+++HELIOS - Sub-sector Shortak+++
Ultramarines deployment to interdict an Imperial Guard element remaining on planet.
Intelligence suggests high correlation between Regimental Psyker <Sanction: TPI234-467-45690023> and foretellings from Choir Kappa-Sliusia-411-56a.
Asset is on location - target confirmed.
The icy wind whipped across the near frozen ground and around the ruined habitats. The sky to the West had an ugly bruised colour as a thunderhead built up, but storm would not hit for hours yet and those there who could see the darkening clouds had more immediate concerns.
The column of vehicles had broken formation and now chewed up the ground in wide loops before the advancing marines. L89 lay still beneath the walkway, and continued to scan for the target. A brief discharge of witch-light from beyond the mass of vehicles betrayed the psyker's presence, but whether the target was forewarned, or just being especially careful, L89 had so-far failed to get a line to them.
From the reports they had absorbed before making planet fall L89 knew these guard had resisted the traitor incursion onto this world, and even now fought with cries to the Throne on their lips. Loyalty, however, was of no concern to L89, they were freed from the burden of deliberation. These facts mattered solely for discerning the likely behaviour of the target. Once the hooded temple acolyte had entered L89's quarters and put the data-chit into their hand the death warrant had been served. Whether this psyker still did the Emperor's work or not, L89's entire focus was on their end.
Though the marines were making some headway, their ambush, unknowingly timed to coincide with L89's own, had lost momentum and it wouldn't be long before the Militarum column was able to break out of the ruined steading and escape into the plains beyond. Once there, L89′s task of finding the target would be much harder. A squeeze of the trigger and a heavy round punched through the seal on a sponson of the Russ battletank and L89's preysight showed the gunner collapse back, the tank's weapon monetarily useless.
A clatter of autocannon shells hammered the silos walkways and from above a marine landed with a crash of ceramite onto steel. The attacking jet roaring overhead drowning out all other sounds and L89 took the chance to place a turbo-penetrator round into the engine block of of the Russ. The round tore the top of the manifold apart, the bulky vehicle suddenly immobile as it's engine stopped with a violent shudder, spilled fuel igniting as the surviving crew bailed out.
Across the field the marines had almost silenced the second russ, losing a track it slewed slowly to one side, away from the hilltop it had been defending but its guns still hammering away at the attackers and the marines advanced under a punishing deluge of shrapnel and mass-reactive rounds.
A roar came from the chimera transports and the remaining vehicles broke away from the ruined battle-tanks, the marines still visible too few to stop them as churned mud flew up in their wake and they accelerated out onto the clear ground beyond. L89 didn't even bother to check, the target was certainly on one of the vehicles now rapidly disappearing towards the East. Slinging their rifle across their back they dropped lightly to the ground and began to run after the transports. The hunt wasn't done yet.
Write-up for my second game in the Independent Characters Podcast narrative campaign: http://theindependentcharacters.com/
