((Just make a quick map on paint :3 )) Speaking again to the pair of warriors before him, Sel continued, "It will be a standard webway insertion near the Iron Tooth Mountains, but we will be committing recon until I say otherwise, so keep low and quiet. We will be able to call on Saim-Hann and Ulthwean forces for support should the need arise, but I will be communicating with their Autarchs directly on arrival." ((details details details that I don't have anyways details details details)) "Ready to move?" he quizzed. Layairda nodded. Kaelor responded, "Yes." ((I hope you two don't mind that liberty taken, but we gotta catch up!)) "Excellent," Sel said, while wondering what kind of parent would name their child after a lost craftworld. "Lissia," he called. "Yes?" "I'm moving out now, you have charge of the defense." "Understood." Moving to the wayseer with the trio of Eldar at his back, Sel regarded the wayseer. "We need an insertion here in the Iron Tooth Mountains," he directed as he indicated the region on a hologram shown from a datapad. "Also, please keep track of our location for rapid extraction." The wayseer affirmed his request, and activated the gate. Stepping through, the quartet of combatants moved through the ethereal plane of the webway, slowly floating on winds generated by beckoning runes guided by the now distant wayseer. They floated along a pathway of labyrinthine connections between all of the local gates and then struck a new path towards their goal. Disorienting as it was, the team rode the waves of warped space to their destination, flying weightless through the aetheric realm until they reached an end point. Suddenly, a portal appeared before them, and they were now standing on the hard rock of the Iron Tooth mountains. The air was crisp and fresh compared to the sub-tropical isle they had left. Sel took a brief respite as a steady breeze flew through his hair. It was truly comforting. Then the faintest and most distant stench of smoke and pestilence soured the air, as war and wanton destruction lay just over the summit. It sickened him. Donning his helm once more, he called to Saim-Hann. "Autarch Sel to Autarch Atharys; status of extraction Wave Serpents and ground strike teams?" "Atharys to Sel; the Shining Spears and Vypers are holding quiet in a crevasse near the citadel. The Wave Serpents are flying silent at high altitude waiting for a call. It's all I can send right now so do not commit to engagement as you will be overwhelmed quickly." "Understood, thanks, we're moving in now." "Autarch Sel to Maenlianar: how are you faring?" "Maenlianar responding: we're holding well, but I have yet to receive new orders." "We need a distraction for Chaos. Abandon your current base leaving a small garrison and plant explosives throughout the ruins. Make a new holdout to the northeast, attack chaos through the old base, feint a rout, and lead them to the base near the ruins. Fall back to the northeast destroying the path as you go. Keep the Iyandi at the fall-back position to hold the line. If they continue to chase you, have the Iyandi hold while you extract both forces completely. If they do not continue, then extract immediately." "Acknowledged." "Alright, let's go," he said to the recon team. They marched roughly a mile to reach the crest of the mountain range, and had full view of the Citadel and its Central Spire. Pulling his long rifle free, Sel viewed the Citadel through his scope. "Buttressed defenses and gun emplacements, earthworks and autocannons, razor wire and minefields, the standard fare," he studied. "There!" he noted, "a primary sensor station! They have secondaries there and there, but if we can out the sensor array, then the Astartes would likely notice the drop in radar signal. Without a warning system, the Marines would likely attack the blinded foe. Our Serpents' holo-fields will protect them from being spotted but once they come low, all the anti-air will blast them and there's no good way for the Spears and Vypers to approach so extraction will be difficult." "Here's a plan of attack: Layairda, Lithinian and I move in quietly under Lithinian's psychic concealment. Kaelor waits here for a signal. Lithinian and I move in and hit the sensor arrays hard. Layairda goes loud and acrobatically keeps herself out of reach, drawing attention her way at first. We take out the sensors quickly while Kaelor ports in and attacks these gun emplacements while Lithinian and I take the heat off of Layairda. Kaelor calls a greenlight and then I call on Saim-Hann to pull us out with Vypers and Shining Spears charging the walls with the Wave Serpents coming in low from the same direction." "Vyper and Spears, respond." "On standby." "Continue to hold, we'll call on you when we need extraction, and we'll work on removing the gun emplacements before we call." "Understood." "Serpents in the sky, respond." "Here." "Move to this side of the mountain and reduce altitude by a half, we'll call on you for extraction from inside the base after sensors are knocked out. Come in low from your side. Vypers and Spears will support you." "Affirmed." "You three ready?"
Layairda simply placed a hand on the hilt of her power sword, then looked back up to the Autarch and nodded. She was prepared to shed blood once again, and confident in the Autarch's ability to lead them.
((I'll just keep going and both Taec and Shad will have specific points to elaborate their escapades)) With confirmation across the board, Sel called a hold. Ten millicycles later, the Ulthweans called in. "Maenlinar to Sel, we are attacking now, though Chaos is apparently also fighting the Astartes." "Then strike their weak points to anger them and pull back. By no means allow yourself to become committed to the fight." "That's the plan." "Alright, go!" Lithinian casted a rune before the trio. The world around them faded noticeably with flashes of light and sparks of warped reality encircling them. It was clear that they were concealed from all manner of light, and so they moved down the slope as swiftly as their feet could carry. The tread of the Eldar's feet was almost perfectly silent as they pressed downwards. They stayed close together, moving from rock to rock, step by step, lightly leaping from ledge to ledge. Making it down the slope to the walls at a terrifying pace, they then struck the minefields. "Follow my steps exactly," he instructed in a whisper. Sel had dealt with the brutish explosives manufactured by the mon'keigh many times before and these we even cruder than he had expected. It was trivial to judge the lumps in the dirt and easily move about them quickly. The seer and acrobatic banshee had no trouble following suit. They then reached razorwire, and one by one, they bounded over the masses of metal easily. The guns of the citadel stared attentively at the cliffs before them, but having missed the Eldar's approach, they were blind to the assailants directly beneath them. The walls were before them, standing erect several meters high with a long, angled slope to ricochet piercing shells, but even an Eldar could not hurdle such a height. The Autarch reached out his hands to his two allies and using his wing pack to boost them, they walked up the slope slowly and as quietly as possible. Reaching the top, they cat-falled from the height of the wall inside the Citadel. They had entered the Hornet's Nest, and strangely enough, Sel felt right were he needed to be; infiltrating and sabotaging the enemy to defend his people. Before them was the most detestable sight shy of the Palace of Pleasure an Eldar could glimpse. The defensive bastion was a true ornament of the Dark Gods, featuring its ill-founded crests and symbols. The streets were filthy concrete arteries, and surely the Plaguefather had found solace here. Bloodstains in sporadic assortment indicated the passage of those unfortunate enough to be captured here, and Sel did not intend on joining them. The trio of Isha's children carefully moved from the wall and past unaware throngs of worshippers, many of which were armed and others of which who were tortured wrecks of men. It was disgusting. They were disgusting. A sense of repulsion had to be mentally quieted to press forward. Selhiat was infinitely thankful for his suit's vacuum seals as he was sure this whole region was an olfactory nightmare. They pressed to the sensors. After a few millicycles of careful, silent motion and near-alerts by passersby, the three Eldar had gotten close to the primary sensor array. The secondaries were nearby and Sel spoke via comm beacon to his comrades. "Alright. Lithinian, move to the secondaries, I'm moving for the primary. Layairda, go loud on three." "Two." "One."
Kaelor crouched down low, a surprising feat for such bulky armor. Kaelor knew the plan. Every step memorized. So here he crouched, waiting for the signal. Then the killing would begin.
Celestial Stairs: North-Western Front Having sheered the flank of the Eldar Forces, the Word Bearer Host cut the battle lines funneling back to their own lines, extending their lines to occupy the North Western front, seizing control of the Northwest Corner. The Central West lines were well situated and had been reinforced over the past days, Lord Yuri takes his prizes and reconsolidates his Armored Divisions along the Western Trench Line, repositioning skirmish units along the Northern and Southern flank. Biker Regiments, Furies, and Forsaken Divisions would hold strongholds hidden throughout the flanks to preform hit and run raids on any units passing through the segment. Patrolling at irregular intervals and continually harassing both the Eldar Forces holding the North-East and the Space Marines Advancing on the Stairs to the South. The Soul Stones gathered from the dead were to be a new addition to the Gehemahnet Towers being constructed far to the West at the Harbinger’s fortified valley HQ. Acolytes of the Legion were setting about possessing the alien devices with daemonic entities so that the encased soul will be continuously devoured by the Warp Predators, their eternal suffering screaming into thee Warp. The Stairs teemed with violence, his Cousin Legions had finally begun the assault on the enemy, for now the Word Bearers held the West, the push would come soon, but for now let the competition batter each other over the death tower. Imperial City Ruins: Sewers The assaulting xenos lie dead at the squad’s feet. Another Host-Brother had fallen in the tight quarters, overwhelmed by the Tyranid swarm. Despite their brief respite, the tunnels offered no refuge. “Urlox, report in. The Desolate Lord has need of you.” “Command this is Urlox, the Imperial spies elude us in the undercity, we have been… delayed by the xeno infestation.” “Breech surface, the tides of war wait for no man, the city lies in ashes but the defenders have more blood to bleed. Return to your duties, the spies are lost. Despite the logic of the order, Urlox abandoned the hunt with only grave reservations. The smell of the xeno was overpowering, the trail was lost. It mattered not, he had the Imperials sent, and would not be denied his quarry. The squad broke to the surface for remount, their duty was to ravage Imperial lands, a direction was not given. The hunt would not end, he simply moved it to the surface, the prey would have to break out eventually, or he would find them on the battlefield. His riders would patrol the land approaching the Astartes position at the stairs.
OOC: Since Nate brought it up with the map ; I was hoping Mechaius would make something as amazing as he did for Lorias in the Tides of Destiny, therefore I keep my hands off it ^^
OOC: Well lets see..... ~100k PDF Guardsmen + Vehicles (leman russ, basilisks, etc.) ; ~400 Ultramarines, ~700 Space Wolves (whole chapter is ~1200 keep that in mind) ; ~400 Dark Angels ; ~600 Blood Angels + roughly (total numbers): 12 Land Raiders, 20 Dreadnoughts, 40 Rhinos, 25 Razorbacks, 40 Landspeeders (different Variants), 100 Assault Bikes, 80 Thunderhawks (Transporters and Gunships), 30 Whirlwinds, etc.
Layairda sneaked behind a nearby Cultist, power sword at the ready. In an instant she plunged her blade through his heart, the last thing he had heard; the wail of the Banshee. She pulled her blade from the corpse and fired her pistol against another cultist who cringed at the sound of her shriek. Another hurriedly moved to attack her but she was far faster than he. She kicked his leg out from under him and finished him with a click blow to the chest as soon as he landed on the ground. She shrieked once again and moved further from her kin, hoping to keep eyes as far away from them as possible. More cultists came but they all fell, easy prey for her power sword. These mon'keigh had little hope of stopping her onslaught as she cut them down, one by one. The next thing she knew, she'd been knocked to the ground from a blow to her back. She immediately found the source, a single Chaos Space Marine wielding a chainsword. He struck at her but she rolled to the side and scrambled to her feet, placing some distance between the two. (Will be continued.)
Waiting for an opportunity to attack the Tyranids bio-pools, Malkar first notices something wrong when the pools begin rapidly draining. Quickly voxing the Warsmith, by the time the channel is open only small puddles of genetic matter remain. The Tyranids had also disappeared underground, and Malkar noticed the telltale dust clouds of collapsing tunnels. When Magnarax finally responded to his call, the Night Lord can't help but show his irritation. "The Tyranids are retreating Warsmith, and they have sealed their tunnels behind them. We will not be able to reach the bio-pools, what would you have us do?"
The Tunnels were suddenly closed, the Captain leaped back as he noticed first, but others were hit as the ceiling above them crushed on them, at least ten Ultramarines died by the trickery of the Tyranids. "They will not be forgotten! Apply Melta Charges and let us get in there! The Tyranids never play defensive, either they have no chance or really want to guard what is down there!" The Captain announced and the company went back to leave room for the clearing operations from the Techmarine and Tactical Marines, he was informed that they would need a row of Melta Charges but that they should have enough to at least get through the tunnel, it would take several minutes though. "The Tyranids buy time.... But for what?" He whispered out loud, surrounded by his Seargeants who had no clue either, but at least one collaborated. "What if it's a trap? Get us down there and start slaughtering us? Like the First Company on Hera?" The Captain widened his eyes on that, then narrowed them. "Indeed they could recognize the Warriors of Ultramar... And remember our deeds... By the God-Emperor I hope that you are wrong, Seargent Etapes. Hold that flamer high and steady, we will need it." The Seargent nodded and the Captain turned back to the tunnel. 'The Emperor protects. The fallen will not be forgotten. The Xenos shall die and our brothers revenged.' The man swore in the inner chambers of his soul.
