Captain, we recovered Captain Root's Terminator suit.
Good. I have a suitable replacement in mind.
Brother Garfunkel: The enemy shall kiss the
tongues of my flamer!
Apothecary Azira: Finally! I thought the Emperor had forgotten me.
The enemy is scattered but in cover, ready for our assault. This time Hellraiser's Assault Squad leads, while the Terminators provide a mobile base of fire that can weather the front line.
The Assault Squad was exposed at the top of the Thunderhawk's ramp, though. The area safest from bullets -- within running distance -- is the raised platform directly in front of them. They have to go there. One manages to reach the lone Word Bearer on that landing, threatening it to keep him from using his bolter.
The Terminators pile out after the Assault Squad. Garfunkel lights a Traitor on fire.
In the back of the room, the Ultramarines notice the thicker clunk of a heavy bolter. Slips aims his own at this new high priority target.
The target no longer has high priority.
The doors along the west wall slide open, revealing more enemies.
They thump the floor as they charge towards Hellraiser's squad. Their roaring chainaxes and specially-crested helms betray them to be Berzerkers of Khorne!
The squad decides to be clever and fight the melee attackers at range. Toastboy shoots a plasma grenade at the center of their triangle.
The heat of a thousand sons overwhelm them.
The rest of the docking bay is cleared out, so we ready for the next room.
Ready, set...
Shit! The enemy is more than ready for us.
I should have (A) thrown a smoke grenade and/or (B) had a Terminator pull the switch.
The cowards surprise Brother Awesome before he can even turn his head.
And sometimes the least worthy get a scrap of meat.
Goku, exposed in the center between the doors, throws smoke and tries to make a tactical retreat.
But one of the Word Bearers clips him with a Lascannon. Well, clips his head off.
At the same time, Hellraiser is able to retreat to the opposite wall, through cover of smoke. But that's the last retreat he will make, two of his brothers having just fallen.
Now we shall wait for enemy to grope blindly through the smoke.
That went better.
The switch is flipped, and all bolters are pointed at the opening portal.
The auspex shows these defenders ill prepared for our assault. Excellent. For the Emperor!
A sorcerer and another traitor are within view, but out of range. We'll let them come to us.
Indeed, a Berzerker storms out of the shadows
And falls before his foot can pass the doorway. The Sorcerer then steps into view
Only to be engulfed in a plasma ball shot from Boris's cannon.
Garfunkel and Storyfag wade into the room, gun-arms ready to strike.
Another Berzerker runs at the doorway
Boris: I have
this one.
And another Traitor transforms to ash.
More Berzerkers. It's a trend.
One gets too close, and Garfunkel himself and Podex Pistor on fire. This is also a trend.
Three other Berzerkers run at Storyfag, thinking the assault cannon weak at short range.
That would be a negative.
Now, these doors along the north wall have been closed. There are probably enemies inside. Garfunkel, go check.
He does. And then misses with the heavy flamer. Somehow.
Janus throws a smoke grenade to cover Garfunkel.
The door on the left then slides open, revealing another Word Bearer. But Garfunkel doesn't miss this time, and both Traitors are enveloped in thick flame.
The main room is clear, but Daemons start to emerge from the narrow hallway that shoots out the side of the room.
A Flamer
Horrors
None of them are special.
All die the same.
One more.
Done.
Now, the doors to the west and the hallway to the north all lead to the same courtyard we need to reach.
The auspex shows that the enemy force is biased towards the front of the room.
The Terminators thus will grab that larger force's attention from the front, pinning them while the Assault and Devastator squads make a flanking strike via the hallway.
Theoretically.
Down the hallway, Brother Overboard finds a Lascannon in a crate someone put to the side.
The Terminators are in position.
And now so is the other team. Smashing Axe tags along to bring even more close quarters punch.
Brother Toastboy pulls the switch...
He sees one enemy out of the corner of his left eye. On instinct, he drops to one knee.
And, on instinct, Slips tears holes through the enemy with his heavy bolter.
An enemy Terminator pops into view
He and a couple Berzerkers ignore Overboard and rush at my main gunline.
By the Emperor, they are fast. They covered more distance than planned
For the Terminators still haven't moved yet! Now they do
Shit, these switches only control the doors behind us.
So no switch in the next room opens the doors before them.
They have to take a long detour. The other Ultramarines are on their own for now!
They are not alone -- Not as long as they are beside a battle brother.
Smashing Axe beats the Word Bearers back with his hammer and shield.
The Terminator and one Berzerker fall before him, but he still continues, relentless.
Toastboy, in lighter armor, dashes in to add his own punch to the mix.
Then he gives his jump button a little tap to get back out of the fire.
The cowards throw a grenade instead of accepting the challenge of true combat
It destroys our cover but causes little else harm.
Smashing Axe's turn.
Relentless.
Overboard snipes a Terminator with his new Lascannon.
The enemy firebase thinned down to nothing, Toastboy senses the conditions favorable for his power fist.
The enemy replies with a jet from a flamer
But it doesn't stop him.
For we are all relentless.
Our enemies have mostly been driven before us.
Meanwhile, the Terminators run into Bloodletters! At least two.
We'll let them come to us.
They do... And Garfunkel lights
all of the Terminators on fire.
As I said, a trend.
But this is no trend of humor. Our most beloved battle brother has fallen.
In the main room, the other team knows not of what happened yet. They have cleared the courtyard to completion and now seek their incarcerated brother.
The auspex showed a friendly beacon within this cell.
Ah, there he is indeed. Apothecary!
Mission complete.
We rescued one at the cost of three... We must repent for our mistakes, Brothers!
Next...