Inaction. Something else Unit 7 had never really had to deal with before. It was a curious sight, if not somewhat irking. His squad hugged the cover, talking amongst themselves and hugging the ground like it was the Emperor's greatest gift to Man. Why were they doing that? The plan was simple, move forward, take the gate. Such simple tasks the Emperor blessed his servants with, and here everyone was completely overthinking it. The Mordian witch mentioned something akin to a plan and him, but said nothing further.

The Grenadier's hotshot silenced for a moment, it's barrel glowing a deep red. "Our objective is simple, take the gate. That requires we move forward, so that is what we shall do." His lenses fell upon the Ogryn, surveying the simple beast for a moment. While an abhuman, this 'Skud' held an unwavering faith in the Emperor, which is something he could respect.

"Unit Skud shall accompany me as our heavy weapons provide suppressing fire. While we draw the heretics attention the rest of you can move forward."

His hotshot gave off a light hiss as it finished cooling, pressing the weapon against his chest as a few words were muttered under his breath before looking back up.

"Only in death does duty end."

With those words the Grenadier vaulted over the cover, staying low to the ground as his hotshot began spraying the enemy positions, and an increasing amount of bullets began impacting around him. Not that Unit 7 noticed as he moved forward without so much as a moment of hesitation.

@GobMaw_HellSmasha @XV-878 @kanila @Jammysod @Vlayden @Vanestus @Starcaller

Skud was now on the verge of his mind collapsing in on itself-simple as it may be. The lady from earlier told him to follow her, and one of the men from before said that they move when the lady told him to move forward. But now there was this strange looking man that spoke his name and said that he was going to follow him. But Skud was told to follow the lady, and to move forward when he was told to move forward. And then the other man started to move on ahead. His face portraying just how lost he was at the moment. Skud was incapable at being at two places at once.

Perhaps the lady said to move forward and that he simply didn't hear her? Maybe that's why the strange man was moving ahead. "Empyrar wants gate" Skud said as he climbed over cover and began following the strange man. Bringing his Ripper Gun forward and fired away at the ones that didn't want the Emperor to have his gate. If they didn't want to give the Emperor his gate, Skud will have to take it from them.

"Huh... well that's more or less what my plan was, just with me, the Krieger and that crazy shotgun guy going too while using the Ogryn as co--" He stopped talking as he saw the Krieger vault the cover and start pressing on towards the gate. "... basically a much less stupid version of--" He stopped again as Skud followed. "... that. Dammit, why do I have to be so stupid?" Albert mumbled before immediately following suit and jumping over the cover, standing upright unlike his krieger comrade. Despite Skud the Krieger's head start Albert quickly caught up to them, spitting out the rest of his Lho-Stick as he did. "You didn't seriously think the Valhallan wouldn't follow you on the crazy suicide charge, did you? Now let's take that stupid gate. For the Emperor!" A smile slowly appeared on Alberts face as he ran, dodging the occasional shot as he, Skud and the Krieger made their way to the gate and hopefully not to their deaths, not that he'd mind either way...

Lianna sighed ever so slightly now as everyone started to charge, nodding as she went over to the Gunner squad and patted one on the shoulder. "Keep to short bursts: Not sure when we'll get resupplied, so act like these are your last boxes until the end of the week." She ordered before stepping up and, after slinging her plasma gun over her backside and unholstering her pistol & combat knife.

"FOLLOW ME, GUARDSMEN, TO GLORY!" She cried out, her helm's vox-systems amplifying it slightly - enough to be heard by all, at least. "PAST THIS GATE IS THE EMPEROR'S BLESSING. DEFEAT THESE HERETICS, AND WE SHALL EARN OUR WAY TO HISTORY!"

"CHAAAARGE!" She wasted no more time as she leapt over her cover and sprinted towards the Gates - to all, she was one of the Mighty Kasrkin from Cadia itself, armed with nothing but her combat knife and a hotshot laspistol, firing away at the enemy and wholly confident she would best them on her own.
If this wasn't enough of a motivation for the rest to follow her? Then only a Commissar could make them move forward.

Brock looked from the Kasrkin to Chester as she vaulted the wall. "Well I guess everyone just does what they want now aye Chester." Chester looked around their fighting position to see who was left after the charge started. "Yea it would seem so, I'm gonna unbox the rest of these rounds." Chester said as he started draping the rounds across his chest to make the weight evenly distributed for easier carrying.

Brock began firing in 6 to 9 round bursts at any enemy that exposed itself to fire at the advancing squad. Each burst ended, or atleast reduced, a threat to their squad. Both Brock and Chester prepared for their own charge across the open ground once their squad made it to the gate's relative safety. Because honestly they wouldn't do anyone any good being outside the wall while everyone else was inside.

@Starcaller @Vanestus @BuriasDempsey @XV-878 @kanila @GobMaw_HellSmasha @Vlayden @Keidivh @Jammysod
The combat started to heat up, with the screams of death and the smell of iron filled their ears and nostrils. To some of the squad, that would bring inspiration to fight that were hard fought, to others it would be a battle they would hide away from. All the Guardsmen were hardened warriors fighting to live on another day. Today would be the day that either broke them as cowards or made them heros. Over the vox caster they could hear the vox chatter of requests for Valkyrie strafing runs in different locations, with the artillery just being set up. Soon the squad would hear their squad number being called on vox. “Squad 86, This is Commander Solomon. I need heavy bolter fire on tower 6, we've just 2 squads suffer enemy autocannon fire, confirm your relocation.” With the ‘squad’ having formed up and given the order to move out, with the sergeant nowhere in sight and most likely having his final rest from duty thanks to the autocannon fire claiming his life. Then out of a otherwise unseen hole, the barrel of a heavy stubber opens fire upon the squad, being suppressed by heavy stubber fire which knocked the Ogyrn Skud's shoulder plate with the heavy rounds sparking off it. The squad managed to take some cover despite the attempt to pin them down via the heavy stubber's rounds.


@GoreWrencha

Moments ago you charged in with everyone else some squads held back but you charged in with the mass of the company. But immediately your squad is hit with HE fire from an Autocannon you are blown back out hit apart of the broken wall of the gate onto your back and slide down onto the bloody, muddy ground. Unconscious for a few moments you awake you gather you bearings and see a squad sitting undercover by heavy stubber fire. You ask for a sitrep of your squad no reply you look to where your squad was all that is there is a large pot hole. Possibly a mine was placed there and they only added the Autocannon to soften you up. You can run to the squad to be there temporary Sergeant.


@bossaroo

You’ve been scouting out this fortress for a long time you saw the orbital bombardment a couple of hours ago then the dropships a few minutes ago and the mass of guardsmen rush into the battlefield then over your Orbital vox relay you hear. “All scouts that have been emplaced since Januarius. 13th is under heavy suppression from front gate we have no snipers on the ground to take out those targets it's your time to take action do it that is an order.” You're about 700 meters out from the Fortress perfect range for your Long-Las time to get shit-faced.


@Lord_Zial_Ghoul

You left the dropship long ago because she died activating the reverse thrusters to save the guardsmen and you. You on the frontlines firing your laspistol and analyzing the fortifications to see how you get past them. A lot of kill holes have been made the ‘main’ gate was a fake past the walls there were murder holes mines but both gates are down that is true but the inside of the fortress is heavy weapons emplacements that have been set up by the PDF plus that heavy stubber with Anti-Material rounds does not help and autocannon with High Explosive rounds doesn’t help the first 450 would easily get past. But the rest of the company would have a hard time even getting even past the secondary gate. Almost 400+ people are stuck pinned.


Forces:

PDF Forces: 1,128

13th Kodiak Company: 973

3-12th Company arrive in 3 turns

Jack grinned that tombstone grin he always had before he really got to work. He hoped thos epoor bastards inside hadnt already been torn to pieces, close quarters fighting always got really messy really wuick. He hoped at least some of his intel was useful. "Eh probably not haha " he muttered to himself as he opened up one of his many flasks are starting chugging like he was a man soon to drown. The homebrewed hard liqour quickly making its way into the Ratling's system he visibly slowed in his breath, heart rate, and blinking as roolled some foliage up to hide his already smal frame he set up the shot lining it up just right , hic ! As he fired the shot went ary taking the Heavy stubber gunner directly in the head "Emprah's grace haha" his voice slurred as he moved his sights along to his next target pressing his vox "13th this is ya buddy jack ," he breifly burped into the vox before continuing "i's gotcha covered call em out i'll knock em out"

Seeing the heavy stubber gunner's head turned to a fine mist Brock brought the bruiser into position to start laying down fire on Tower 6 so they could take the autocannons pressure off off the 2 pinned squads. Brock fired a 12 to 15 round burst of heavy bolter rounds into the position. "Good effects bro! Keep the pressure on!" Chester had his binos out observing the impacts ready to adjust fire as needed. "Let them have it Brock! Show them what happens to those that turn their backs on the Emperor!"

A great deal happened around Alice in a short time. The Valhallan yelled at her to pull herself together and reminded her that she was carrying their means of coordination on her back. The Kreiger went back for her helmet and put it back onto her head with surprising gentleness, even clipping her chin strap and adjusting it so it was comfortable. He then reminded her that all she had to do to properly serve the Emperor was to hold the line against His enemies and, if necessary, die standing. Alice didn't want to die, not at all, but she didn't want to fail either and she had made up her mind long ago that the latter was worse. Then there was the weapons crew who yelled at her to call for support.

Yes. That was definitely a thing she could do. She remembered the briefing she had yesterday morning. They were all shown pict-captures of this fort and the area surrounding it and it was all overlaid onto a grid. They all had to study that grid until they could produce the coordinates of landmarkes from memory. Alice had spent all of yesterday going over that map again and again, testing herself and drawing it out to see if she really got it. When she got up this morning she had drawn a simplified version of the map, the fortress and the coordinates from memory and even now, in the terror of battle, she had that map in her head. She realized she knew exactly how to help.

The Krieger, Ogryn and Valhallan charged into the fray towards the gate and the Kasrkin ordered the squad to follow, charging with a hot-shot laspistol and combat knife. Alice was ready this time. Her brain was working again. It was her job to call for artillery and air support to clear the way for her squad and she would need the best possible view to do that. They needed to get closer. She stayed behind the rest of the squad, keeping her head down and weapon raised like she was taught to do. She channeled her fear into moving her legs. She didn't look at the dozens of guardsmen falling all around her, or at the dozens more that were already on the ground dying and dead. She just kept moving. They were almost to the wall and when they got there they could storm the gate.

Twenty feet away the squad was stopped cold. Autocannon and heavy stubber fire was gunning down anyone that got that close and now it was trained on them. Everyone in front of Alice scrambled for cover, using overrun barricades, sandbags or even piles of dead to shield them. Alice fell rather clumsily into a shell crater. The weight of her vox caster causing her to trip and just barely catch herself with the butt of her lasgun. She flattened out onto her belly and took a peek over at the shattered gate. Two large towers and over a dozen murder holes flanked that gate, making those walls into a killing field. Alice unhooked her binoculars from her vox caster and tried to get a closer look inside the fortress. The ruined gate was in her way so she couldn't see much but what little she could see told her that it was even worse inside. There was a tower in the back of the fortress overlooking the gate, probably where the PDF HQ was, and on top of that tower was a massive turret with a twin-linked punisher cannon. It was literally raining bullets through that gate and tearing guardsmen to pieces. A twenty foot carpet of blood and gore paved the way to the gate, as if readying a welcome for the Blood God himself. Nothing and no one would get inside that fortress while that gun kept firing.

While she was observing Alice had set up her vox caster and had the receiver out in front of her. It was set to pick up the comms for the entire regiment so she could listen for air support but it sounded like they were all tied up. Suddenly there was a call for squad 86. That was her! She missed the first request but by the time the second went through she had the receiver up to her right ear, switching to the proper frequency. She remembered her callsign, Kilo 6-9. The vox caster for the sixth squad of the ninth platoon of the 13th Kilo company. Squad 86.

"Squad 86 here, Kilo 6-9 responding, repeat last transmission, over!" She voxed.

“Squad 86, This is Commander Solomon. I need heavy bolter fire on tower 6, we've just lost 2 squads to enemy autocannon fire, confirm your relocation.” Commander Solomon gave yesterday's briefing, Alice remembered. He was her company commander.

"Negative on relocation Commander! We are pinned down by enemy fire and cannot advance! I say again, we cannot advance! Requesting artillery support over!"

"Roger that Kilo 6-9, transferring you to basilisk battery Fury 2-4, over."

"Affirmative Commander, standing by! Kilo 6-9 out!" After a moment, Alice heard another voice on her vox and knew she was transferred.

"Kilo 6-9 this is Fury 2-4. Command said you could use some help, send traffic over."

"Roger that Fury 2-4, we are taking heavy fire and cannot advance! I see four heavy bolters in towers 1 and 2 and 12+ heavy stubbers in murder holes in the walls! Request HE barrage at coordinates 626 by 939 by 114! Fire for effect! How copy, over?"

"Roger that Kilo 6-9, HE barrage. Coordinates 626 by 939 by 114. Fire for effect. Stand by."

A few seconds later the shells came hammering down. Alice heard them before she saw the, whizzing through the air and making a low-pitched whistling as the very air moved out of their way. Six huge fireballs crashed into the gatehouse and walls, destroying the tower to the left and putting a huge hole in the right wall. Rubble and bodies collapsed out of the new holes and all of the guns fell silent. Alice could distinctly hear several guardsmen cheering, their oppressors finally having met the Emperor's fury.

"Good hit Fury 2-4, good hit!" Alice voxed. "10+ KIA's and all guns silenced. We are clear to advance inside the fortress, stand by for new coordinates." The immediate danger had passed but that punisher cannon was still a serious concern. Alice couldn't see through all the dust and smoke if it was still operational so she had to get closer to call in another barrage. She needed to radio the rest of the squad to see if they had better sight. The weapons team had just taken out the tower the Commander wanted destroyed so they must be doing okay. Alice switched channels again so she could talk to just the squad.

"Hey guys!" She shouted. "There's two giant gattling guns at the top of a big tower on the other side of that gate! Can anyone see it? I can't get a visual from where I am!"

Someone responded almost immediately but it wasn't a voice she recognized. Strangely enough, it sounded drunk.

"13th this is ya buddy Jack ," he briefly burped into the vox before continuing, causing Alice to flinch "I's gotcha covered. Call 'em out, I'll knock 'em out." Alice wasted no time in responding.

"Jack, this is Lance Corporal Alice Croshaw." She didn't bother with her callsign because she was speaking to just her squad and not all troopers were trained in vox chatter. It was simpler to just use her real name. "On the other side of that gate is a giant twin-linked punisher cannon that's turning our guys into a zogging welcome mat for Khorne! I need a visual I.D so I can call in artillery again! Can you see it from where you are!?"

As soon as the heavy stubber opened fire Albert dropped and started sliding along the bloody ground, coming to a stop behind a pile of giblets that he presumed was once a fellow guardsmen. He rolled onto his back, laying his head against his gory "cover". Practically every inch of his body was covered in blood now, he couldn't even see anything as blood dripped onto his eyes so he took off his ushanka and wiped his face with the inside of it before tossing the soaked hat away.

Once he could see again he looked around for his squad mates some more viable cover for a moment before realising that the stubber had stopped firing. Multiple thoughts now filled Albert's head. "Had it been taken out already? Where was everyone else? What is that damn whistli--" that last thought got its answer almost immediately as the boom of the artillery shells filled the air, for moment all Albert could hear was a loud ringing as the blasts momentarily deafened him. He looked out over the gore pile to see the gate obscured by smoke from the artillery strike and, without a seceond thought, he got up and continued pushing forward to the smoke cloud.

Upon reaching the edge of the cloud he stopped. Albert didn't know if any other members of his squad had made it this far and he had no way to communicate with them over a long distance. Sensing he had no other choice he turned around and yelled and waved in an attempt to get their attention or at least to confirm that none of them were around, hoping that the dense cloud of smoke would prevent anyone from taking effective shots at him. "Hey, anyone left back there!?"