The Mordian Campaigns

Ch-8: Chaos Space Marines

Havelock's POV

Upon the sight of the three chaos Space Marines, I clenched my teeth in anger. The corrupted Astartes were laying a trap all along for us and killed many of my men. I knew that my guardsmen were no match as the Space Marines were almost impervious to our small arms fire.

So I took the advice of T'kell and withdrew my men from engaging the Space Marines in close quarter combat. "Fall back to me men, do not engage!!!" I screamed at them. Many of my men were slain as they tried getting out of range of their bolters and melee weapons. Some being cut down instantly by those bastards.

Eventually the remaining survivor's came running to our side and took shelter behind walls and rumble to protect themselves from the bolter fire. That's when T'kell jumped in and charge fourth towards the enemy. His mighty warhammer crushed into the lead Chaos Marine head. Smashing the traitorous one's head, down. The sudden attack took the focus off us and onto T'kell, who brought up his hammer once and finally killed the Chaos Marine he first struck.

The hammer crushed armour,bone and flesh. Blood spattered onto T'kells already bloodied armour, as he now focused his attention to the remaining two heretics, who fired their bolter fire at him. Shielding himself from bolts the shots bounced off his shoulder plate as he covered ground quickly to get within range of his hammer.

Reacting to this; one Chaos Marine took out his chain sword and engage T'kell in melee combat. While the other focused it's attention to us and fired a burst of bolts at our direction killing a poor guardsmen who poked his out at the wrong moment, obliterating his head clean off and spraying blood and brain matter onto us.

I watched as my men clung to the ground beneath them in shock, pinned down by the brutal bursts of bolter fire. Sergeant Voss was still being treated by our medics, who worked feverishly to stabilize him. Despite being the elite guardsmen of my regiment, I could see my men were cracking under the pressure. Even the strongest will can bend before the might of Chaos, but I knew I couldn't allow them to break.

I had to act.

I glanced at my bolt pistol, checking the magazine with a sinking feeling. "One in the chamber..." I muttered to myself, the words almost drowned out by the roar of enemy fire. It wasn't much, but it might be enough. One well-placed shot could change everything.

Steeling myself, I rose from cover, every muscle tense, my breath slow and steady despite the storm of bolts tearing through the air. The Chaos Marine was a towering figure, draped in corrupted power armor, his presence alone enough to drain the courage from lesser men. But I wasn't thinking of the monstrous form before me; I was thinking of my men, of what this shot could mean for them.

I leveled my bolt pistol, aiming for the weak spot at the helmet. His blood-red eyes caught sight of me, and he unleashed a stream of bolts in my direction. Each round flew so close, I could feel the heat passing by, as if the God-Emperor himself was shielding me. I didn't flinch. My hands were steady. The lives of my men were on the line.

I squeezed the trigger, feeling the familiar jolt of the bolt pistol in my hand. The round flew true, slamming into the Chaos Marine's helm. There was a sickening crunch as the impact tore a section of his helmet away, exposing blood and torn flesh beneath. Blood gushed from the ruptured eye socket, and the giant staggered, dropping to one knee.

For a moment, I thought I had done it-brought down this twisted beast in the Emperor's name. But as the heretic rose, still clinging to life, his face a grotesque ruin, I realized the horror of it. The bolt should have killed him. Any mortal man would have died, but Chaos had made him something less than human and far more dangerous. He rose, bloodied but unfazed, fueled by the dark energies coursing through his veins. His one good eye burned with malevolent hatred as he leveled his bolter at me.

I was out of ammo. My options were few, but I had one thing left-my saber.

I drew the blade, its edge gleaming even in the dim light of the ruined palace. "Come, you coward!" I shouted, trying to draw him into a duel. "Fight me! Sword to sword! Do you have no honor left?"

The Chaos Marine laughed, a guttural sound that echoed through the shattered halls. He raised his bolter, making no move to engage me with his blade. He intended to execute me, and I knew I couldn't survive a direct hit.

Just as I thought I would never see my family or my regiment again, something unexpected happened. My men-the ones who had been pinned down, terrified, and bloodied-rose. Their lasguns erupted in a hail of fire, each Guardsman pouring round after round into the Chaos Marine. The shots did little more than spark off his corrupted armor, but it was enough to distract him. The heretic shifted his attention, growling as he tried to bring his weapon to bear on them instead.

"Cover the Colonel!" someone shouted, and I turned to see Voss, his body bloodied and bruised, struggling to his feet. He had picked up a lasgun and was firing alongside the others, defiant even in his weakened state.

Their bravery was the opening I needed.

Without hesitation, I dashed toward the Chaos Marine, my saber held tight in my hand. The heretic roared in anger, turning back to face me, but his movements were slower now, weighed down by his injuries and the hail of lasgun fire. He swung his bolter toward me, but I was already too close.

With a final surge of adrenaline, I closed the distance and plunged my saber into the exposed part of his skull, where my bolt had torn away his helm. The blade pierced through flesh and bone, sinking deep into his corrupted brain. The Chaos Marine let out a low, guttural gasp, his one remaining eye going wide with disbelief before the light faded from it entirely. His body shuddered once, then collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, lifeless.

I stood over the fallen giant, my breath coming in ragged gasps, the blood of the heretic dripping from my blade. The battle wasn't over-one of the other Chaos Marines was still in a duel with T'kell.

T'Kell and the Chaos Space Marine clashed with a fury that seemed to shake the very walls of the palace. The floor beneath them cracked as their weapons struck with brutal force-T'Kell's warhammer meeting the corrupted blade of the heretic with a deafening clang. My men and I could do nothing but watch, our breath held as the two titans battled, their sheer size and power dwarfing any mortal contest I had ever seen. The Chaos Marine moved with terrifying speed, his corrupted armor oozing darkness, but T'Kell held firm, each swing of his warhammer deliberate, precise. Even injured, the Salamander was relentless, though I could see the strain in his movements, the blood running from his wounds. We all stood frozen, knowing that this duel was something we could not interfere in.

End of the chapter