Planetfall: Alcmene

Prelude

A klaxon screamed, shredding the tranquil silence in the Librarium.

Brother-Librarian Kruitzfeldt of the Legio Bolter and Chainsword rose from his seat and strode towards the heavy Adamantium doors of the Librarium, collecting his Force Sword as he passed the weapons rack.

As the door hissed shut behind the Librarian, the electrolumens in the Librarium dimmed, the only light provided by the dull glow of the console Kruitzfeldt had been using. Green text glowed brightly against the black screen:

++ Legio Archive Initiated ++
++ Omega Level Clearance Required ++
++ Input passcode: ******** ++
++ Data Access Granted ++
++ Thought for the Day: Learn from the past ++

++ Accessing file: Jarrett , Legio Battle Brother, recruited from: Grief Bringers. ++
++ Pict record: unavailable ++
++ Battle History: begin download ++
++ Scout Company; V'run engagement - File 33% complete ++
++ Scout Company; V'run engagement - File 66% complete ++
++ Error: Data stream corrupted, unable to retrieve remaining data ++

++ Accessing file: Rhadamanthys , Legio Battle Brother, recruited from: Brazen Claws. ++
++ Pict Record: Access Granted ++
++ Brazen Claws Apotecarion Records: Recruit XVG3390076 Alpha ++
++ Battle History: begin download ++
++ LB&C; Defence of Divine Hunter. Cross ref: Captain Draco Euripides (Scions of Dorn), Tomax Hell (Excommunicate Traitoris: Night Lords). ++
++ End of file, all other data unretrievable ++

++ Accessing file: Golgotha , Legio Sergeant, recruited from: Scions of Dorn. ++
++ Pict record: Access Granted ++
++ Battle History: begin download ++
++ Error: Data stream corrupted, unable to retrieve remaining data ++

++ Accessing file: Diffido , Access Denied: Insufficient Clearance, recruited from: Exorcists. ++
++ Pict record: Access Denied: Insufficient Clearance. ++
++ Battle History: Access Denied: Insufficient Clearance. ++

++ Input file name for retrieval: _

The cursor flashed slowly in the darkened Librarium, awaiting the return of Kruitzfeldt with the infinite patience of the machine.

Part: 1

+(RT)+

The Thunderhawk banked sharply, skimming low through the plascrete canyons of the wrecked hive. Jarrett increased the magnetic pull of his boots, anchoring himself more firmly to the deck as it tilted under him, and looked around the crowded compartment. Thirty marines, each clad in the black and red of the Legio Bolter and Chainsword murmured their final prayers and readied their weapons for planetfall. Marines from some of the most famous chapters in the galaxy, the Salamanders, Imperial Fists and Raven Guard stood shoulder to shoulder, each proudly displaying their heritage on their right shoulder pauldron.

Across the compartment a young marine bearing the heraldry of the Brazen Claws was conferring with Diffido, formerly of the Exorcists Chapter. The Brazen Claw glanced up, met Jarrett's gaze and nodded. Jarrett returned the nod, but couldn't shake the unease he felt about the Exorcist. Diffido's armour bore arcane hexagrams and runes that disturbed Jarrett in ways he couldn't explain. He'd heard rumours of the chapter's strange practices - they all had - and he couldn't help but feel worried about dropping on a Chaos controlled planet with a marine who seemed so close to heresy himself. Jarrett shook his head, and braced himself as the pilot gave the ten second warning.

The Thunderhawk settled in the shadow of a desecrated temple to the Emperor, at the edge of an open plaza. Jarrett leaped from the ramp, his boots kicking up dust as he ran after Sergeant Castor. He skidded to a halt behind a shattered pillar and scanned the square. As the rest of the squad took up positions around him, a mob of chaos marines in burgundy armour burst from an archway and sprinted towards the Gunship, bolters spitting fire. As Jarrett raised his weapon, an icon flashed in front of his eyes and he whirled to see traitors flooding the square from every direction.

Glancing towards the Thunderhawk, Jarrett saw the first group of traitors reach the access ramp, only to be repelled by a counter-charge led by the Brazen Claw, Rhadamanthys. The young marine fought calmly and coolly, wielding his chainsword in both hands, the weapon a blur as he pushed back the burgundy armoured chaos marines. Turning away, Jarrett racked the under-slung grenade launcher that jutted from his antique boltgun and fired a krak grenade towards a squad of traitors entrenched behind a fallen pillar. The grenade flew high over the traitor position, impacting against the base of the temple wall behind them and detonating with a sharp report. Castor's voice buzzed from the vox bead in Jarrett's ear

"Emperor's teeth, Jarrett, at least hit the enemy…"

The wall of the temple, weakened by Jarrett's grenade, slowly collapsed on top of the traitor squad burying them in plascrete and mortar. Jarrett smiled as the cloud of dust rose into the sky and turned to assess the situation.

The black clad Legio marines had formed a loose ring around the Thunderhawk, holding back the tide of Chaos marines and cultists that flooded into the plaza from every corner. The Heavy Bolters on the Gunship opened fire, raking the hordes of traitors with explosive shells. A deep rumbling echoed around the square as a Land Raider encrusted with skulls and leering daemonic faces powered through a ruined wall, crushing corpses beneath its cleated tracks. The twin Lascannon lanced out, striking the Thunderhawk's starboard engine, and raking along the hull towards the cockpit. The beams of coherent light flared as they struck the reinforced plasglass screen, then the cockpit exploded with a blinding flash as the lasers penetrated the protective shielding…

+(RT)+

+(AR)+

As the cockpit of the loyalist Thunderhawk detonated, Brother Jeremiah of the Word Bearers watched with despondency as his misguided brothers continued to fight. It must be obvious even to them that they were beaten. Surely now they would see sense and accept the Pantheon as their saviours.

His eyes misted as he targeted the fleeing black armoured figures with the Landraider's heavy bolter turret, tears of heart-felt anguish running down his cheeks as he was forced to turn a brother into bloodmist.

No. It seemed they were beyond the light of Salvation. With a heavy heart he gave Brother Gideon the signal to man the combi-bolter on the top hatch pintle and put these poor wretches out of their misery.

+++

Golgotha took the marble steps four at a time, trusting to faith that the passage of the corrupted Landraider through the building wouldn't see them giving way under his feet. In another few seconds he was at the top of the staircase, and swinging up onto the window ledge. Ahead he saw his Brothers of the Legio Bolter & Chainsword surrounded, caught in a bloody crossfire between the Word Bearer traitor marines and the overwhelming firepower of their Landraider just below him. Well, he reflected, all that was about to change.

He leapt out into space, and rolled as he hit the top deck of the tank. It faintly repulsed him that there were faces leering out of the metal surface, like trapped souls bound inside the infernal construction. He put it out of his mind. He had seen enough things in his eight decades with the Scions of Dorn, and then another quarter-century with the Legio for it not to even surprise, let alone frighten him. The grinding of actuators from the pintle hatch was more than he could have hoped - he had thought he was going to have to do it the hard way. With a prayer of thanks to the Emperor, Brother-Sergeant Golgotha emptied a full magazine of Inferno bolts through the half-opened access hatch. Relishing the satisfying sound of them ricocheting within the armoured cabin, he followed up with a brace of frag grenades, and slammed the hatch shut.

The sound of the internal heavy bolter magazine cooking off told him it was time to leave. With the target neutralised he leapt down to join his squad as they swept towards the suddenly beleaguered Word Bearer force.

+++

Two miles away from the ambush, sequestered appropriately enough within the remains of a brothel, Veteran Sergeant Weissmann of the Order Encarmine played the sight of his sniper rifle across the scene. The crosshairs stopped on a loyalist marine leaping from a burning Landraider. He stroked the trigger, holding the man's life in the balance, but held off the kill-shot, admiring his skill with the oversized chainsword. The marine twisted to parry a blow, and with shock he saw the stylised ‘S' on his shoulder pad.

Weissmann threw the rifle to one side in disgust. Such a quick death was too good for a Scion of Dorn. He remembered the baseless allegations of the Inquisition, and how readily the Scions of Dorn had turned against a fellow Chapter. He remembered how they had declared 'Exterminatus' on his homeworld with cyclonic torpedos, and captured or killed over half of his chapter.

No. After what they had done to his chapter, Weissmann had something far more appropriate in mind than simple assassination.

+(AR)+