The air shrieked as the melta gun discharged, catching the Night Lords terminator square in the chest. For a second the ancient technologies intergrated into the armour withstood the energy beam before winking out, the breastplate sagged and melted, the marine inside howling in agony before falling silent.
Tov'firn the terminators executioner felt grim satisfication as the other threat runes indicating the enemy terminators blinked out of exsistence one after the other. He tracked the mansions darkened halls with the barrel of his weapon, hunting for new targets. He barely registered the flash of silver as Avros blade swept by easily parting the marines head from his shoulders.
Avros barely paused to savour his newest kill, instead falling upon Tov'frins battle brothers granting each a single perfect cut from the blade in his fist. The squad died in silence never even seeing their killer pass by.
The Night Lords praetor came to rest a dead salamander at his feet the only noise in the building the tic of cooling metal and the steady drip of blood droplets from his blade joining the expanding pool at his feet.
Fleshy lips part in a rictus grin as his retinue spread out darkness clinging to them like a cloak of shadows.
The battle was his, even with their best ranged against him he had toppled the might of the salamanders eliminating a valuable ally under their nose. He turned ready to board his transport and leave triumphant.
As his foot touched the ramp the approaching land raider and vindicator unleashed their full fury, corrsucating beams of light tearing through the fuselage like tissue paper causing it to explode throwing the Night Lords commander to the ground. Pulling himself up he quelled his rage, clearly the Slamanders had more fight than he gave them credit for, falling back into the mansion Avros checked the load in his bolt pistol and prepared to fight.
Oth'hilo felt the familiar tingle in what remained of his arms that indicated his lascannons had recharged, activating his tageting array he waiting for the display to overlay the low profile of the remaining storm eagle and fired doing extensive damage to one wing, engines erupting in bright flame. Distantly he felt the tingle begin again as his weapons recharged.
The veterans of Nocturns Pride and the terror squad of 3rd claw arrived at the mansion at the same time and a brief viscous firefight ensued, in the end the dimished squad of Night Lords proved no match for the overwhelming firepower of the salamanders.
Cors cursed as the random fire from Kursh, the dying Night Lords land raider, obliterated a section of wall close to where Death of Kings was sheltering.
"Return fire" bellowed Tan'Ro from his position in the drivers seat
"Charging" replied Cors watching the gauges as they climbed towards full power
A section of wall blew in less than a metre from their hull
"Do it now" cried Tan apprehension making his voice tight
"Charging" repeated Cor, he knew anything less than a full power blast wouldn't finish their prey
A bolt passed by less than an inch from the hull of the tank, blistering the paintwork.
"Cor!"
"Firing" hissed Cors
The bolt of light hammered out of the sicarans muzzle, hitting the towering landraider square in the hull, smashing the armour to splinters and cooking off the munitions inside. Oily black smoke billowed from the wrecked vehicle.
"Did you get it?" asked Tan
The gunner didn't answer straight away until a gust of wind blew a gap in the smoke, he felt a flush of shame seeing a once proud astartes vehicle brought low but quickly supressed it, this was the reality of the galaxy they lived in now. "Engine kill" he intoned looking up from the rangefinder
"Good, lets find another victim" Tan said with relish gunning the engine.
Smoke billowed from the engine compartment of the striken rhino as Kal'rath disembarked and began running towards the mansion. Overhead the jetbikes of Vulcans Fury passed overhead seeking entrance to the ruined mansion.
Jareth strode into the ruined hall twisted flesh and scraps of cloth were all that remained of the govenor and his bodyguards, rent armour and split flesh were the hallmarks of his former bretheren. With a striken cry he launched himself at the laughing killers of his brothers the terminators at his back joining him.
The apothecary and his retinue fought as men possessed reaping a high toll on the marines but they had underestimated the strength of their opposition and one by one they were overwhelmed. Jareth locked eyes with a tall marine, his ornate armour festooned with grisly trophies.
"Face me" shouted Jareth leveling his gladius at the opposing commander
With a dismissive shake of his head the praetor stepped back, blending into the shadows. Striking enemies out of his path Jearth bulled his way forward. He never saw the blow that felled him, he only felt the agony of chainteeth chewing through his flesh, rupturing one of his hearts.
Jareth fell, watching as Ta'shen was swamped by the barbourous sons of Nocturne who hacked and tore at his venerable armour to slay the maine within.
With shaking fingers Jareth reached to the container on his thigh, he could feel the intense cold even through his armour and a stream of liquid gushed from a hole in its side. The gene seed within would be ruined. As the darkness overtook him Jareth felt a wave of bitter despair.
"Go, go, go" called Tarsus, pilot of the storm eagle Korvash-ull.
The 10 marines of the terror squad in his hold flung themselves from their transport. Tarsus had managed to get his striken vessel under control and for a brief moment he contemplated abandoning the battlefield, but he had seen his lords storm eagle destroyed by loyalist fire. If he could save his lord from Salamander retribution he would be greatly rewarded. He briefly imagined himself being feted by the legion, groomed for higher office.
With a grunt he threw the storm eagle into a bone crushing turn and powered towards the mansion broadcasting on his commanders private frequency.
On the ground the Brotherhood of Duplicity landed by the salamanders veterans both sides tearing at each other viscously all of the veterans perished for the loss of four of the terror squad marines. Krant their sergeant looked around, their was no more victory here and that fool Avross was as good as dead, they needed to escape, he glanced over at the idling Salamnders rhino nearby and grinned. They didn't have any way off planet yet, but he had always found a smart commander could accomplish anything.
Oth'hilo felt an unaccustomed pang of annoyance as his wounded target powered away from him he spoke a quick vow to himself that the traitors woud not escape. He opened fire his lascannon fire shearing away the tail section of the plane sending it spiralling into the wall of the mansion bringing the whole wing of the house down with it.
Cor'tan watched with grim satisfaction as the Night Lords flyer demolished one of the mansions wall. "That's our way in" he roared gunning his bikes engine and leading his squad inside pouring fire into the traitors. The bikes slammed into the praetors squad crushing and tearing several members of the squad and losing none in return.
This was too much for the Night Lords who turned and ran into the street, like rats seeking to escape a sinking ship.
Avross stopped dead in front of him was his Salamnders counterpart.
"This ends now" Kal'rath yelled across the courtyard to his enemy
Avross swallowed his frustration, he did not need this complication but if he had to go through this blind fool to sucseed he would.
"Yes it does" he agreed flourishing his sword and throwing himself at his enemy.
Well that's it folks thats the end of the battle report let me know what you though and until next time.
