@TechCaptain @High_Adept_Zeth @Vanestus @EvicusDasan1 @Uriel1339 @Illfetus @Grall_Stonefist @Vulpas @Maleth ~ 'you can report to the Deployment site for further orders, regimental command is set up nearby and can get you something to do while you are here.' As the platoon commander marched off shouting orders to the Mordian platoon the crowd started dispersing into the city itself, with nothing else to do the squad followed. The squad proceeded through the city streets, passing by buildings and fortifications in varying condition and populated by various numbers of citizens, PDF or Mordian Iron guard, much of the capital was in ruins already the Imperial guard having fought tooth and nail so far to keep the deployment zone safe from Necron attack. The group passed by a large twitching pile of fallen Necrons that had been gathered together in one location by the Imperial citizenry, the ominous looking mound of Xenos machinery was being watched over by a nearby bunker of the Mordian Iron guard with no less than three autocannons fixed on its position ready to fire if necessary. Various outlets manned by the PDF were giving out weapons and ammo to civilians, various instances of conscription were occurring all over the city where ordinary people were being given any weapon that could be spared to further aid the defense. Coming closer to the heart of the city the amount of fortifications grew and the numbers of the PDF and the Mordian iron guard became more concentrated, entire buildings appeared to have been collapsed deliberately in order to block off access of certain streets to the Necrons. The roofing forming the skyline of the city had also become interconnected resulting in a series of walkways allowing both the Mordian Iron guard and the PDF to redeploy from building to building when necessary, it appeared that the reason that the city had not fallen was mostly due to the ingenuity of its defenders to take advantage of the Necrons lack of mobility. That mentioned the PDF here were also much better equipped than the ones the squad had seen earlier equipped with lasguns taken from regimental stores, even flak armor and in the case of a lucky few frag grenades. The aforementioned lasguns and flak armor also appeared to have actually been taken stores left behind by the 19th Valerian and 233rd New Byzantine judging by their colors and regimental heraldry, in short it appeared that Imperial command had held nothing back to further reinforce the defense of the city. Eventually the group reached the deployment area, it was a wide open space right in the heart of the city and bordering it was the looming manufactorum that the squad had seen earlier, the site was build like an enormous city square and the buildings around it had been fortified against attack by the Imperial guard. Several shuttles in the middle of the square were loading up refugees as they crowded into the square and taking off in turn for the troop Imperial guard transports hovering far above the planet surface before returning when the displaced had disembarked. The whole procedure was policed by squads of the Mordian Iron guard who were ensuring order was maintained as the civilians were loaded and ensuring that violence did not break out among some of the more desperate individuals of the crowd flooding into the square. The squad during this time also had time to tune into the Mordian vox frequency and receive update reports on the state of the seige, according to latest reports there was increasing chatter of a large Necron force penetrating outer defenses and was headed straight for the deployment area. Regimental and Imperial command was requesting redeployment of Imperial forces not presently engaged to establish defenses in and around the square before the Necrons arrived. The reports also warned of incoming Xenos aerial and heavy support accompanying a large number of Phalanxes and requests appropriate measures be taken in preparation for this assault.
" Well boys and girls. It looks like the city needs some help. Since its a large force coming our way. No stand and fight tactics. Lets show them hit and run tactics and the strategies we learned along the way. Pair off for support. Felix you and Zita act as liaisons and support for all. Get the defenders to take theae guys out. Dont worry about the Iron Guard just the PDF and Conscripts. Now lets move. " Sgt. Alton did the follow me wave and started heading to where the battle has been engaged around the square. As soon as he saw a Necron. He took cover and started firing normal bolt shells into it.
"Well, that sounded like a plan, yet I'm fairly sure it'd be more prudent to stay here and help secure the place before even thinking about charging out into the path of the Necron's advance, considering that we're only a single squad, we're certainly not Space Marines, and we'd be going against what the higher ups have ordered everyone else to do." Saven said to Alton (@TechCaptain ), staying where she was instead of following Alton's flawed orders.
Sgt. Alton pinched his nose. " In and around the square. If we set up here instead of up ahead we have no fall back. So instead of questioning get going up ahead. I am not disobeying higher ups. I am making it work."
"Congratulations on your resounding lack of clarity when it comes to giving orders, Alion." Saven mocked, before following Alton to wherever he was going. Sometimes, she wished that the former Tech-Guard would have the good sense to try and elaborate his orders rather than rely on the squad having anything resembling psychic powers to understand what he was trying to say.
Sgt. Alton is annoyed but just shakes his head at the lack of understanding with the unaugmented. This isn't the first time, he has had these problems and he missed the Tech-Guard where they all know the plan in very short order.
Smiling at another round of bickering between Sergeant Alton and Saven,Felix turned around and gestured to Zita.With a bit of a breather,it seems everyone in the city who was capable to hold a weapon was rallying,presumably as the enemy is for another attack at the city. Tracking down the highest rank that he could find of the PDF,Felix reported: "Remnants of the 19th Valerian reporting in sir!We heard the enemy is regrouping eager to get its alien husk beaten again!We have a squad of seven,armed to the teeth and a Techpriest.Where do you need us the most?"
@TechCaptain @Uriel1339 @Maleth @Vanestus @Grall_Stonefist @EvicusDasan1 @High_Adept_Zeth @Illfetus @Vulpas ~ The first two of the troop transports started to depart the system having filled to capacity on refugees fleeing off world, the last of the dropships for these same troop tansports also started to leave leaving a good deal less ships for the remaining refugees to cram into. The Mordians were able to concentrate their security forces in a far more secure manner thanks to there being less dropships which was just as well as the remaining refugees were starting to get agitated at the thought of there not being enough space for all of them. There were still more desperate people flooding into the city square and it was clear from the Imperial guard point of view that there was going be a lot of people that would be left behind, and the very real possibility of a riot in the city center when people started to act on their desperation. From behind the moon of Artemis minor emerged a pair of Necron harvester class ships accompanied by a small escort of Xenos fighter craft, they were moving at a trajectory to intercept the fleeing troop transports and seemed intent on eradicating the craft before they could leave the system. Between the helpless transports and the Necron ships was the silent grey Ironclad 'Thunderchild' it was slowly moving towards the planet surface to better protect the transports but at the sight of the Necron ships it swung about and with a 'whoosh' from its mighty plasma engines drove at full speed towards the oncoming Necrons. The Necrons released their fleet of fighter craft setting them loose toward the lone Imperial vessel, the weapon batteries on the Ironclad opened up with broadsides from the many anti fighter guns on its exterior hull creating a wall of fire that crashed down with sheets of flame on the Necron fighters eliminating swathes of them before they even came close. The ship sped on seeking to ram straight into one of the Necron ships before they opened fire themselves on the aged vessel. On the ground the refugees saw this and within moments spirits rose amongst the crowd, somehow whether it had been from the Imperial guard or careful observation from certain individuals the name Thunderchild had started to be whispered among the refugees. Thinking far too much they started smiling and even cheering shouting their support for the Imperial navy vessel, one man could be heard over the rest of the crowd, an unremarkable individual but still screaming his support out loud in defiance of the Necrons. 'COME ON THUNDERCHILD!' On the outskirts of the city square the first of the Necron phalanxes could be seen marching through the city streets, they were unaware of the squads presence so had inadvertently set themselves up for an ambush, there were three phalanxes so far each numbering 20 squads each. Mordian reinforcements were already on their way but now it was the 19th Valerian's chance for payback with everything they had.
" Engage." Sgt. Alton said over the vox when the Necrons were in the killzone of the ambush. Sgt. Alton shot a promethium tank that the Necrons had walked over to cause a major flaming explosion in the center of the phalanx. The he continued to lay Bolt Shell death on the skeletons with percision fire to the weakest points identified by his Omnispex inbedded in his eye.
"It's time to show those Necrons who's boss!" Saven yelled, changing out her weapon's magazine for a fresh one, then aiming at any Necron heads that had the courtesy to end up in her sights. She then promptly let loose a bolter round at the head and then moving on to the next target with almost uncanny efficiency. Hopefully, everyone might help make a considerable dent in the enemy's numbers before they got too close to the squad for comfort.
