novelraw Chapter 9: Fury
Chapter 9: Fury
Soshyan weighed his final pouch of Melta Bombs on the observation platform.
A string of explosions covered the pitted, uneven surface, clearing away large chunks of black rock and scorching hot pieces of metal.
The attack achieved its expected effect, forcing the ambushers who hadn't seen Soshyan's squad charging down the passages above to temporarily retreat, while also drawing their attention.
Boom!
Flames erupted on the platform once again before the final Grenade detonated, but this time, the Necrons' focus was placed on Soshyan's squad.
Soshyan's highly sensitive senses caught the putrid stench of charred metal and fresh blood, as well as the sporadic clatter of weapon fire. Therefore, he assumed his Brothers were preoccupied with other matters and thus had no time to welcome them.
After Occam finished evaluating the firepower composition of the ambushers sweeping their fire toward them, he slid into cover beside Soshyan.
"They know we're here."
Soshyan took a glance at the situation on the battlefield. Their company was falling into a bitter fight. The Necrons had been extremely cunning in establishing a kill zone here.
"What are your orders?"Hearing Occam's words, Soshyan turned his composed gaze to look at his Brother.
"We are going to take them out."
He grinned, but the smile was concealed by his helmet.
"Rezeno, Caricinus."
Soshyan called out over the vox-channel, and the two called warriors left their positions to come to their commanding officer's side.
"Prepare Melta Bombs. Do you see those support pillars?"
He pointed toward the source allowing the platforms to tower high above.
Caricinus and Rezeno both nodded.
"I will go with you—"
"You must stay behind."
Occam decisively put an end to Soshyan's risky proposition.
"You must shoulder the heavy responsibility of command."
The two called warriors also nodded, expressing their agreement.
"Very well. I will provide you with covering fire."
After preparing for ten seconds, Soshyan was the first to stand up, firing his Bolter at the Xenos on the platforms. At the same time, Hasdrubal also hoisted up his Heavy Bolter, pouring a deadly hail of bullets toward those loathsome machines.
Before risking passage through the open ground leading to the support structures, the two Space Marines activated their Melta Bombs.
The Xenos noticed the firepower hitting their flanks. A portion of them turned around, redirected their muzzles, and began firing toward the position of Soshyan's squad.
Just as Rezeno tentatively took a few steps forward, a green disintegrator beam struck him.
"Urgh!"
The force of the impact knocked him down and set him spinning before he collapsed into a pool of blood.
Caricinus was luckier. When he reached the base of the platform, he let out a feral war cry, then planted the explosives on one of the support pillars. Immediately following that, he took a hit near his shoulder.
"Caricinus!"
Upon seeing this, Soshyan immediately wanted to leap out and drag the injured warrior back.
But Occam immediately reached out and held him down.
The Necrons' returning firepower was extremely ferocious.
Moreover, after the Xenos located near the base of the structure realized what Caricinus was doing, they immediately pierced his body with several concentrated volleys.
But before they could stop him, Caricinus pressed the detonator.
"For the Emperor!"
Boom~~~~~!
The Melta Bomb detonated accompanied by the furious roar he issued, and the blinding, ultra-high-temperature chemical substances instantly vaporized him.
Yet Soshyan stared blankly for a few seconds.
The platform had held up!
"Damn it!"
Just as Soshyan was about to dive headlong into the net of firepower to finish this task, a second explosion subsequently erupted.
He turned around to evade the sudden blast. The foul stench of chemical substances stung his nostrils, followed by the groaning sound of bending metal.
The observation platform finally collapsed, throwing up a cloud composed of dust and gunsmoke.
Paying zero heed to the source of the second explosion, Soshyan stood up and issued a victorious, furious roar.
"Advance!!"
Sprinting wildly across the open ground straight to the massive, convoluted mass of destroyed metal and shattered blackstone rubble, he swung his Chainsword, preparing for combat, knowing his Battle Brothers were following closely behind him.
The Necron battle lines stubbornly held their ground before the fierce assault of the Space Marine company.
Emerald-green clouds of energy gathered rapidly above the Astartes' heads, tearing through the air.
With a loud boom, many warriors were reduced to ashes.
The sound of Bolters washed over the Necron vehicles, but the disintegrator beams were also dismembering the Astartes' battle lines. The corpses of many warriors collapsed crookedly across the battlefield. The company banner was already utterly riddled with holes and teetering on the verge of collapse, and their Company Commander was nowhere to be seen.
When Soshyan witnessed such a tragedy, a revelation struck him like a thunderclap.
"Kill the Xenos!"
Soshyan urgently quickened his pace. Whether the low hum of his Power Armor or the hungry buzz of his Chainsword, both felt filled with endless fury.
As he marched forward, he left behind giant footprint after footprint on the road surface, as well as a trail of Necron corpses.
The Necrons' weapons left a string of ripples in the air, but aside from Soshyan's furious war cries, the Necrons gained absolutely nothing else.
His Bolter unleashed fury, blasting a Necron skimmer gunship and smashing its pilot into pieces.
Then, as he trampled over the remains of these machines, there was not a shred of mercy in his heart.
Smack!
Suddenly, an impact struck his head, and Soshyan caught the scent of burning.
A disintegrator beam had grazed his helmet, nearly sending half his head flying, but the threat of death did not make him back down.
"For the Emperor!"
Soshyan tore off the shattered helmet, keeping only the rebreather mask, set loose a high-pitched roar, and plunged headlong into the Necron formation.
He thrust his Chainsword ahead, cleaving a rift of death through the swarm of Necron infantry.
The jagged teeth of the Chainsword intersected with the Living Metal, churning up a storm of spare parts and discarded wreckage.
Every single tooth of the blade meticulously chewed and savored the slender bodies of the Necrons, eating them clean like exquisite delicacies before flinging the unnecessary refuse to either side.
Glistening limbs and torsos thus carpeted the ground.
On his right flank, Axel unleashed his fury, wantonly ravaging and dismembering the Necron lines.
Squad member Alkan had already fallen. In the moments before death, he ignited the promethium canisters on his body, reducing dozens of surrounding Necrons into stiflingly hot fragments of metal.
The company's honorable Standard Bearer was propping himself up on his torso, barely managing to keep firing, but his legs had already been reduced to a puddle of shimmering molten iron.
Soshyan clenched his teeth hard, trying not to notice how the minuscule mechanical insects were steadily devouring the masterpiece of humanity bit by bit.
Every bite of the mechanical beetles was accompanied by painful electrical sparks bursting from the Power Armor.
Everyone was engaged in close-quarters infantry combat against the Necrons. Though few in number, their will to fight was soaring.
Blade edges bit into the Necrons' bodies, but Boarding Shields were also shattered beyond repair under the illumination of the green beams. The torsos and bodies deprived of their shields' protection were even more vulnerable to a single blow.
When Soshyan discovered that one of the cursed Necrons had actually flayed the skin from a living person on the battlefield and was wearing it over its own body right then and there, allowing its other flesh and blood to be vaporized by the green light, his hatred for these Xenos became even more resolute.
(End of Chapter)