DEATHWATCH
Mission V: Infestation
The broken moon of Zurcon...a shattered orb floating around the currently controlled Tau world nearby. There have been reports of something lurking within its exposed exterior, something menacing and malevolent. Whole ships have been destroyed or massacred by some unseen force, leaving behind only debris and death in its wake. Skold, Broteus, and myself have been dispatched to investigate and eliminate the threat that looms so close to our transportation routes. We must destroy whatever is causing such disarray and devastation, or the Tau will begin construction on cannons capable of penetrating the moon from the surface of the planet, which also puts our ships at risk. It is a risk but one we are glad to undertake, for the Emperor smiles upon us, and His angels are pure in action and precise in combat.
We sat in the small transport ship, awaiting the ship to reach a point to where it can drop us off. We are equipped with teleport beacons and homers, so that we can be pulled out from inside of the moon should we have no way back to the surface. The jagged surface is treacherous and uncertain, hiding an unknown enemy from us within every crevice and crag. Of course, Broteus thought ahead, suspecting this fight to possibly a trap or a disaster. He requisitioned some det packs, quite a few. Enough to permanently shatter the moon, and lay waste to our enemies. Death will not hinder us on this excursion, but it will find our foes regardless of their strength or cunning.
The Stormraven slowed as the surface drew near, maneuvering to a position that would favor our landing and entry. Once off the ship, it would leave us and return to the Grand Cruiser Vepres. Skold opened the side hatch as we prepared to depart, his heavy bolter ready to devastate anything within its range. The pilot gave us the all clear, and Skold nodded that the cost was clear and we were ready to go. Broteus leapt out first, landing with a thud and quickly securing the area. "You're next, Rune," Skold barked through his helmet, motioning with his weapon. Without delay, I jumped out of the ship and landed on the rocky surface of the scarred landscape, taking cover quickly. Skold smashed down on the ground and stood firm, his keen eyes scanning the area for threats or movement.
The Stormraven burst away suddenly, distancing itself from this wretched place, all the while we were pushing closer to the mystery that plagued this sector. It did not take Broteus long to spot an opening that seemed to have been disturbed recently. "These tracks do not make sense," he replied through his vox, staring at marks and patterns on the rocks at the edge. "Rune," the Black Templar barked suddenly, pointing at the opening. "Light it up." I slung my bolter and unclipped the Flamer I had brought, stepping to the edge of the black hole that faced us. I clicked the trigger and scorched the insides of the now visible tunnel, burning only air and stone.
We entered, our HUD's constantly scanning for movement or clues, while our weapons followed suit, ready to cut down anything that lurked within. The path had a gradual slope to it, winding down into the moon further. The tunnel itself was very large, and it seemed unnatural, as if it had been created and not formed. These things still gave us no clue as to what was waiting but we pushed on, with Skold in the lead and I in the rear, the Flamer gripped tightly in my hand.
Skold suddenly stopped, with Broteus nearly crashing into him, and I halting as sudden as possible. "Blast it!" Skold yelled, banging on his helmet a second. "I do not know how you pups wear these infernal devices. My senses are skewed and I feel confined by it. I nearly stepped into this pit due to this head machine." The Brothers and I gathered around the edge of the pit that Skold had overlooked, which seemed odd given the size of it. I never questioned why he never wore his helmet, but maybe I should be concerned. "Well," Broteus voiced, kicking a small rock into the pit and listening to the noises. "Who first?"
The drop was pitch black, and where I would land was unknown, but I kept my resolve, and trigger finger, firm. With a step, I plummeted into the darkness, slamming down within less than two seconds against the ground below. I landed on my feet but I still felt threatened by the black that surrounded me. With a click, I painted the air with fire, blasting away the darkness and giving myself and the others sight. What I saw was horrid, but the my Brothers were already taking the plunge and I could not warn them of what laid before us.
Skold and Broteus landed behind me and gathered their senses, adjusting to the even darker tunnel than before. "Steel yourselves and witness the truth," I spoke, exposing the truth within the darkness once more. The others said nothing yet, but I knew their thoughts. Within that small glimpse, we saw the bodies of hundreds of soldiers, personnel, and innocents, all in the service of the Imperium of Man. "By the Emperor..." Broteus worded, moving forward and investigating the bodies. Skold stood fast and watched carefully as we looked over the wounds of these unfortunate souls. Slashes, stabs, puntures, bites...all of these suggested one thing. "TYRANID!!!!!" Skold yelled, his heavy bolter lighting up the area and the enemy.
Gargoyles poured out from every crevice and opening, descending on us in waves. My Flamer cut through any that strayed too close, while Broteus and Skold picked them off at further distances. Their bodies smashed and crashed around us, but still they came. 'We cannot go back," Brother Broteus yelled, dropping two more monstrosities from the air. "Move forward, we need to gain a better vantage point." Each of us moved, killing enemy after enemy, wading through bodies of our comrades and of our foes.
The moment their assault let up, we sprinted ahead, trying to distance ourselves and give us the advantage. Suddenly and unexpectedly, I plummeted downward for a few moments, smashing hard against something. I thought for a moment that I had maybe been picked up and dropped by one of the winged beasts but to my amazement I was in another tunnel, below the one I was just in. "Are you okay, little Brother?" Skold voxed, not knowing if I was alive or how far I had fallen. I got up to my knees and once again flooded the area with fire, giving myself and the others sight. "I live," I replied over the vox, peering up the two still standing above me. "I suppose your helmet is not broken after all." With laughter, the other two dropped down beside me.
We journeyed down this path for some time without any incident. No enemies, no bodies, nothing. Where had they all gone? "I believe this place is infested," Broteus said as we moved ahead. "Worse yet, those Gargoyles would not be enough to take down whole ships or claim that many lives." He was correct. Even though deadly and swift, a swarm like that would not be enough. "Worse yet," Broteus continued his observation. "Where are the coming from? And, what is controlling them?" Skold said nothing, which worried me. He has fought more Tyranid than both of us combined, so he had to know something.
Skold stopped, and so did we. He just stood there for a moment, staring at the darkness, and then we understood. It was faint, and our movements had masked the noise, but it was there. It was as if there was a small gust passing through every now and again. "Have you pups ever heard of a Harridan?" Skold asked, still focused ahead. I remembered the word, but had never encountered one before in battle. "I believe that noise to be its breathing," the Space Wolf said ominously, although I knew him to be secretly excited. "They are Bio-Titans that command the Gargoyle Broods." Broteus nodded, agreeing with his hypothesis. "It still does not answer how they took down so many of our own," Broteus replied, troubled by the thought. "Let us go ask it!" Skold howled excitedly, sprinting ahead. Surprised, we followed the crazed Wolf of Fenris.
It seemed each tunnel ended the same way, and contained another surprise as well. Each drop down, we found more bodies, but the chilling factor was that each time was a different race. We found Tau early on, which made sense considering the proximity of the planet and the recent invasions. Then, we found Orks, which Broteus figured, evaluating the number of bodies, that an Ork Rok had shattered the moon, and awakened the sleeping Titan and its hordes. Still, nothing seemed to slow down the insatiable appetite and ferocity of this Tyranid force. Now though, we were taking precautions. Each tunnel would have a det pack left within, buried in the bodies. The blast in each path would collapse it, and possibly those above and below.
The further we went, the heavier the opposition. Each swarm began to grow larger and larger, and more ferocious. Skold and Broteus figured we were drawing nearer to the Titan, which is why the threat they were posing was more dire. As we moved through another assualt, we found an unusual path, of which two larger winged creatures were guarding. Winged Warriors, the flying versions of the Warrior Brood. These were rare, and even more dangerous than a swarm of Gargoyles. Skold wasted no time and let a barrage loose upon the guardians, clipping ones wings. He focused on the wounded one, but the second one swooped and darted passed, impaling Broteus and knocking me down in the process. Skold, still focused, did not turn around for fear of allowing two to get the drop on us. I rolled over and got to my knees, switching to my bolter.
The Winged fiend carried Broteus back into the tunnel we had came from, alerting all of the Gargoyles to his new found prey. Broteus, even though impaled through the left shoulder, wielded his bolter one-handed, dropping as many as he could as they descended upon him. The Warrior hovering in the air, allowing the others to attack him freely. "SKOLD!" I yelled as I ran towards our wounded Battle Brother, firing my bolter on the droves that swirled around him. Each time, I shot at the Warrior, but each time a Gargoyle took the shot instead. Suddenly, the Warrior exploded, as did many of the other Tyranid around him. Skold's bolter fire sundering the air, freeing out Brother from the clutches of that monster. Together, we moved in, cutting a path through the swarm of claws and wings.
Broteus was badly wounded, even in the low light I could tell that. I grabbed his backpack and began dragging him, firing my bolter with one hand, as Skold covered our escape. With the guardians gone, they others did not linger long. This gave us time to assess the Templars wounds, which I already knew were bad. "He is unconscious," I told Skold, applying some repair cement to the damaged armour. "We cannot move forward and leave him here unattended, so we will have to teleport him back, and continue on." Skold nodded, reloading his weapon.
I removed some of Broteus' gear, knowing my ammo was starting to dwindle due to the amount of enemies we had slain. I also took the remaining three det packs and the detonator. I activated his beacon and stepped back. "We will see you soon, Brother," I said, his body disappearing into the Immaterium. I fitted the extra gear, checked my weapon, and nodded to Skold when I was ready. He took point while I took the rear. Together, we descended into the unguarded tunnel.
We walked for some time without incident. It would seem those guards were the last of the opposition in this area. Of course, that could be equally good or equally bad. Soon, we noticed a green tinted light resonating further down the tunnel. As we drew closer, we could hear screeches, hisses, splashing, and many other inhuman noises. The tunnel ended at and opening, and opening that went nowhere but straight down into a green, bubbling soup of genetic horrors. Perched in the middle was a very large creature that could only be the Harradin. It must have retreated here after the last invasion, cut off from its own command and awaiting orders. The Ork Rok threatened its position so now it lashes out at anything within its reach.
"How do we defeat that?" I asked Skold seriously, unsure of what to do. He chuckled underneath his helmet, then grabbed the few grenades he had brought with him. "Throw all of these down there," he replied, handing me the grenades. "And leave the det packs where you are standing." I stood in awe at his words, confused as to which was more dangerous, a Space Wolf or a Harradin. "Hurry, pup!" he growled, readying his weapon. I laid down the three remaining explosive charges at my feet, then readied mine and his grenades. I hurled them in a fury, watching them careen down into the biomechanical mess below.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Our grenades shook the area, blasting holes in pit below, and disturbing the Titan. A deep, bone chilling screech pierce the air, as the Harradin beat its wings and ascended towards our position. A swarm of Gargoyles followed as well, pouring out of small tunnels that lined the walls of this hive moon. "Go!" Skold yelled, moving back away from the cliff we stood atop, further into the empty tunnel. "Funnel them in. When that Harradin gets on top of those charges, blow it." I understood now, and I was excited.
We stood side by side, watching the screeching horde rip into the tunnel. Together, we shredded through the mass, which was confined by the space, making them easy targets. The bodies piled up, and we could barely see beyond the Gargoyles. Yet, as Skold had planned, the Titan began to squeeze into the tunnel. We continued firing but my bolter ran dry. Reloading, I was knocked down by a few Gargoyle bodies that had been splattered by Skold. Trying to get to my feet, I heard the worst noise yet. Skolds bolter ran empty. Without hesitation, I tossed him my fresh bolter and unhooked my Flamer, covering him so that he could reposition. Now though, without the heavy bolter, the swarm was pushing harder. The Titan was shattering the walls as it moved in further, but this was good. It had clogged the passage, giving us time to mop up the enemies. Suddenly, the Harradin pushed in harder and faster than it had, clawing towards us quickly. I did not wait, clicking the detonator. I could only feel pressure and jolts as the moon tore apart, the explosions devastating everything around them. My helmet took a bad hit and my HUD became skewed, which left me blind. I could see nothing but I could hear. "Teleport!" Skold barked on the vox. It was a shot in the dark whether or not this would work, but I had no choice. I mashed the button and waited for the embrace of the Warp or the grip of death.
We had won, albeit barely. My helmet had saved my life, as had Skold's, although he will not admit it. Thanks to the first teleport beacon, ours were being tracked by the Vepres much easier. The broken moon was gone, nothing but a floating field of debris. Any surviving Tyranid would either die or hide from this point on, and our ships were now safe to pass through the area, for now. The fact that we had slain a Titan was a mighty feat, although we had no proof other than the story, but that was enough for Skold, because he was already regaling it to the others.
Broteus had survived, although his wounds were harsh. I stood outside the Infirmary and stared at our two Battle Brothers, Vlad and Broteus. Broteus would recover soon but as for Vlad, no one knew. Ever since his wounds from crash on Eleusis, he had not awaken. Broteus was worried that he may have suffered a Warp anomaly, and that his mind may be trapped, while his body remains. I only hoped they would recover before our next mission. The Jericho Reach was corrupt and carnivorous place, and there was only war. May the Emperor guide us to victory and salvation.
Mission V: Infestation
The broken moon of Zurcon...a shattered orb floating around the currently controlled Tau world nearby. There have been reports of something lurking within its exposed exterior, something menacing and malevolent. Whole ships have been destroyed or massacred by some unseen force, leaving behind only debris and death in its wake. Skold, Broteus, and myself have been dispatched to investigate and eliminate the threat that looms so close to our transportation routes. We must destroy whatever is causing such disarray and devastation, or the Tau will begin construction on cannons capable of penetrating the moon from the surface of the planet, which also puts our ships at risk. It is a risk but one we are glad to undertake, for the Emperor smiles upon us, and His angels are pure in action and precise in combat.
We sat in the small transport ship, awaiting the ship to reach a point to where it can drop us off. We are equipped with teleport beacons and homers, so that we can be pulled out from inside of the moon should we have no way back to the surface. The jagged surface is treacherous and uncertain, hiding an unknown enemy from us within every crevice and crag. Of course, Broteus thought ahead, suspecting this fight to possibly a trap or a disaster. He requisitioned some det packs, quite a few. Enough to permanently shatter the moon, and lay waste to our enemies. Death will not hinder us on this excursion, but it will find our foes regardless of their strength or cunning.
The Stormraven slowed as the surface drew near, maneuvering to a position that would favor our landing and entry. Once off the ship, it would leave us and return to the Grand Cruiser Vepres. Skold opened the side hatch as we prepared to depart, his heavy bolter ready to devastate anything within its range. The pilot gave us the all clear, and Skold nodded that the cost was clear and we were ready to go. Broteus leapt out first, landing with a thud and quickly securing the area. "You're next, Rune," Skold barked through his helmet, motioning with his weapon. Without delay, I jumped out of the ship and landed on the rocky surface of the scarred landscape, taking cover quickly. Skold smashed down on the ground and stood firm, his keen eyes scanning the area for threats or movement.
The Stormraven burst away suddenly, distancing itself from this wretched place, all the while we were pushing closer to the mystery that plagued this sector. It did not take Broteus long to spot an opening that seemed to have been disturbed recently. "These tracks do not make sense," he replied through his vox, staring at marks and patterns on the rocks at the edge. "Rune," the Black Templar barked suddenly, pointing at the opening. "Light it up." I slung my bolter and unclipped the Flamer I had brought, stepping to the edge of the black hole that faced us. I clicked the trigger and scorched the insides of the now visible tunnel, burning only air and stone.
We entered, our HUD's constantly scanning for movement or clues, while our weapons followed suit, ready to cut down anything that lurked within. The path had a gradual slope to it, winding down into the moon further. The tunnel itself was very large, and it seemed unnatural, as if it had been created and not formed. These things still gave us no clue as to what was waiting but we pushed on, with Skold in the lead and I in the rear, the Flamer gripped tightly in my hand.
Skold suddenly stopped, with Broteus nearly crashing into him, and I halting as sudden as possible. "Blast it!" Skold yelled, banging on his helmet a second. "I do not know how you pups wear these infernal devices. My senses are skewed and I feel confined by it. I nearly stepped into this pit due to this head machine." The Brothers and I gathered around the edge of the pit that Skold had overlooked, which seemed odd given the size of it. I never questioned why he never wore his helmet, but maybe I should be concerned. "Well," Broteus voiced, kicking a small rock into the pit and listening to the noises. "Who first?"
The drop was pitch black, and where I would land was unknown, but I kept my resolve, and trigger finger, firm. With a step, I plummeted into the darkness, slamming down within less than two seconds against the ground below. I landed on my feet but I still felt threatened by the black that surrounded me. With a click, I painted the air with fire, blasting away the darkness and giving myself and the others sight. What I saw was horrid, but the my Brothers were already taking the plunge and I could not warn them of what laid before us.
Skold and Broteus landed behind me and gathered their senses, adjusting to the even darker tunnel than before. "Steel yourselves and witness the truth," I spoke, exposing the truth within the darkness once more. The others said nothing yet, but I knew their thoughts. Within that small glimpse, we saw the bodies of hundreds of soldiers, personnel, and innocents, all in the service of the Imperium of Man. "By the Emperor..." Broteus worded, moving forward and investigating the bodies. Skold stood fast and watched carefully as we looked over the wounds of these unfortunate souls. Slashes, stabs, puntures, bites...all of these suggested one thing. "TYRANID!!!!!" Skold yelled, his heavy bolter lighting up the area and the enemy.
Gargoyles poured out from every crevice and opening, descending on us in waves. My Flamer cut through any that strayed too close, while Broteus and Skold picked them off at further distances. Their bodies smashed and crashed around us, but still they came. 'We cannot go back," Brother Broteus yelled, dropping two more monstrosities from the air. "Move forward, we need to gain a better vantage point." Each of us moved, killing enemy after enemy, wading through bodies of our comrades and of our foes.
The moment their assault let up, we sprinted ahead, trying to distance ourselves and give us the advantage. Suddenly and unexpectedly, I plummeted downward for a few moments, smashing hard against something. I thought for a moment that I had maybe been picked up and dropped by one of the winged beasts but to my amazement I was in another tunnel, below the one I was just in. "Are you okay, little Brother?" Skold voxed, not knowing if I was alive or how far I had fallen. I got up to my knees and once again flooded the area with fire, giving myself and the others sight. "I live," I replied over the vox, peering up the two still standing above me. "I suppose your helmet is not broken after all." With laughter, the other two dropped down beside me.
We journeyed down this path for some time without any incident. No enemies, no bodies, nothing. Where had they all gone? "I believe this place is infested," Broteus said as we moved ahead. "Worse yet, those Gargoyles would not be enough to take down whole ships or claim that many lives." He was correct. Even though deadly and swift, a swarm like that would not be enough. "Worse yet," Broteus continued his observation. "Where are the coming from? And, what is controlling them?" Skold said nothing, which worried me. He has fought more Tyranid than both of us combined, so he had to know something.
Skold stopped, and so did we. He just stood there for a moment, staring at the darkness, and then we understood. It was faint, and our movements had masked the noise, but it was there. It was as if there was a small gust passing through every now and again. "Have you pups ever heard of a Harridan?" Skold asked, still focused ahead. I remembered the word, but had never encountered one before in battle. "I believe that noise to be its breathing," the Space Wolf said ominously, although I knew him to be secretly excited. "They are Bio-Titans that command the Gargoyle Broods." Broteus nodded, agreeing with his hypothesis. "It still does not answer how they took down so many of our own," Broteus replied, troubled by the thought. "Let us go ask it!" Skold howled excitedly, sprinting ahead. Surprised, we followed the crazed Wolf of Fenris.
It seemed each tunnel ended the same way, and contained another surprise as well. Each drop down, we found more bodies, but the chilling factor was that each time was a different race. We found Tau early on, which made sense considering the proximity of the planet and the recent invasions. Then, we found Orks, which Broteus figured, evaluating the number of bodies, that an Ork Rok had shattered the moon, and awakened the sleeping Titan and its hordes. Still, nothing seemed to slow down the insatiable appetite and ferocity of this Tyranid force. Now though, we were taking precautions. Each tunnel would have a det pack left within, buried in the bodies. The blast in each path would collapse it, and possibly those above and below.
The further we went, the heavier the opposition. Each swarm began to grow larger and larger, and more ferocious. Skold and Broteus figured we were drawing nearer to the Titan, which is why the threat they were posing was more dire. As we moved through another assualt, we found an unusual path, of which two larger winged creatures were guarding. Winged Warriors, the flying versions of the Warrior Brood. These were rare, and even more dangerous than a swarm of Gargoyles. Skold wasted no time and let a barrage loose upon the guardians, clipping ones wings. He focused on the wounded one, but the second one swooped and darted passed, impaling Broteus and knocking me down in the process. Skold, still focused, did not turn around for fear of allowing two to get the drop on us. I rolled over and got to my knees, switching to my bolter.
The Winged fiend carried Broteus back into the tunnel we had came from, alerting all of the Gargoyles to his new found prey. Broteus, even though impaled through the left shoulder, wielded his bolter one-handed, dropping as many as he could as they descended upon him. The Warrior hovering in the air, allowing the others to attack him freely. "SKOLD!" I yelled as I ran towards our wounded Battle Brother, firing my bolter on the droves that swirled around him. Each time, I shot at the Warrior, but each time a Gargoyle took the shot instead. Suddenly, the Warrior exploded, as did many of the other Tyranid around him. Skold's bolter fire sundering the air, freeing out Brother from the clutches of that monster. Together, we moved in, cutting a path through the swarm of claws and wings.
Broteus was badly wounded, even in the low light I could tell that. I grabbed his backpack and began dragging him, firing my bolter with one hand, as Skold covered our escape. With the guardians gone, they others did not linger long. This gave us time to assess the Templars wounds, which I already knew were bad. "He is unconscious," I told Skold, applying some repair cement to the damaged armour. "We cannot move forward and leave him here unattended, so we will have to teleport him back, and continue on." Skold nodded, reloading his weapon.
I removed some of Broteus' gear, knowing my ammo was starting to dwindle due to the amount of enemies we had slain. I also took the remaining three det packs and the detonator. I activated his beacon and stepped back. "We will see you soon, Brother," I said, his body disappearing into the Immaterium. I fitted the extra gear, checked my weapon, and nodded to Skold when I was ready. He took point while I took the rear. Together, we descended into the unguarded tunnel.
We walked for some time without incident. It would seem those guards were the last of the opposition in this area. Of course, that could be equally good or equally bad. Soon, we noticed a green tinted light resonating further down the tunnel. As we drew closer, we could hear screeches, hisses, splashing, and many other inhuman noises. The tunnel ended at and opening, and opening that went nowhere but straight down into a green, bubbling soup of genetic horrors. Perched in the middle was a very large creature that could only be the Harradin. It must have retreated here after the last invasion, cut off from its own command and awaiting orders. The Ork Rok threatened its position so now it lashes out at anything within its reach.
"How do we defeat that?" I asked Skold seriously, unsure of what to do. He chuckled underneath his helmet, then grabbed the few grenades he had brought with him. "Throw all of these down there," he replied, handing me the grenades. "And leave the det packs where you are standing." I stood in awe at his words, confused as to which was more dangerous, a Space Wolf or a Harradin. "Hurry, pup!" he growled, readying his weapon. I laid down the three remaining explosive charges at my feet, then readied mine and his grenades. I hurled them in a fury, watching them careen down into the biomechanical mess below.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Our grenades shook the area, blasting holes in pit below, and disturbing the Titan. A deep, bone chilling screech pierce the air, as the Harradin beat its wings and ascended towards our position. A swarm of Gargoyles followed as well, pouring out of small tunnels that lined the walls of this hive moon. "Go!" Skold yelled, moving back away from the cliff we stood atop, further into the empty tunnel. "Funnel them in. When that Harradin gets on top of those charges, blow it." I understood now, and I was excited.
We stood side by side, watching the screeching horde rip into the tunnel. Together, we shredded through the mass, which was confined by the space, making them easy targets. The bodies piled up, and we could barely see beyond the Gargoyles. Yet, as Skold had planned, the Titan began to squeeze into the tunnel. We continued firing but my bolter ran dry. Reloading, I was knocked down by a few Gargoyle bodies that had been splattered by Skold. Trying to get to my feet, I heard the worst noise yet. Skolds bolter ran empty. Without hesitation, I tossed him my fresh bolter and unhooked my Flamer, covering him so that he could reposition. Now though, without the heavy bolter, the swarm was pushing harder. The Titan was shattering the walls as it moved in further, but this was good. It had clogged the passage, giving us time to mop up the enemies. Suddenly, the Harradin pushed in harder and faster than it had, clawing towards us quickly. I did not wait, clicking the detonator. I could only feel pressure and jolts as the moon tore apart, the explosions devastating everything around them. My helmet took a bad hit and my HUD became skewed, which left me blind. I could see nothing but I could hear. "Teleport!" Skold barked on the vox. It was a shot in the dark whether or not this would work, but I had no choice. I mashed the button and waited for the embrace of the Warp or the grip of death.
We had won, albeit barely. My helmet had saved my life, as had Skold's, although he will not admit it. Thanks to the first teleport beacon, ours were being tracked by the Vepres much easier. The broken moon was gone, nothing but a floating field of debris. Any surviving Tyranid would either die or hide from this point on, and our ships were now safe to pass through the area, for now. The fact that we had slain a Titan was a mighty feat, although we had no proof other than the story, but that was enough for Skold, because he was already regaling it to the others.
Broteus had survived, although his wounds were harsh. I stood outside the Infirmary and stared at our two Battle Brothers, Vlad and Broteus. Broteus would recover soon but as for Vlad, no one knew. Ever since his wounds from crash on Eleusis, he had not awaken. Broteus was worried that he may have suffered a Warp anomaly, and that his mind may be trapped, while his body remains. I only hoped they would recover before our next mission. The Jericho Reach was corrupt and carnivorous place, and there was only war. May the Emperor guide us to victory and salvation.