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Chapter 102: Engraving
Chapter 102: Engraving
Chapter 102: Engraving
"How did they enter the ship?" Captain Kallgar calmly exits the command bridge while his 10 bodyguards follow him with their weapons ready.
"We don't know how the intruders board the ship without our detection. The enemy strike team managed to stop our invasion plan as most of our brothers were taken down, including the incubation chamber for the recruits. As for the ground troops, the number of infected is doing significantly quicker than we anticipated. I suggest plan B at this point as we are losing our footing in the battle below and above." One of the Deathshrouds spoke to captain Kallgar as if he was a simpleton whose hand needed to be held.
Deathshrounds are elite warriors of the Primarch Mortarion and personal bodyguards of their gene-father. Each of them was hand-picked by their Primarch and trained to wield the power scythes called Manreapers. The only reason these warriors are following Captain Kallgar is because of an order personally given by Mortarion who is currently engaged in a personal grudge battle against his brother, Roboute Guilliman.
"I will not initiate the plan B without facing these introducers first and retaking the Battle Barge. By now their number would be reduced to below half since I sent 50 terminators. Who could have guessed that they managed to overpower the company worth of Blightlords?" The last part was a surprise to even Deathshrouds as they knew Blightlords aren't pushovers when it comes to fighting. After all, Blightlords are potential candidates to become Deathshrouds when the time comes to replace fallen brothers or to increase their number.
"Indeed that was unexpected but there is no way the 21 Space Marine strike team of the unknown chapter could survive the aftermath even if they won the fight. The plague and battle wound infection would surely weaken them. I say, we just cut the loss and virus bomb the entire planet to be on the safe side. We already faced Necron, unknown native warp warriors, and a now unknown army of Astartes chapter. I have a bad feeling about this and I can't feel anything, literally."
"Enough! You are supposed to be elite among the elite, not some recruit who needs handholding. What is wrong with you?" Captain Kallgar said to the Deathshroud as they usually stay quiet and only speak when ask for advice. This sudden change of personality and mood of the warriors concerns the captain but he has better things to worry about as they are halfway there to their destination.
"I don't know, ever since the enemy boarded the ship, we started to feel something is off. Like our mind is starting to clear from the fog." The unpleasant feeling became stronger with each step they took. Unknown to them, the nulling effect of William's blank ability cut the connection to the warp, leaving only plagues, mutated bodies, and uncertainty within each of the traitor's minds.
Captain and the rest of the bodyguards stopped as they finally arrived. With a quick motion, one of the Deathshroud touch the control pad and open the heavy storage doors as it finally unlocked.
"I know what you mean but we can't start to shake before engaging in battle. As you said, the plague and infection would weaken the survivors by now and all we have to do is kill them." Captain Kallgar said with confidence and activate his power scythe, preparing himself to kill any surviving intruders who have enough strength to resist.
With screeching noise, the big doors began to open as they began to slide apart. The first thing that emerged from the storage room was black smoke and ashes. Entering the room, the new group of Death Guards scans the room with their weapons ready, looking for wounded enemies or surviving brothers. To their surprise what they found wasn't dying loyal Astartes but rather fully functioning Space Marines with an unnatural feeling of nothingness.
"By the Nurgle's cauldron, they are still alive!" Captain Kallgar shouts and before he could raise his weapon high, the Space Marine in terminator armor brings down his power hammer to the floor, creating a shockwave.
"You bet we are still alive and you just open the door for us." With that, the next thing Kallgar heard and saw was an incoming hammerhead with the sound of 'woosh' coming towards his general direction.
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15 Minutes Ago,
William finishes the last Brightlord with his power hammer. Overall, the outcome of the fight took longer than he thought and it was understandable as he and his bodyguards took 50 Death Guard terminators.
"Status report,"
"We lost three brothers and one is wounded. Brother Apothecary Calgried is tending to the wounded brother for infection. He will retrieve the gene seeds of the fallen brothers afterward while we retrieve the usable equipment according to the protocol. I fear we won't be able to take their bodies with us for a proper funeral." Captain Auguste said to William as a few of the loyal guards blaze the enemy remains with flamers to cleanse the storage room from the plague.
"It is unfortunate to lose brothers in arms. Don't worry about their bodies, for I will take them with me after Brother Apothecary Calgried finishes retrieving the gene seeds. They earn their rest and will receive proper send-off after this conflict. I will have their names engraved in my armor, for I will remember them until my last breath." Willam decided to follow the Emperor's tradition during his Great Crusade where he engrave his fallen Custodes' names in his armor for their loyalty and courage. No such honor was given to his sons, the Primarchs, or anyone else besides Custodes for they are his advisors and possibly, only friends to the Emperor.
"That would be the greatest honor you could bestow on them, Chapter Master." Captain Auguste slightly bows his head with an approving voice as he didn't expect William to go such length.
Their duty is to protect the Chapter Master with their lives and accomplish any secret tasks given to them. To be remembered by an engraving of the name in the armor symbolizes continuing their duty even in death, to follow the same path the Chapter Master will take until his dying breath.
"If I can't bring them back home, I will carry their names. I own them at least that much." William said to the captain of his loyal guard and walk towards the wounded battle brother. Witnessing this, Captain Auguste follows his Chapter Master, to protect him with his life to the end.
After Apothecary finishes recovering the fallen gene seeds, William places three dead Blacksouls into his inventory, including their armor and weapons. Their bodies will be cleansed from the Death Guard's corruption and diseases when the army returns to the capital city. William plans to bury them under the fortress, to rest until William is ready to return to the 40k universe. After retrieving the bodies, William receives the transmission from an unknown source and his armor managed to intercept the conversation between Captain Kallgar and Deathshroud.
'So, they are coming to finish us off. Can't disappoint them can't I?' William thought to himself and ordered his men to prepare for the upcoming fight. This time, William will make sure no one will die under his command as he wields his power hammer with both hands and have his men ready special bolter rounds.
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Captain Kallgar's body turned into a pile of green meat as the power hammer demolish his entire being. William didn't stop with the dead Death Guard captain as he push forward, dividing the Deathshrouds and having his men take out them separately.
With enemy forces divided, William turns around to face the rear side of the enemy while bolters and blue flamers slowly put down the enemy. The Deathshroud's armor is much thicker but as they are mutated beyond standard warp taint and corruption, William's loyal bodyguards managed to kill several without any issues.
"Now, face the Emperor's wrath!" William strikes his power hammer down at one of the Deathshrouds. His opponent attempt to counter with his power scythe but it was pointless as William's power hammer shatter the scythe's blade. Instead of recovering his swing, William activates his armor shoulder guards, revealing hidden micro missiles with an auto-targeting system locked in the target.
"Eat this," The micro-missiles flew off in a random direction but all end up hitting the target they were assigned into. Deathshroud and two of his fellow battle brothers receive the micro-missiles and half a second later exploded into pieces, their souls lost forever and unable to return to the Warp.
"Who's next?" William then proceeds to attack the nearest target while holding his hammer in one hand and his empty hand raised to fire a combi-bolter. Ten elite bodyguards of the Primarch Mortarion and captain of the Death Guard's Battle Barge fell within a matter of few minutes as William's strike team demolish them.
Just as last Deathshroud fell to Captain Auguste's power sword, the ship went into black alert as red light turned into low dim light. William didn't need to ask his guard captain about the sudden ship alert change as his terminator armor managed to show the ship's status. After a quick read from the helmet's monitor, William's eyes widen as he couldn't believe what he just read.
"Captain Auguste, take half of our number and go to the command bridge. You must take control of the ship and change the course before it's too late."
"Yes my lord, but what about you?" Captain Auguste asked in his vox channel while hand gesturing his battle brothers to follow him.
"I will be visiting the ship's navigator. That damn third eye is making the run to the warp with us on board." William said to his guard captain and took eight of his loyal guards with him. Unknown to him and others, the Death Guard navigator plan to unleash plan B before returning to the 40k universe, destroying all life in the New World once and for all.