Post by Khornate Marksman on Apr 18, 2008 21:56:15 GMT -5
The mutant reinforcements resembled a devastating flood, filling the cave from side to side. There were hundreds, maybe thousands, trailing behind the chimera trying to catch up. They howled and roared like the damned, echoing down the ice-covered walls. The immense heat pouring off the infected mass melted the snow beneath their pounding feet.
Officer Ques was firing the bolter turret on full auto, raking the mutants left and right as the driver of the chimera fought to keep him and his fellow officers alive. He had been shooting the mutants for at least half an hour after leaving the late Sergeant Huldron's chimera. Ques had lost count of how many mutants he had killed after the first five minutes. There were just so many. He barely needed to aim at all. As long as he kept the turret at its current angle he would kill simply by swinging left and right.
***
In the troop compartment of the chimera Sergeants Gonros and Renuz had their men rigging belts of frak grenades and melta bombs together to make bombs that would hopefully slow the mutants down. They looped the bombs together carefully, avoiding a blazing death. On both sides officers Wisul and Herc leaned out of the chimera's firing slits and poured fire from their lasguns into the horde, shouting vulgarities every second.
"Renuz, done with the bombs yet?" asked Gonros, looking up from his own at the slightly older sergeant. Both men had their helmets removed and fear shone in their eyes along with the prospect of death. Renuz and his men, on the opposite side of the aisle from Gonros, looked up and nodded.
"Ready to throw these bastards when you are," he said with a smirk on his face.
"Alright, everyone put them in here," said Gonros, withdrawing a grey duffelbag from under his seat and unzipping the zipper. He put his bomb in first and then held the bag open for the officers to put theirs in. He attached a small timer-equipped det-pack to the top bomb and set it for thirty seconds.
"Colz, lower the damn ramp a bit," ordered Gonros.
"Yes, sir," said Colz as he hit the button and pressed it just enough to allow the ramp to open enough to let the duffel bag slip through.
Gonros hit the countdown button of the det-pack and zipped the bag up fully before tossing the bag through the opening. Colz immediately closed the ramp fully.
***
Ques saw the bag fly out and knew what it was. He closed his eyes while keeping the bolter turret level while the seconds ticked away.
***
The mutants kept on running, oblivious to the destructive bomb they were approaching. The first line of about twenty mutants passed the det-pack detonated when it detonated.
The resulting chain reaction of explosions thundered throughout the cave and shook it like an earthquake. The radiance of it was so bright Ques had to look away and cover his visor with an arm. A massive fireball filled with razor shards of metal and rock left no remains of the front ranks of mutants. Nearly one hundred and fifty had been instantly killed. And more were dying as they braved the roaring flames and loosened tonnes of rubble that came as the aftereffect.
***
The explosive shockwave of heat had lifted the chimera up and over to the side, causing it to roll down the cave and eventually come to rest against the cave wall broken and twisted.
Ques, who had had no time to climb into the safety of the interior, had been thrown from the turret and sent into the cave wall where he instantly died on contact.
The chimera was on its side with the tracks and wheels facing the raging inferno and mutants. They had succeeded though. The mutants had been slowed, buying the officers defending Lower Sawex precious time to come up with a sound battle plan.
***
In the couse of the next hour Sergeants Gonros and Renuz and their respected squads did all they could to stem the mutant tide. They fough until the bitter end, slaying hundreds of mutants before succumbing to immensely greater numbers.
Only minutes before his death, Private Hammin had managed to send a short message to Lieutent Ulysid.
It read: "Sir, we did all we could. May the Emperor find our souls and bring them to His light. And may he bless our comrades with the strength to defeat these abominations. Glorium Imperator."
Officer Ques was firing the bolter turret on full auto, raking the mutants left and right as the driver of the chimera fought to keep him and his fellow officers alive. He had been shooting the mutants for at least half an hour after leaving the late Sergeant Huldron's chimera. Ques had lost count of how many mutants he had killed after the first five minutes. There were just so many. He barely needed to aim at all. As long as he kept the turret at its current angle he would kill simply by swinging left and right.
***
In the troop compartment of the chimera Sergeants Gonros and Renuz had their men rigging belts of frak grenades and melta bombs together to make bombs that would hopefully slow the mutants down. They looped the bombs together carefully, avoiding a blazing death. On both sides officers Wisul and Herc leaned out of the chimera's firing slits and poured fire from their lasguns into the horde, shouting vulgarities every second.
"Renuz, done with the bombs yet?" asked Gonros, looking up from his own at the slightly older sergeant. Both men had their helmets removed and fear shone in their eyes along with the prospect of death. Renuz and his men, on the opposite side of the aisle from Gonros, looked up and nodded.
"Ready to throw these bastards when you are," he said with a smirk on his face.
"Alright, everyone put them in here," said Gonros, withdrawing a grey duffelbag from under his seat and unzipping the zipper. He put his bomb in first and then held the bag open for the officers to put theirs in. He attached a small timer-equipped det-pack to the top bomb and set it for thirty seconds.
"Colz, lower the damn ramp a bit," ordered Gonros.
"Yes, sir," said Colz as he hit the button and pressed it just enough to allow the ramp to open enough to let the duffel bag slip through.
Gonros hit the countdown button of the det-pack and zipped the bag up fully before tossing the bag through the opening. Colz immediately closed the ramp fully.
***
Ques saw the bag fly out and knew what it was. He closed his eyes while keeping the bolter turret level while the seconds ticked away.
***
The mutants kept on running, oblivious to the destructive bomb they were approaching. The first line of about twenty mutants passed the det-pack detonated when it detonated.
The resulting chain reaction of explosions thundered throughout the cave and shook it like an earthquake. The radiance of it was so bright Ques had to look away and cover his visor with an arm. A massive fireball filled with razor shards of metal and rock left no remains of the front ranks of mutants. Nearly one hundred and fifty had been instantly killed. And more were dying as they braved the roaring flames and loosened tonnes of rubble that came as the aftereffect.
***
The explosive shockwave of heat had lifted the chimera up and over to the side, causing it to roll down the cave and eventually come to rest against the cave wall broken and twisted.
Ques, who had had no time to climb into the safety of the interior, had been thrown from the turret and sent into the cave wall where he instantly died on contact.
The chimera was on its side with the tracks and wheels facing the raging inferno and mutants. They had succeeded though. The mutants had been slowed, buying the officers defending Lower Sawex precious time to come up with a sound battle plan.
***
In the couse of the next hour Sergeants Gonros and Renuz and their respected squads did all they could to stem the mutant tide. They fough until the bitter end, slaying hundreds of mutants before succumbing to immensely greater numbers.
Only minutes before his death, Private Hammin had managed to send a short message to Lieutent Ulysid.
It read: "Sir, we did all we could. May the Emperor find our souls and bring them to His light. And may he bless our comrades with the strength to defeat these abominations. Glorium Imperator."