Rain pounded down onto the night shrouded streets of Austellus Arbeias capital. Most of its citizens had already fled, taking their chances in the wilds outside the city walls, rather than face the coming battle. The rest were cowering in their homes hoping that the menacing shadows outside would pass them over, most prayed silently to a distant Emperor for salvation that may never come.
Crouched behind a haistily errected barricade Jareth caressed the cryo sealed tube maglocked on his hip, a nervous habit he had picked up since Istavann, ensuring the genetic legacy of his legion would still live on. He stares into the darkness trying to make sense of the shadows that pooled at the edges of the lights cast by the mansions stab lights.
The heavy scrape of ceramite of stone announces the arrival of the Terminators of Nocturnes Shield.
"Soon" announced Ta'shen their choleric leader rasped through his vox speakers, it was not a question.
The apothecary didn't respond, there was no need. There, a flash of midnight blue amongst the black.
"Contact" he cried, raising his bolt pistol and firing rapidly, behind him the terminators followed suit, the unmistakable ring of bolt rounds on ceramite could be heard but still the shadows flowed forward.
Jareth could hear fire from the other side of the mansion a clear indication that battle had been joined, but their was little he could do about that now.
RU90st, acting on stimuli unknown to its marine counterparts opened fire, heavy autocannon rounds split the nigt throwing three Night Lords raptors to the ground bloodied and broken. The Salamnders marines added their own fire but the raptors surged forward.
A new sun was born in the night sky, briefly illuminating the battlefield before falling to earth. Flames licked out in all directions as the dreadclaw slammed into the ground in front of the govenors mansion.
The fire burns harmlessly over the suits of terminator armour, during this distraction the marines of terror squad third claw sneak slowly forward sniping at the heavily armoured terminators but causing no castualties.
A hulking land radier roared from the darkness, daubed Nostraman runes declaring it Movetium, lascannons spitting energy but still they are unable to sunder the venerable terminator suits.
The raptors trigger their jetpacks and surge forward supported by Korsh, twin to Movetium. The raptors leap forward closing the distance with their former brothers but one is killed negotiating the tangled pipework.
Korsh opens fire, the corrsucating energy ripping away some of the protective plates covering RU90st but otherwise leaving him unharmed.
The volkite bearing members of the Faceless Murder take careful aim and manage to fell one of the marines defending the mansion.
With a rising howl the first Salamnders reserves sweep into the battle. Chaplain Cro'tan and his retinue of jetbikes push their engines to the very limit attempting to break the siege. The Faceless Murder open fire but the swift movement of the jetbikes makes precision shots impossible.
Behind them a Sicaran tank destroyer follows its main gun hunting for targets. The hunter spots its prey across the district and, carefully lining up its shot, fires annihaliting his enemy.
Pax Mortem the salamanders land raider arrives with its cargo of pyroclasts pushes through the centre of the district, it fires on the dreadclaw but the distance is too great to do any real damage.
In the containers and moving equipment of the dockyards more terminators arrive and move forward quietly alonside the contemptor dreadnought Oth'hilo.
With a howl the Terminators of Nocturnes sword sweep forward smashing apart their own barricades to reach the enemy. Ta'shen charged in swinging his hammer in a sweeping arc that tore the drop pod to pieces, scattering the fleeing terror squad inside, throwing four of them lifeless to the ground.
RU90st and the marines continue to pour fire into the raptors dropping two more of the killers but failing to slow their advance.
With a bone rattling roar two storm eagles soar overhead, one heads back to fend off the Salamanders reinforcements and the other sweeps forward raining fire onto the mansion killing a terminator and wounding the governors bodyguard.
Both the raptors and the survivors of the drop pod turn their ire on the Salamnders tactical squad killing three more but the defenders stand resolute, unfortunately they are pounced upon by the raptors and torn to pieces who move deeper into the guts of the mansion.
The two land raiders continue their advance, Korsh disgorges their terminator passengers who contemptuously smash RU90st aside but not before the mechanicum unit flays one with autocannon fire.
Jareth blinked blood and rain water from his eyes all he could see was midnight blue armour, a tide of it threatening to engulf the last of the defenders. His fingers reflectively stroked the precious cargo on his hip he noticed right flank crumble and collapse and he felt his blood boil in his veins.
"Terminators, to me!" he cried striding forward to join the battle.
That's it for part one folks, come back for part two in the next few days.
