Ch.2: Assault on Terra's Rock

It had taken precisely 22 minutes Terran standard, but it never felt like that. He was sprawled at the statue of the emperor the guard were using as the central CP and communications dish for the plateau. One moment he had been in a Rhino, breathing in the foetid stink of the plague marines stationed with him, the next…he was here. It had gone just as he had planned. The sudden appearance of the twirling and capering horror the cult had called, summoned, had thrown the guard into a blind panic. Those who had not opened fire on the beast wept openly at the sight of such blasphemy. Umgax, they called him the name made his teeth itch, as did its manner, whispering of his role in great plans to come inside his head right up until the moment the creature tore a hole in reality and returned to the warp, its foul purpose completed.

The rest of the force had only been marginally more reliable, his plague marine bodyguard ‘donated’ by Grullgex were dead, their maggot ridden carcasses being attended to by the foul surgeon the Death Guard had landed with the heavy bulk. The plan had been simple, a small force take the Rock’s primary location. Disrupting communications and feeding screaming gibberish to the remaining forces. In a panic they had opened fire on one another before the Death Guard’s main force came lumbering in to steal the killing blow and win Grullgex the glory. His men knew what had happened, and they were with him. The squad he had taken the ridge whilst hunting for the damned sniper through the buildings. The round intended to end his life was clutched in his left fist, moving his shoulder guard at precisely the right moment had caught the round in a ceramite pinch. Leaving him floored, but alive. He’d avenged himself however, the festering corpse of their Psyker was testament to that, opened by a vicious riposte from hip to chin. The colonel too had charged him, it was a curious attack. Had he actually thought to best him in melee? What was it mortals used to have? Superhuman dread…facing even the errant sons of the emperor used to inspire such horror in mere mortals that they would often debase themselves before a blade was raised. The colonel’s near suicidal bravery was the only thing keeping him still alive. Gustavus cringed at the decision now, better to have killed him. But out of surprise or respect, he had stayed his hand, allowing the infernal gunship and its retreating medics to carry their commander to safety.

His men were not so lucky, already dragged away by the Death Guard and Thousand Sons. Dragged to the experimentation vats, where it would be a long, slow, painful road to oblivion for them. He felt no guilt at this, nor pride. It was simply the way things were. Crunching boots on ceramite brought him from his revelry. His huntmaster, as ever wore his snarling, lupine wolfs helm, stood over him. “Captain Gustavus.” Even through all these years, he had kept using the formal title for his liege, extending a hand to haul him to his feet. Gustavus adjusted his war braids and nodded to the warrior before him. “Speak.”

“Lord Falkus has granted this region as the bastion of the Death Guard planet side. Grullgex is to have his command here and act as the bulwark against the Imperium to the West.” Gustavus sighed as acknowledgement, looking at the ground and biting back a vicious retort about how, if Grullgex wanted this rock, he could send some more capable warriors to take it from him! “We are to be redeployed.” The huntmaster continued, unabated. “The orks are growing in the East, with them sits an artefact needed by the Warpsmith for the jamming effort, and that Colonel, his soldiers and any allies they may have found on Krillion will surely test us with a counterattack soon…My hunters are, as ever, at your disposal.” Gustavus made a decision and signalled squad vox. Within minutes, the only signs of life at the command post was the slowly encroaching Death Guard. Within hours, Terra’s Rock had grown a new, virulent moss. Grullgex had established his command, and welcomed any guest to try and dislodge him from it!

****

++ Incoming Vox Transmission++

This is Colonel Galen Cra-

-lbatore. We require immed-

-Terra's Rock has fallen to-

-repeat T-

-to the Black Legion. All-

-North to the forest o-

-I repeat all forces are withd-

-rest of whispers.

++Vox Transmission End++
+Vox Frequency 88594.23775.33725+