Assault after Dark

Somehow the enemy had detected them. Visibility was minimal. The atmosphere was still clogged with particulate debris from the bombardment plus smoke from fires within ruined structures. In addition night had fallen. Alfus could barely make out Athelwist's rump 10 spans forward as he lay amidst the debris born of the orbital bombardment. Athelwist was watching the enemy positions. His signals indicated that 3 of the armoured suits were active in the remains of the buildings ahead. Other suits lay inert. Alfus itched to go and examine them but this was not the time. The Gann had put him in charge of the squad and the eight of them were relying on his tactical skills and adherence to orders to see them through.
The three active suits seem to be assembling some type of weapon which pointed in their direction. Alfus hoped the Gann would not wait much longer before signalling the attack. The Belismar boys were to flush out any enemy from the ruins of the defense complex. Given that this site had been of the focuses of the bombardment the fact that masonry still stood at the bottom of the 3000 span crater showed that the building had been built as a strong point. The above ground structure had been blasted off during the bombardment but the beneath ground layers exposed by the destruction above were designed to take over the defense.
Blur 100% the signal came to Alfus' squad. As the blur switched in everything slowed but at the same moment time slipped. One second Alfus and his mates were switching the mixture. The next they were amongst the enemy suits firing, stabbing and clubbing at the slowly dropping and twitching figures.

A Night Attack

After Shocks

Emerging from the tunnel complex the surviving Chem Dogs staggered exhausted on to a blasted desolate desert terrain. It seemed as if they had been transported to another world. There were no signs of the lush vegetation and brightly coloured characterful creatures that had been there at dirt fall. The light was weak and grey. There was a heavy haze limiting visibility to a few hundred spans. Fine ash and dust swept across the scoured surface driven by gusting winds. Only due to their filtered chem inhaler systems could they breathe.

They had spent a day and a night carving a new tunnel to get out of the complex as everything within 500 spans below the surface had been pulverised by the bombardment. Alfus wondered where they were headed now. And who had thought to build a tunnel complex that could withstand an orbital bombardment. Alfus was now in charge of his squad. All that remained was five from the original ten. They still lugged their heavy bolter between them. Few squads had abandoned any of their weaponry as the Chem Inhalers prevented the troopers from losing heart regardless of their circumstances. Fingers flicked and the sergeants and squad leaders passed on the Gann's orders. They were led onwards to the position from which the defensive lasers had fired in short rushes from cover to cover.