The thunder of artillery caused the ground to shake across the Imperial Forum. The shells from the massive Basilisk guns, and missiles from the Manticores rained down into the courtyard of the Palace. Though the results couldn't be seen from the outside, the smoke and dust of the explosions flew up into view. The second volley came from Thunderbolt and Vultures streaking in and dropping five hundred kilogram bombs onto the hardened bunkers within.
Gaius Romulus Saevitiae strolled through the line of corrupted Legionnaires to the mobile command vehicle parked a safe distance from the Imperial Palace. He was garbed for battle, it his deep violet daemonic armor, a cloak of lavender fluttering behind him. Surrounding him was a retinue of the very finest of the corrupted former Sisters of Byzantium's Convent. The former Adeptus Sororitas were now going by the title of Sisters of Slaanesh, or the Sisters of Pain and Pleasure. At his approach, a man stepped down from the vehicle to meet them. He wore power armor of grey with violet and gold trim, the helm of the armor fashioned to be evocative of the Galea styled helms used by all Legion forces, though with a plumed crest of deep violet.
The man removed the helmet, revealing a taciturn face, handsome in its severity. He saluted sharply, then bent down to one knee, "My Lord Gaius, Messiah."
Gaius indicated he should rise with a wave of his hand, "Praetor Augustus Julianus, what is our status?"
"As you had foreseen, Messiah," The Praetor answered. He rose to his feet gesturing for Gaius to follow him into the command vehicle. The Praetor was the ultimate commander of a Legion, and his command vehicle was festooned with communications and telemetry gear that allowed him to survey the battlefield from nearly any angle or position. "The cultist sabotage and our surprise first strike with the Thunderbolts took out the entire 1st Legions' air power while still on the ground. We have full air superiority. Our artillery barrages have decimated their air defenses, so our Thunderbolts and Vultures have been able to strike with impunity. The Lightnings are on high-altitude patrols in case the Imperial Navy launches counterstrikes…but they have their own problems in orbit and can't spare the fighters."
"Good," Gaius nodded, looking over the various holographic displays. "Where are the siege guns?"
"The streets were too narrow to accommodate the superheavy tanks," Julianus frowned. "We were able to roll the Baneblades, Stormblades, and other superheavies up as far as the southern forum in sector seven, but that isn't close enough to bring the Volcano cannons and other main weaponry to bear on the walls. I have engineers demolishing buildings along the most direct route, so we should have the tanks in position by this afternoon."
"I want those gates and outer walls down by nightfall, Praetor…do not fail me," Gaius warned.
"No, Messiah."
In a swirl of cloak, Gaius stepped out of the vehicle and trekked across the battle lines, his retinue of corrupted sisters following. The Imperial Palace was surrounded by the entire Sixth Legion, now devoted to the cause of Slaanesh. The tanks of its two armored cohorts were blasting at fortifications and gun bunkers in the stout walls of the palace, while stormtroopers prepared for the main assault that was to come. Common Legionary soldiers laughed, joked, and played dice as they waited for the walls to be battered down and word to come for them to mount up. Others amused themselves with rape and pillage among the poor citizens of Constantius, for Gaius had commanded that every soldier would be allowed to pillage all he could carry, and violate any citizen that caught their eye. He knew the value of well-motivated and happy troops.
He walked up the steps of the Curia, the Senatorial building as explosions rained around them. The counter-battery from what was left of the loyalist artillery was inaccurate, as they could not see the Sixth Legion's artillery hidden behind buildings at the their extreme effective range. The Sixth had spotters allowing them to fire with impunity, while the loyalist First Legion was forced to guess, lobbing shells randomly, hoping to find a target. Whoever had taken control of the defense of the Palace after the death of the Imperial Governor was a crafty fellow though, and he had ordered his artillery to start flattening the buildings surrounding the compound. It would deny the Sixth legion safe havens for spotters, and eventually would clear a line of sight to the enemy artillery. Gaius was unconcerned…they would run out of ammunition before that point…and soon he would have the outer ramparts and gates battered down.
