Back to the Void

Final Stage

The Ogryns smacked into the combat. Another three renegade chaos space marines went down. The conscripts led by Hawk pressed forward. Pressed from three sides and with more of their fellows going down under the smashing blows of the Ogryn's ripper gun the Chaos marines broke and ran sobbing and gibbering with fear. Too fast for the panting Ogryns and the blooded conscripts to catch. Hammerhand and Hawk had now pushed the enemy forces from the left wing and center of the battlefield. The Lemann Russ clattered up behind Hammerhand and Hawk's position, its battle cannon seeking targets on the right flank.

On the right two Rhinos packed with Possessed and Chosen Chaos space marines had taken a tortuous route to the front to avoid imperial fire. On the right Hawk had stationed a platoon of imperial guard in a hastily made strong point in ruins. They were screened in front by two heavy flamer armed sentinels and had a Hellhound on the far right.
The Sentinels moved forward to block off the approaching Rhinos targeting each with their heavy flamers in the hope that the searing heat and flame of these cruel weaopons could find a chink in the battle scarred armour of the Rhinos. Luck had deserted the Sentinels. The Rhinos halted scortched but unscathed. Chaos marines poured out. Horrid and loathsome to look at, mutated, tormented and cruel, they fired bursts of bolter fire and plasma that rapidly destroyed both sentinels. As they destroyed the sentinels their corrupt minds clamouring for rending and cutting, the lopping of limbs and heads, they strained to sense the imperial platoon ahead with their chaos warped perceptions. Slowly they dimly realised that they had taken the bait of an Imperial trap.

Out of assault range of any of the imperial troops they were exposed to the combined fire power of the full platoon and the Hellhound. The Possessed Chaos squad took the full force of the decimating combined Imperial fire power and succumbed leaving only the Chosen. Realising that they now faced the almost unscathed full Imperial forces they silently withdrew to face the wrath of their masters.

Training Accomplished

With a scream Hawk hewed into the chaos space marine traitors. Three fell to slashing blows from his power sword. The conscripts piled in behind and around the Inquisitor their bayonettes stabbing at the chaos squad held at bay by their sudden assault. Despite their initial losses the chaos space marines held. Hawk realised that he was in for a busy few minutes keeping the conscripts in the fight long enough for sheer numbers to overwhelm the renegades.

As the Ogryn disappeared into the ruined building Hammerhand leapt down from the Lemann Russ. He dashed into the gap the Ogryn had disappeared through. Too late he thought.
The interior of the ruin was sprayed with blood. Grey chaos blood. The bodies of the enemy slumped in death on the floor and pinned to the walls. He was just in time to see the only survivor of the squad rush out the door at the furthest point of the building.

Tapping Halfhead on the elbow, he said, "Good work and we have some more to do."
"It was fun Boss," growled Halfhead. "These fools tried to fight so we had fun wif them. Too bad yous did not come so quickly."

"Come on Halfhead, some more fun out here", smile Hammerhand pointing through a narrow gap in the wall to where the conscripts were struggling with another squad of chaos space marines.

"Good idea Boss", growled Halfhead. "Come on boys", he shouted as the rushed through the gap dislodging more of the crumbling wall.
"Why use a door when you have an Ogryn!", shouted Hammerhand as he ran through the gaping hole in the wall made by the Ogryns.

Close Support Ogryns

The Ogryn move forward at Hammerhands orders.

Training

While the orbital strikes pounded the renegade chaos marine positions Inquisitor Hawk stood in the front rank of the conscript platoon. Around him the conscripts shuffled and nervously scratched and eased the unfamiliar weight of their equipment. In the dawn light there were many grey faces and no smiles but most had a strength of confidence that the presence of an Inquisitor provided.



"A fine day for some proper training for these conscripts", thought Hawk easing his annointed blade in its scabbard.



In the quiet that followed the last strike Hawk raised his voice, "Warriors of the Emperor." He shouted. "For that is what you will be once tempered by todays battle."

"There is nothing and no one on this battle field to fear, " Hawk paused, "Except me." There were a few bleats of nervous laughter."

"Let the enemy hear you coming so that they know fear." "Forward"



Hawk raised his voice in a battle scream which was also ripped echoing around the rubble from the thoats of the conscripts. They surged forwards. "Keep in line." Shouted Hawk, "Keep in line."

Bolter and plasma gun fire burst from the Chaos positions pouring into the conscripts. The platoon shuddered as men fell out of line.

"Steady." Shouted Hawk. The platoon surged forward again. Hawk sighted their target a squad of Chaos space marines movin up an alley to launch a strike on the Lemann Russ on the left. Hawk glancing to the left saw the Ogryns storming the ruins containing the autocannon positions. The time is now he thought.

"Charge", he yelled and ran forward to launch himself into the enemy squad he had chosen. The conscripts sceamed and followed their inquisitor firing bursts from their lasrifles as they rushed the Chaos space marines.

Repelling Chaos

Once the Grey Knights had departed Dogbelly, and the reinforcements that Hawk had summoned were equipped and deployed in their start positions Hammerhand knew that before long Hawk would go on the offensive again. Inquisitor Hawk's organisational energy always stepped down a gear or two whenever the Grey Knights were around. Both Hawk and Hammerhand considered them too prissy, too fussy and too concerned with the style of the battle for Hawks taste. They were choosy about who they would fight alongside and which weapons could be deployed. Hawk being secretly allied to the Radical faction preferred to demonstrate his exquisite tactical skills and offensive armoury out of sight of anyone that might have links to the Puritan faction amongst the Inquisition. A showdown between factions was long overdue.

Hammerhand thought the Grey Knights were mainly boring as everything had to be done by the book. No personal tweaks here or there. Waiting for the offensive to start Hammerhand had time only for a few scans of the stolen neural shredder, deep within it the scans showed an anomalous power source the like of which Hammerhand had never seen. When he showed this to Hawk, his only comment was, "Excellent." Hawk clearly had some idea of what it was but he would not tell Hammerhand anything more.

"Get Caliban ready Hammerhand, priority number one," said Hawk. "The shredder can wait for the moment. Keep it safe."
Hammerhand smiled. Despite the real risks to life and sanity he truly enjoyed working on the electromechanically contained demonhost that Hawk like to call Caliban.

"Once Caliban is ready, what is my assignment for the battle, Inquisitor?", asked Hammerhand.
"You are assigned to the Ogryns. You will help Halfhead, the Bonehead organise his fighters on our left flank in support of the Leman Russ." "You are to suppress any enemy heavy weapons and hook to our center once the enemy's right flank folds."

At dawn Hammerhand crouched with the Ogryn beside the Leman Russ. Once the orbital bombardment of the Chaos positions stopped they moved forward beside the roar the the Russ's engine. Almost immediately the Russ came under autocannon fire from a tank hunter squad of Chaos hidden within a partially destroyed factory. The cadian crew panicked and returned fire with the hull mounted heay bolter rather than the battle cannon. Thumping Halfhead on the elbow to get his attention above the noise of the heavy weapons Hammerhand waved the Ogryns forward showing Halfhead that he wanted them to assault the entrenched autocannons. Hammerhand climbed the exposed side of the Russ and opened up on the enemy position with the turret pintle mounted heavy stubber to give the Ogryns covering fire as they rushed forward weaving and firing their ripper guns.

Dogbelly Evening

Developments

Later in his quarters Hammerhand examined the neural shredder. The only marks on it were from the ordinance blasts.
"No obvious way to disassemble it, ", thought Hammerhand.
"Still a few scans may give me some data before I attempt disassembly. Which I will do cautiously no matter how hard Inquisitor Hawk pressess. No doubt it will be booby trapped unless opened with a specific tool".

With that thought Hammerhand made his way to Sophia's quarters. Crossing the battle scarred streets of Dogbelly Hammerhand saw a few commissars who had arrived with some Chem Dogs. "Some more dogs in Dogbelly" thought Hammerhand. I need to keep a tight grip on my tools and anything else light enought to carry off as the Chem Dogs are notoriously light fingered."

At Sophia's quarters the light were on. Hammerhand could see movement behind the blinds.
Feeling worried Hammerhand knocked on the door and waited. No one barged into an assassins quarters except those with a death wish even if the assassin was known to be dead.

"Yes," Shouted a familiar voice from within." A chill ran down Hammerhands spine. The voice was Sophia's. He turned away and darted around the corner.

Best to speak to Hawk he thought.

At Hawks Headquarters in a private meeting Hammerhand explained that he had acquired a neural shredder as aconsequence of the battle. But despite Sophia disappearing into a melee of Chaos Renegades that had to be stopped with some ordinance she was now once again in her quarters.

"Interesting", remarked Hawk, "Examine the neural shredder as top priority. Keep an eye on Sophia". "I wonder how the guild does it within the Imperial Decrees on cloning?".
"Go now". "By the way the Grey Knights leave tomorrow."
"Ah, that explains the Chem Dogs arrival tonight, will we be deploying our less conventional weapons when the assault renews?", asked Hammerhand.
"Yes", snapped Hawk. "Keep it to yourself at the moment and keep a tight grip on your tools and that neural shredder with the Chem Dogs around."
"Dismissed".

Opportunity

Coordinating the fire support for Inquisitor Hawk's operations in the slums of Dogbelly on Gladstone VI Hammerhand spied Sophia engaged in hand to hand combat with a squad of Chaos renegade marines. For a time her flashing, slashing phase sword cut a precise column into the murderous mob of posessed renegades, bodies slumping and foul yellow chaos blood smearing even the air around the fight. Hammerhand's teeth were on edge as she kept pressing further into the foul mob. Jump back before they pull you down through weight of numbers he kept thinking but on she went unstoppable and unapproachable in her battle frenzy.

Hammerhand lost sight of her and pressed his mind back to his task. Select the next target for the LeeMan Russ battle cannon. I cannot help her. The targetting skills of the crew are not good enough to lob a few rounds of ordinance close to the vicious fight to help Sophia. More likely the ordinance rounds would scatter on to her. Opportunity thought Hammerhand, as he gave fresh orders to the crew of the tank. The turret rotated and rounds and rounds of ordinance flew at the newly designated targets destroying them with massive ordinance blasts.

After the engagement was over and with the withdrawal of the Chaos forces from Dogbelly, Hammerhand had a opportunity to search the location of Sophia's fight. There he found her neural shredder only slightly damaged by the ordinance blasts. Of the remainder of the combatants there were only shreds of clothing and scraps of roasted flesh. A good day for the dogs' bellies in dogbelly thought Hammerhand. Do I feel guilt he thought. No, not at all was the answer. Why is this he wondered.

I will need to be careful when I disassemble this neural shredder as the guild will most likey have booby trapped it to protect their secrets. I wonder if Sophia will turn up tonight as she usually does after a scrap?