"
"Normally yes, though the arc of the grenades can create issues when combined with the less than perfect visuals from the inferno, sir."
"Still, we DO have a lot of grenades..."
Sizzle pipes up as he stows the det packs, The grenades have the advantage of numbers and more chances to get through if we all toss, but they're going to be a tricky shot through the door. The rocket is more accurate, but there's just one. Your call, sir.
"Then use Grenades. If the first doesn't hit then throw a second. Use the plenty."
Sizzle nods, pops the pins on two frags, and waits for the door to open.
"Hella would have loved this, she wa-is such a good throw.
Never let her drag you in front of a dart board if you value your pay."
Anderson pops a grenade from his belt as well and gives this particular game a try.
Sizzle's first grenade bounces against the door itself right as the panicking soldier opens it and comes back nearly all the way.
His second rolls to the far end of the burning compartment.
Anderson's grenade actually makes it through after several lucky bounces - albeit only barely.
Seeing the rolling danger, Sgt. Anderson yells at the unoccupied boom brother, while getting out of harms way.
"Asbjörn, close that door!"
Muttering a prayer to the fiery gaze of the Emperor upon the unbelievers, Bolus sticks the nozzle in one last time and pulls the trigger as soon as hears the confusion.
"Closing!"
Asbjörn does as ordered.