Siege of Æsce - Landfall part 2

After calming down Yuan took stock of the current situation. The sounds of battle had calmed and he opened a voxlink to Isaac.

“Status report.”

“The trenches are clear. Only two casualties, a handful of wounded, and our brothers have almost reached us.” He paused before continuing bewildered. “Far more than I expected though.”

“Some good news at least.” Yuan responded slightly confused at his brother’s response before switching to his domain’s open channel. “Take cover brothers and await the signal to attack. Those wounded can take time to be examined by the apothecaries. Detonation is expected in 5 minutes.”

‘For once I had hoped to take all my brothers back with me.’ He thought somberly. ‘Wonder what our brothers did on the charge to make it here with so few losses.’

When Yuan moved to the hole in the pillbox to check the progress of the charge he understood his brother’s bewilderment. Not only had they almost reached the trenches already but they appeared to have sustained not a single loss on the charge. Struck with unbelief he almost stumbled when trying to lean on his right arm before coming to his senses. When his brother’s came into full view, Yuan understood how this could be.

The first of the chargers to come into view were the plagued, their forms a mockery of the regular Blight Warden. Their armour was littered with spots of corrosion, the fine jades having turned a brownish green. Bacterial growths littered their weapons and plugged holes in their armour. Puss flowed out of the many wounds that closed far too slowly. Yet still, their endurance was remarkable. The fact they all walked as though their wounds did not even exist was enviable, the lack of any losses even more so. Reflecting on his earlier negligence Yaun looked at the place where his right arm used to be and wondered if he would still have lost it were he a plagued. And now the plagued would again lead the charge into bolter fire. Not even considering the need for cover as they vaulted over the trenches.

Next were the tactical marines and devastators who,unlike the plagued, took up firing positions using what little safety de impromptu defences could offer.. Accompanying them were a handful of Yishi and apothecaries. One of whom made his way to Yuan and took a look at Yuan’s wounds.

“Of course it is you, Emir. Almost like there is no one else who can tend to my wounds.” Yuan joked in greeting as he recognised the approaching apothecary.

“Most of our brothers just don’t like seeing the same Astarte on the operating table after every battle.” Emir said dryly as he observed the stump Yuan wasn’t sure if it was in jest or not. Always hard to tell with the Terrans.

As Emir started pulling bits of shrapnel out that he could see, the toxins in the air started biting at the reopened wounds. “Just some shrapnel. Nothing serious for once.”

Not wanting a lecture on how losing a limb was not a serious injury after a joke, Yuan changed the topic to more pressing matters.

“How are the rest of the domain?”

“Much the same, besides the fatalities.” He paused for a moment. “Yet still, I advise five of them be put in our care and pulled out along with the objective. Too wounded for further deployment.”

“Better than I am used to.” Yuan replied bitterly as he received the names of the dead and wounded. With a few eye movements he dismissed them into their brothers’ care.

“I can imagine, Consuls must really be pulling their weight.”

“I doubt it is just them, our cousines might have drawn their numbers into the tunnels but they couldn’t have sabotaged their defences this much. I don’t know about you but there are barely any ammo crates. All defences are improvised. They clearly never expected to need to defend this place.”

“Still. Low casualties, not a report I ever expected to file when legions clashed.” He didn’t sound quite happy but Yuan knew his brother was smiling at the idea.  After all the losses from the last battles it was to be expected.

“Wound is tended to as far as the toxins allow me. Good luck with the assault brother.” Emir motioned Yuan away yet he still had a question he wanted answered.

“Don’t you need to tend to some of the plagued?”

“No.” he said, a bit harshly for Yuan’s taste. There was even a hint of disgust in his voice. “And even if I wanted to, there is no normal medicine that can help them. It actively harms them in fact.”

“You don’t WANT to tend to them?” Yuan asked, shocked. The idea that one of the legion’s apothecaries would not set everything aside to tend to their brothers completely alien to him.

“No, I am very much in Tarik’s camp on that.” Emir said as though that explained everything.

Yet before Yuan could push his brother further the ground shook from the force of an explosion. Far stronger and sooner than had been planned. It blew away much of the smog, replacing it with a cloud of dust and debris. Debris large enough to crush mortals flew at the charging Blight Wardens, some staggered or were knocked back but against Astartes it was no more than a minor hindrance. To many the debris would even be valuable cover from what suppressing fire the Crows launched at the attackers. Yuan clicked his tongue at the rude interruption.

“That is my signal brother.” Yuan told the apothecary as he warmed up his jump pack. “Against the scourge...”

“We stand as wards.” The apothecary finished and Yuan took off along with the rest of his domain.

In the sky again and with the dust slowly settling, the true extent of damage the detonation had done became visible. A good quarter of the building was now gone, laying the building’s innards bare. The main entrance was now no more than a gaping hole leading to a foyer buried in rubble. A dozen hallways stretched deeper into the building. And a small opening to a larger room. Its roof had only barely broken open. The building showed few signs of life, a handful of crows having taken positions to suppress the oncoming assault yet doing little to slow the advance of the plagued.

‘Most likely that hole leads to the training room. Likely little cover, yet still connected to three hallways leading further into the building. Opening more avenues of attack. They are unlikely to have it defended already. Regardless of risk we should strike it now.’ Yuan decided after his observations.

“Shen foyer, Marcus take the hallways, rest on me. Let’s get our brothers a clear path inside.” Yuan ordered as he adjusted course to drop through the roof. He and those following him increased altitude letting Marcus, Shen, and their respective cells pass. ‘They should draw the remaining defenders.’

As his brothers landed and engaged, Yuan had reached the apex of his ascent and started freefall. He landed with enough force to crack the ferrocrete floor, Isaac landed next to him. Both immediately moved forward to make room for their brothers, each of whom landed with the same force.

The room they found themselves in was indeed a large training room. The room was large in size and circular. At least a good eighth of the whole building is dedicated to holding 80 training circles surrounding a pillar in its centre that lights up the surrounding 9 circles. It was strangely dark where they landed. Not a single light hung from the walls. If mortal men trained here in the circles they would barely even see their foe. Could have been the point. Yet Astartes would train here, rendering the darkness moot. Even if it did somehow obscure the exits from view.

Scanning the room further Yuan could see various training weapons hung on the walls. From knives and swords to axes and hammers, each blunted from years of use. Within each circle one or multiple training servitors stood, waiting for a command to start. They seemed to become progressively better armed and more alien the closer they were to the centre of the room. Finally it was like all sound from outside was being dampened, the sounds of battle seeming oddly distant. Making even their simple footfalls audible over that of heavy bolters.  It was all rather strange. The room carried symbolism Yuan never knew the Crows to possess.

As they fanned out Isaac stepped down into one of the straining circles, dust being blown away as the foot landed. Within moments the servitor in that ring sprang to life. Slicing with a freshly sharpened blade at the offending Astarte. Isaac retaliated swithly with a counter strike, swinging his chainsword sideways. Yet the servitor twisted its body unnaturally, like a snake coiling up to strike at its foe with full force, dodging below the strike. It then uncoiled, launching itself forward for a strike at the Astarte's neck. Yet even if it could twist its body unnaturally, without surprise on its side it moved far too slow for a veteran Astarte. Isaac simply sidestepped the strike and brought down the pummel of his sword on the neck of the servitor. Shattering it with an audible crack. The servitor’s body fell flat on the ground. Kicking up a cloud of dust. Just in case Isaac then finished it off by crushing the servitor’s back with his boot. Scattering metal across the arena floor.

“Interesting programing.” He noted. “Could have killed an unprepared aspirant.”

“The bears too use rather lethal servitors in their training. I am more perplexed by the need for all the dust.” Yuan responded.

“Ash actually.” One of his brothers noted. Erland, Yuan recalled. “Why they do it, I do not know. Yet in my home it was thought ash passed down skills from the fallen if you trained with it on you. Must be a relic of days long passed.”

“Or a hidden tool to blind your foe.” Another remarked.

“Regardless of its purpose.” Yuan interrupted. “We should not keep our brothers waiting. Search for the exits. Avoid the circles in case more servitors get activated.” Yuan ordered. Now was no time for banter.

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