Post by Ranger Dude on Dec 26, 2005 8:33:56 GMT -5
Late Arrivals
Gorsha could already feel the thirst rising within him. He could feel the presence of the forces of chaos below him. He watched his charges, the Shadow Company. Many of them were frothing at the mouth. Harald was the only other calm person aboard the ThunderHawk, and Gorsha knew that Harald was worked up for the upcoming fight as well. The chainsword attached to Harald’s arm kept twirling spasmodically.
Suddenly, the ThunderHawk gave a lurch, and the pilot’s voice came over the intercom.
“We’ve been hit sir, and we’re going down. We’re over the Drop Zone now. If you jump, you can drop onto the battlefield, but no guarantees as to how well you’ll land.”
Gorsha nodded. “Open the hatch.”
The hatch opened up rapidly. With a bloodcurdling scream, all of the Shadow Company ran out of the ship, followed closely by Gorsha and Harald. It was a long way down, and Gorsha knew he would be in free fall for quite some time.
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Codicier Yuri surveyed the battlefield. He was expecting a hard fight. It wasn’t going to be any easier now that Gorsha’s arrival time was unknown. He wasn’t even sure if Gorsha would make it. The report of the hit on the ThunderHawk was disturbing news to him. He watched as Sergeants Gorgias and Barin moved their squads into position. He had ordered defensive positions for now. This upset the Ancient Brother Plato, but he seemed to understand. Yuri just hoped he could keep them in line. The only force out were the bikes, and they were doing skirmish maneuvers, hitting hard and moving fast. The forces of chaos were many, and his forces were few.
As soon as the enemy was in range, Yuri gave the order to fire. The noise was deafening as everyone opened fire. Many of the enemies fell, but not enough. They kept coming.
All of a sudden, a wave of sickness passed over Yuri and the air in front of him seemed to shimmer. When it cleared, six pink horrors were standing before him. He quickened himself just in time to receive the charge. Gorgias’s Squad immediately responded as well, hitting the demons from the side. It was a long drawn out fight, and the whole time, Yuri could think of nothing other than the rest of the approaching chaos forces. Things did not look well for him.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gorsha could see the battle far below, and could tell it was not going well. Plato was surrounded; Yuri was just finishing off a foul demon. Both tactical squads had taken heavy casualties, and the only sign of the bikes were smoking wrecks littering the field. His blood boiled even more, and he could feel the rage rising. He heard a roar from his side, and saw Harald shoot past, having activated his Jump pack while pointing downward. That was going to hurt.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Yuri looked up in time to see many black figures hit the earth behind the enemy…hard.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Harald grimaced. Even having gunned his pack to slow down his descent at the last second, he had hit with enough force to drive him to his knees. All around him, the Shadow Company impacted with the earth as well. The only person who didn’t land with them, or on his knees for that matter, was Gorsha. He had aimed himself for a squad of red clad minions of chaos. Berzerkers. Harald charged into the fray, with Shadow Company behind him. He fired one shot on the way in, while his chainsword arm began to spin rapidly, and the power field on his fist made the air around it crackle with energy. The first follower of Khorne became nothing more than a smear as Harald drove his fist straight through him, hacking another in half with his chainsword. He felt something hit his bionic leg, but ignored it as he turned to face another opponent. Behind him, a Shadow Company member beheaded the berzerker trying to drag Harald down. The fight swirled around them all and both sides took casualties, but in the end, Gorsha and the Shadow Company came bounding towards another squad, leaving the corpses of the Berzerkers behind.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
With the arrival of Gorsha, Yuri breathed a sigh of relief. All was well now. The forces of chaos were caught between his survivors and Gorsha’s rabid Shadow Company. He charged, and his squads followed behind him. This was true battle. Ancient Brother Plato bellowed mechanically as he caved in the head of a chaos marine with the barrel of his Lascannons. Yuri’s force axe cleaved through many enemies. They lost track of time, and before Yuri knew it, the battle was over. He was facing Gorsha after the last of the enemy fell. It was a terrifying experience to look upon this blood-covered figure who was full of rage.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The new ThunderHawk was loaded up and ready to go. The bodies of the enemy had been burned, and their own fallen brothers had been lain in neat rows aboard the ThunderHawk. Their losses had been many. Many that they could not afford.
Gorsha watched as the salvage crews came in with all of the equipment form the field. It was a good haul, but at a great price. Plato, standing next to him, gave a somber sigh, which seemed to echo from the speakers on his Sarcophagus.
“It seems we will never get back to our full strength. We are forever losing Brothers. Battle’s like this are hard on our numbers.”
“But they steel our hearts against the enemy, and charge our blood with the strength to kill more of them than they do of us,” was Gorsha’s response.
Plato grunted. “This is true, and the killing this day was truly worthy of our time. The enemy well deserved the end it got. It’s just hard watching so many young brothers pass through my life. The tomes in the library are endless now, and we may need to expand the chamber soon.”
“All of them died serving the Emperor, and that is what is most important. He saved us all, and it is now our job to save him and his dream. You know that as well as I do, ancient brother.”
“Yes I do.”
And with that, they both turned and followed the last of the salvage crews up the ramp of the ThunderHawk. They both knew it wouldn’t be long until this drama repeated itself, with new faces. It was a long hard road they tread…but they walked tall.
Gorsha could already feel the thirst rising within him. He could feel the presence of the forces of chaos below him. He watched his charges, the Shadow Company. Many of them were frothing at the mouth. Harald was the only other calm person aboard the ThunderHawk, and Gorsha knew that Harald was worked up for the upcoming fight as well. The chainsword attached to Harald’s arm kept twirling spasmodically.
Suddenly, the ThunderHawk gave a lurch, and the pilot’s voice came over the intercom.
“We’ve been hit sir, and we’re going down. We’re over the Drop Zone now. If you jump, you can drop onto the battlefield, but no guarantees as to how well you’ll land.”
Gorsha nodded. “Open the hatch.”
The hatch opened up rapidly. With a bloodcurdling scream, all of the Shadow Company ran out of the ship, followed closely by Gorsha and Harald. It was a long way down, and Gorsha knew he would be in free fall for quite some time.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Codicier Yuri surveyed the battlefield. He was expecting a hard fight. It wasn’t going to be any easier now that Gorsha’s arrival time was unknown. He wasn’t even sure if Gorsha would make it. The report of the hit on the ThunderHawk was disturbing news to him. He watched as Sergeants Gorgias and Barin moved their squads into position. He had ordered defensive positions for now. This upset the Ancient Brother Plato, but he seemed to understand. Yuri just hoped he could keep them in line. The only force out were the bikes, and they were doing skirmish maneuvers, hitting hard and moving fast. The forces of chaos were many, and his forces were few.
As soon as the enemy was in range, Yuri gave the order to fire. The noise was deafening as everyone opened fire. Many of the enemies fell, but not enough. They kept coming.
All of a sudden, a wave of sickness passed over Yuri and the air in front of him seemed to shimmer. When it cleared, six pink horrors were standing before him. He quickened himself just in time to receive the charge. Gorgias’s Squad immediately responded as well, hitting the demons from the side. It was a long drawn out fight, and the whole time, Yuri could think of nothing other than the rest of the approaching chaos forces. Things did not look well for him.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Gorsha could see the battle far below, and could tell it was not going well. Plato was surrounded; Yuri was just finishing off a foul demon. Both tactical squads had taken heavy casualties, and the only sign of the bikes were smoking wrecks littering the field. His blood boiled even more, and he could feel the rage rising. He heard a roar from his side, and saw Harald shoot past, having activated his Jump pack while pointing downward. That was going to hurt.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Yuri looked up in time to see many black figures hit the earth behind the enemy…hard.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Harald grimaced. Even having gunned his pack to slow down his descent at the last second, he had hit with enough force to drive him to his knees. All around him, the Shadow Company impacted with the earth as well. The only person who didn’t land with them, or on his knees for that matter, was Gorsha. He had aimed himself for a squad of red clad minions of chaos. Berzerkers. Harald charged into the fray, with Shadow Company behind him. He fired one shot on the way in, while his chainsword arm began to spin rapidly, and the power field on his fist made the air around it crackle with energy. The first follower of Khorne became nothing more than a smear as Harald drove his fist straight through him, hacking another in half with his chainsword. He felt something hit his bionic leg, but ignored it as he turned to face another opponent. Behind him, a Shadow Company member beheaded the berzerker trying to drag Harald down. The fight swirled around them all and both sides took casualties, but in the end, Gorsha and the Shadow Company came bounding towards another squad, leaving the corpses of the Berzerkers behind.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
With the arrival of Gorsha, Yuri breathed a sigh of relief. All was well now. The forces of chaos were caught between his survivors and Gorsha’s rabid Shadow Company. He charged, and his squads followed behind him. This was true battle. Ancient Brother Plato bellowed mechanically as he caved in the head of a chaos marine with the barrel of his Lascannons. Yuri’s force axe cleaved through many enemies. They lost track of time, and before Yuri knew it, the battle was over. He was facing Gorsha after the last of the enemy fell. It was a terrifying experience to look upon this blood-covered figure who was full of rage.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
The new ThunderHawk was loaded up and ready to go. The bodies of the enemy had been burned, and their own fallen brothers had been lain in neat rows aboard the ThunderHawk. Their losses had been many. Many that they could not afford.
Gorsha watched as the salvage crews came in with all of the equipment form the field. It was a good haul, but at a great price. Plato, standing next to him, gave a somber sigh, which seemed to echo from the speakers on his Sarcophagus.
“It seems we will never get back to our full strength. We are forever losing Brothers. Battle’s like this are hard on our numbers.”
“But they steel our hearts against the enemy, and charge our blood with the strength to kill more of them than they do of us,” was Gorsha’s response.
Plato grunted. “This is true, and the killing this day was truly worthy of our time. The enemy well deserved the end it got. It’s just hard watching so many young brothers pass through my life. The tomes in the library are endless now, and we may need to expand the chamber soon.”
“All of them died serving the Emperor, and that is what is most important. He saved us all, and it is now our job to save him and his dream. You know that as well as I do, ancient brother.”
“Yes I do.”
And with that, they both turned and followed the last of the salvage crews up the ramp of the ThunderHawk. They both knew it wouldn’t be long until this drama repeated itself, with new faces. It was a long hard road they tread…but they walked tall.