The air was filled with a metallic taste, Hargar spat and the ground sizzled a little where the acid ate into it. The three tanks were stopped, burning wreckage littered the ground between them and the line of bunkers on the other side of the narrow valley.
The Space Wolf hammered on the side of the tank and the hatch popped open.
“That shelling isn’t getting any less accurate,” Hargar yelled up at the commander.
“Anyone that moved up further got zapped by that weird lightning,” was the response.
Hargar moved to the rear of the vehicle and climbed up the track crouching next to the commander on the side of the Leman Russ battle tank. He dwarfed the commander, his bulk putting the man in shadow.
“Get your bastard tanks up there now or you won’t have to worry about lightning ever again,” Hargar said.
He dropped off of the side of the tank hearing the hatch slam shut behind him. He walked up to the Razorback and got in. The three tanks and the Space Marine APCs started advancing, to their right some young Space Wolves jumped forward taking cover in the ruins of a destroyed building. Hargar watched through the display inside the APC and saw the few members of the 13th company accompanied by their Rune Priest disappear. It was eerie when they did that.
In the center of the formation Kraagni moved forward ahead of the vehicles. The marine was not old, he had been badly injured on only his second campaign but he was perfectly suited for Dreadnought armour. He was anxious to get to grips and see what his new body could do. The whine of the shell came to their ears and landed right in front of Kraagni blasting earth up around him and showering him with rocks and shrapnel. The force of the blast was enough to blast the dreadnought off of its feet and onto its back. Hargar looked at the screen. The machines sensors must have been damaged in the blast. He could see the dreadnought moving, trying to do something, but all of the sensors were flat lined. They would not have the support of that for the coming battle.
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The spy was stuck. He looked out behind the panel that was humming behind him and saw the Astral Claws at work around their master. He had been just in time to get out of their line of sight when they came in. He expected to be back at the imperial lines now, he had been crouched behind this machinery now for more than two hours. None of his comm-sys devices worked. It must have been
interference from the Ener-sphere. With five more minutes he might have figured out how to shut it down. He had the information about what was powering the lightning generating sphere that was holding up the advance. He was in no way a match for the seven renegade Space Marines that were between him and it now though. With their enhanced sense they would pick up any attempt he made to escape.
Then he heard something above the thrum of the power grid, a low growl, almost indistinguishable at first. The renegades heard it too and started moving towards him. Suddenly after the sound of a muffled explosion the wall behind him collapsed. Five Space Wolves as well as six Fenrisian wolves moved into the room shooting bolt pistols and plasma. The renegades ducked for cover and returned fire.
“The device in the next room, it is an Ener-sphere, it is the source of the power for the lightning weapon, destroy it and you cut off the power to the weapon,” he yelled to the marines, tossing them a small data slate. One of them caught it and must have had heard something over the exchange of bolter fire and turned to run out of the range of the disrupting power waves, going back out the entrance they had made. The renegades advanced on the outnumbered scouts and a great goute of fire flowed from the leader, engulfing several of the marines and a couple of the dogs. The smell of burned flesh and hair was strong even over the actinic sensation produced by the powerful energy waves in the room.
The battle went against the marines, the wolves charged through the fire but were quickly dispatched by the renegades. The spy sat at the feet of one of the renegades trying to make himself very small, with his attention focused on the enemy he failed to notice the small figure and moved to intercept the wolves who had charged. The spy stayed put, deciding the cramping in his leg wasn’t so bad after all.
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“Sir, there is a message coming through,” said Sajanus.
“Put it on the screen,” Commander Hrolk said to the menial.
The plans for the device came up on the screen, Hrolk saw where the weak spot was.
“Tell Grimjar to be ready to teleport now,” he said through the comm.
“They are ready, sir,” the vox responded back.
“Then send them in.”
A flash of light brought the renegades away from where they were examining the dead Space Wolves. It was in the room with the Ener-sphere.
“Shoot anything that looks vital,” was the last command Grimjar issued before the stomach churning voyage through space.
They opened fire as soon as they materialized. Bolter and assault cannon rounds smashed computer screens and blasted apart complex looking wire connections. Then the Terminators were engulfed in flame, the sticky liquid clinging to their armour as they turned to face their assailant.
“Blackheart!” spat out Grimjar.
Bolter rounds exploded among the Wolf Guard and one of them went down when a burst of plasma melted his head clean off. Then the renegades were among them, Grimjar was the last to go down, as he was set upon by two renegades with power fists he blocked one and swung at the other but his foe was too agile and ducked the attack, smashing down into Grimjar’s knee. The Space Wolf collapsed and the Tyrant of Badad brought his power axe down into the power plant of the armour. It was not a killing blow but within 1200 pounds of now powerless armour Grimjar wasn’t going anywhere.
The Ener-sphere was still functioning, although Huron could tell that the equipment was badly damaged. As his men moved to see what was still functioning Huron saw two marines emerge from the far wall.
“No!” he screamed his hatred at them and started to move towards them. Two plasma pistol shots went into the central relinator. It exploded in sparks and Huron glanced over his shoulder to see the Ener-sphere field collapse as he ran towards the enemy.
His axe swung in a wide arc as he took the head off of the first Space Wolf. His men followed him into the enemy weapons rising and falling. All of the enemy were dead when the melee stopped and Huron stood breathing heavy among his four remaining guards. He then turned around and what he saw froze his legendarily black heart.
“Its down! Go! Go! Go!”
Commander Hallam couldn’t tell which marine had yelled this over their comm-sys but he saw the plasma arcs curling around the device wink out.
He still didn’t want to move forward but they couldn’t hang back too much, those shells were missing but not by much. He saw that Space Marine robot get blasted off his feet. He didn’t want to see what would happen if one of those shells hit his tank directly.
“Gun it, Timmo, get us up there,” he said to the man just under his feet.
The driver moved forward and the tank lurched up, its right side raised and then the crew smashed forward as the tank stuck fast.
On the other side of the valley the marines moved forward and engaged the advancing enemy. The exchange of fire showed that the renegades had some courage and Hollo had his fingers fused together from firing his plasma gun too rapidly. Suddenly the building in front of them came alive with bolter fire streaking out of it. Las fire erupted from their left as another bunker opened up on them. They were enfiladed.
One of the guard tanks streaked into the space between the marines and the building, blocking the enemy fire from that direction. The Wolves turned their attention on the bunker now, their bolter rounds convincing the traitors that exposing themselves to fire back was not the best option.
Suddenly there was an explosion to their right as a shell burst behind the other guard tank on this flank. It hit behind the tank and the tanks rear armour was shredded along with its tracks. It was going nowhere.
With two of their three tanks disabled Wolf-Priest Bjolf knew they would not have enough mass to effect the penetration they needed.
“Back in the rhino, lads. We need reinforcements,” he said.
Begrudgingly the marines re-boarded, firing as they went and the rhino, along with the remaining Leman Russ, pulled back.
Even Huron’s enhanced reflexes could not keep track of the hammer as it sped from the Asgardian’s hands and struck down one of his men. He advanced towards the being.
“I took you down once, I’ll do it again,” he yelled.
“Mortal, thou hast encaged me for the last time,” was the angry reply, “now you will feel Mjolnir’s wrath!”
With impossible speed, Thor rained blows down on the Astral Claws. The massive marines were thrown across the room, their armour shattered by the mighty hammer blows. As two stokes bore down on Huron himself the eyes of his pet hymadra glowed each time, and the blows were deflected.
The Asgardian was caught off guard and Huron took advantage of the momentary confusion by aiming a punch to Thor’s gut. It caught him and he staggered from the blow. The power fist next caught him on the chin, knocking the helmet from his head, then a back hand blow smashed into the God’s shoulder.
As he raised it for a downward blow Thor caught the arm with his left hand and smashed Mjolnir down onto the Tyrants left shoulder pad smashing it and breaking the arm underneath. Huron’s power axe fell from his now useless hand. Thor crushed the power fist with his left hand as he swung his hammer up striking Huron square in the breast plate. The blow sent the Astral Claw commander flying and wrenched his hand and lower arm loose as Thor’s hand still held the crushed appendage. When he landed Huron moved no more.
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