Two Terras

In His Name

"All units, natives are considered hostile. For the Chapter." The toneless voice of the Chapter Master roused Beloph from his slumber. The Thunderhawk ride had been long, and the conversation between Saphaal and Silaeus had long ago bored him. The Thunderhawk shook slightly, and a dull plinking echoed in the hold. Bullets. They were taking fire. Beloph entered full awareness, jaw clenched and shoulders set he turned to Shamniel. Who grinned. He looked to his sergeant who nodded. "Vanguard units will be weakening enemy positions ahead of time, they are the dagger and we are the spear." A sombre voice said from Beloph's right, the Chaplain. the man didn't look up, hooded head bowed and hands clasped in prayer.

Reiver Lieutenant Fainer watched as the natives milled about, they complained in the standard way soldiers do. They complained about superior officers and assignments, food, and the weather. The Reiver Lieutenant took this Information in stride, processing it and planning. He made three small signals to the others. Eliminator squad Shos sighted their rifles down and picked targets. Hidden within the ruins of an old restaurant, they waited for the perfect moment. And it came. A large truck pulled in and drew the attention of near all of the soldiers, one by one sentries were killed by pinpoint fire. Leaving the lines exposed. A fact which Fainer exploited mercilessly, like wraiths the White Watch's Vanguard forces slipped in. Silenced bolters dispatching any from afar and knifes gutting those unaware to the silent shadows who slipped through the rain. Thunder cracked over head and another dozen sentries died from sniper fire and hidden Marines. Librarian Zenak was nearly invisible, coated by the inky black he conjured. Zenak practiced the techniques of the Obscurus Discipline, utilizing psychic shielding and mind manipulation to shield his brothers from the watchful eyes of sentries. All the way up until the knives of the Astartes were in them. Still too many remained, and Fainer called in his heavy support. They would take time, so he decided to find them an opening. And a proper welcome. 

Hector tried his best to keep his ZD out of the rain but failed, so now he had to sit in the porch of a suburban home and dry the circuitry and see if any damage was done. Luckily the weapon was undamaged but he hated having to put it back together. He was halfway done when the gunfire started, Hector tried to look through the gloom and murky grey rain. Spotting large shapes moving between the suburban homes, but he couldn't be sure. Either way there was gunfire everywhere, and had to mean something. He began to work faster, forgetting a few things and doing his best to get the gun up and running as soon as possible. Once it was completed he stood up and ran into the rain, feeling the sting of ice cold droplets through his uniform. Hector was running when he saw another Ranger moving in the same direction. Hector called to the soldier but only got as far as asking what was going on when the man disappeared in an explosion of gore. Hector ducked just in time to avoid another fusillade of the screaming bullets, he watched as what would have been certain death chewed the side of a wooden fence up. He peered over the cobblestone wall and peered across the street parallel to him and his cover. Hector found himself looking at nothing, his heart beat in his throat and the ZD grew immeasurably heavy in his grip. Hector stood slowly, and began to run in the direction of the main gunfire. Arriving at a bridge held by two squads of Fencers. The pounded fire into ghostly figures in the distance, the ordnance splintering wood and shattering glass. He hit the bridge's adjacent wall and pointed his gun towards where the Fencers were firing. Hector snapped off a few shots with the weapon, but nothing happened. No splurts of blood or screams of pain. 

Junior Officer Gabriella watched the monitors like a hawk, she watched as Fencer squad Alpha and Beta offloaded hundreds of rounds into the road opposite of the bridge. "Fencer Squad Alpha what the hell are you firing at? Cease fire!" she asked into her microphone, the response was garbled but legible. "There's something out there ma'am!" The squad lead responded, the mans voice was panicked and fearful. "Dammit Squad Lead get ahold of yourself, infrared and thermal isn't showing anything. Send one of your men out there and survey the area." The Fencer squad seemed to decide among themselves who would enter the kill zone, finally deciding on a member of Squad Beta. The soldier carried a hammer and shield, he took two tentative steps on the bridge before loping forward in a short jog. Gabriella lost sight of him on her primary monitor so she moved into the camera which should've offered the best view on him. But she found it disconnected, so she moved into the Fencer's helmet camera. The quality was significantly less than the traffic cams she was connected to but it was still good enough to pick out the details of the hell he had wandered into. Houses had been shredded by the fire power levelled at them, no bodies could be seen save for a solitary figure. The Fencer approached the figure slowly, and Gabriella watched with bated breath as he approached. Through the rain she could make out the familiar silhouette of a ranger, standing stock still in the middle of the rubble strewn road. The fencer reached out with his hammer nudging the man, who moved strangely. Almost as if he was a puppet controlled by a marionette, the man turned and revealed a ghost white face. Mouth open and eyes leaking blood. The Fencer stumbled back, exoskeleton screeching in protest.