Honour and Sacrifice
The dark angels
stood silently, listening to their chaplain as he chanted the rites of hate
and firing into the commnet, the cultists were being prepared for the charge
by their word bearer masters. Huge drums beating in time to the marching steps
of the hoard. As Camales chanted quietly to the assembled angels master Sheol,
fourth company captain issued his orders…
+++TARGET ALLOCATION! DEVASTATOR SQUAD ONE, ON THE VEHICLES, SQUAD TWO ON THE
TRAITORS, TACTICAL UNITS, THE CULTISTS, ASSAULT SQUADS WAIT FOR MY SIGNAL AS
BRIEFED!! +++
After issuing his orders the marines in perfect sync, lowered their weapons
and acquired their targets. He then turned to the company standard bearer and
nodded, the banner was lifted high into the air and with a crunch the pole slammed
into the ground. Brother Amael drew his power sword then his bolt pistol, signaling
his willingness to die to protect the standard and that the dark angels would
not give ground this day. Sheol reac hed out and touched the standard, smiling
then locking his helmet in place and checking his jump pack status..all green.
Looking at the chaplain he tuned to the commnet once more, just in time to hear
the final prayer.
+++WE GIVE PRAISE FOR OUR WARGEAR AND THANKS TO THE LION AND EMPEROR. MAY WE
HAVE THE STRENGTH THIS DAY TO SMASH THOSE WE ONCE CALLED BROTHER. WE WILL PURGE!+++
One hundred and twenty voiced sounded off, +++WE WILL PURGE!+++
Camales then stepped forwards to join the twenty deathwing accompanying him.
The chanting from the word bearers grew in volume, as did the thunder of the
drums and screams of those being sacrificed. Without warning the noise ceased.
A giant in red terminator armour strode forwards and raising his cursed crozius
addressed the Dark angels.
“SURRENDER AND ACCEPT THE GLORY OF THE DARK GODS AND ALL SHALL LIVE. REFUSE
AND ALL SHALL DIE! WHAT SAY YOU ANGELS OF DEATH? LET YOUR LEADER SPEAK YOUR
REPLY!”
Ca ptain sheol stepped forwards to answer but was stopped by Camales,
“No brother, I will address this wretch”; stepping forward camales raised his
own crozius, the angel glinting under the sun.
“HEAR ME TRAITOR!! THE DARK ANGELS STAND HERE NOW IN DEFIANCE OF YOUR FOUL GODS
AS WE HAVE FOR TEN THOUSAND YEARS AND WE SHALL NOT GIVE WAY NOW. FOR EACH ONE
OF US WHO FALLS FOUR OF YOU SHALL FALL! WE WILL NOT GIVE IN TO THE MISGUIDED
RAVINGS OF A PUPPET IN ARMOUR” The dark apostle roared in anger, spitting on
the ground,
“YOUR ANSWER IS HEARD AND I NOW REPLY!” turning back to his lines the dark apostle
dropped his crozius to his side, with a roar the horde advanced chanting as
they approached.
+++SHEOL TO ALL DARK ANGELS! FIRE WHEN TARGETS REACH TWO HUNDRED YARDS AND MAKE
EACH ROUND COUNT, DEVASTATOR TEAMS FIRE AT WILL! ASSAULT SQAUDS ON MY MARK+++
Lascannon blasts torn chunks of armor off the dreadnoughts of the traitors one
catching a direct hit in the sarcophagus, exploding and sending shards in all
directions, killing a score or more cultists. Another dreadnought was too concerned
with killing the cultists to vent its rage so was ignored by the dark angels.
The battle had begun………
Three
hundred yards,
Still they came. Howling their praises to the dark gods and in the middle, the
dark apostle. Heavy bolters, lascannons and plasma cannons carving huge swathes
through the lightly armoured cultists. Their traitor marine masters pushing
them on like a flock of sheep. The dark angel tactical squads rechecked their
weapons. The few armoured vehicles the rebels had were now a smoking ruin in
the promenade, their only dreadnaught lumbering through the throng rattling
it’s autocannons at anything in range.
Two hundred yards,
The entire front of the dark angel line erupted with a deafening crack as the
marines opened fire, the initial barrage forced the cultists back but the word
bearers were relentless in their drive and continued the assault. The traitor
marines themselves were now in range and began to return some of what was being
hurled at them. A few dark angels fell wounded from the return fire but now
the cultists an d rebel guardsmen were in range. Their weapons were in poor
state of repair and did little damage. Librarian Acradial had a frown across
his face which did not go unnoticed by camales.
“something troubles you?”
“yes brother chaplain, the traitors and cultists are not alone. I sense daemons
amongst them, I must act now”
“do what you must brother”
With the roar of his jump pack the librarian lept into the air followed swiftly
by his bodyguard. Sheol noticed something was wrong beforehand and with out
question lept after his friend. All twenty two marines smashed into the right
flank of the cultist army and the sheer weight of the assault claimed dozens
of heads. Finally the librarian found what he was after. A form no longer human
yet not yet wholly daemon chained inside a cage slavering and hurling curses
in some some unfathomable tongue. Charging forwards his force sword cleft through
cage and cargo with a blinding flash, sending the cultists writ hing and screaming.
The word bearers were quick to react but couldn’t get throught their own horde
in time to catch the dark angel retreat. Roaring back to their lines the survivors
turned in time to see the enemy halt.
Slowly the masses parted and again walked out the dark apostle. Raising his
crozius and then pointing to the dark angels, his intent clear, the challenge
had been made………
++SHEOL TO CAMALES.OVER++
++CAMALES RECEIVING++
++BROTHER CHAPLAIN, IT APPEARS THE TRAITOR SEEKS COMBAT WITH ONE OF US, I WILL
GO++
++CONFIRMED BROTHER BUT CAUTION IS ADVISED++
Sheol strode forwards to meet the enemy commander as the dark angels looked
on.
“NO!! I DO NOT WANT YOU! I WANT THE WITCH WHO SLEW OUR DAEMON HOST!! OR IS HE
TOO SCARED TO FACE AN OPPONENT WHO CAN FIGHT BACK?!”
the wordbearers roared their approval and the cultists began to laugh uncontrollably.
When Acradiel walked forwards he helt his force sword aloft and called to the
dark apostle,
“I AM BROTHER ACRADIEL, LIBRARIAN OF THE DARK ANGELS CHAPTER. I MEET YOUR CHALLENGE
WITHOUT FEAR TRAITOR AND I SHALL FIGHT WITH HONOUR”,
The two opponents charged each other and fought in complete silence. Each laid
blow for blow but the dark apostle was starting to gain the upper hand. The
librarian’s force sword bit deep int the traitor’s arm causing him to sc ream
in agony, with a vicious backhand from a lightning claw he sent the dark angel
spralwing across the ground blood pouring from his chest. Struggling to stand
the dark apostle slammed his foot onto Acradiel’s chest and with a fluid stroke
smashed his crozius onto his head.
The dark angels were stunned at the death of their librarian and as he breathed
his last breath the assault renewed and this time it met even sterner resistance.
Spurred on by revenge and their usual tenacity the dark angels slew foes left
and right tearing apart or gunning down all within reach. Today was also a day
camales had promised to review possible deathwing inductees so all fought harder
still. In the centre the chaplain and his bodyguard fought back to back as did
their master with his bodyguard of assault marines. The angels of death formed
a circle even the wordbearers couldn’t break even though they suffered high
casualties rather than withdraw the cultist began to break and soon all tha
t was left were traitors and loyalists. The two chaplains stared at each other
across the carnage fighting to reach each other slaying and maiming all round
them. Suddenly a voice boomed over the commnet:
++ANGELS, THIS IS SHEOL. ATTACK PATTERN BETA FIVE++
Forming up into two stagggered lines the dark angels poured volley after volley
into the enemy gradually advancing without fear and laying waste to all who
still opposed them with the devastator squads blazing away from range inflicting
more casualties. When the wordbearers were finally left to fight alone after
all had fled or been killed the assault marines lept into the air descending
on the traitors hungry for revenge for their fallen brothers. The chaplain and
his traitor counterpart finally met and without a word exchanged blows both
equally well protected by their terminator armour and each using the symbol
of their faith to try and smite his foe. A few of each other’s marines tried
to intervene b ut were told to back away, this was personal. Blocking with his
right the traitor broke an attack, blocking with his right camales countered
the return stroke. Finally camales saw his chance. Driving his foot into the
traitor he knocked him back over the corpse of a dead wordbearer, losing his
balance and toppling over the traitor tried to stand but was held down by the
gore soaked mud. Camales smashed his crozius as hard as he could into the apostle’s
left rm as he tried to block him, crushing his elbow to a pulp. A flurry of
blows rained in on the apostle battering and renting his armour and flesh. Raising
his combi bolter he blaster camales at point blank range. His weapon was useless
however only creating a shower of sparks, camales had had enough and crushed
the traitor’s helmet with his crozius.
Ripping the traitor’s head away from his body he held it aloft and yelled;
“SEE TRAITORS! YOUR LEADER IS DEAD CRUSHED BY THE VERY OFFICE HE SHUNNED!!”
The word bearers began a fighting retreat but were destroyed peacemeal by the
dark angels.
Corpses littered the field of battle and casualties were lined up filing on
board thunderhawks or being given the emperors grace by medics. The surviving
traitor marines were lined on their knees being summarily executed by the dark
angels, a cowards death and a fitting end. An honour guard accompanied Acradiel’s
body to the awaiting gunship for return to the rock, another fallen hero in
the defence of mankind, being given a hero’s sendoff. Camales took one final
look at the dark apostle’s body before he teleported out, turning his back on
the corpse in one final insult, with a flash he was gone….
By AKAAD