Siege of Æsce - Landfall part 1

The air was quiet, only a handful of explosions here and there to complement the pleasant roar of the stormbird’s engines. The grim determination hung in the air, many remaining remarkably silent. A surreal experience when charging straight at the primary stronghold of a legion. It was so vastly different from what they had faced in battle against the Watchers. The sorrow of fighting those so close to them, the loss of their brothers. Even during the battle of Istvan yells of orders had filled their comms and battlecries were shooted to convince themselves it had purpose. This battle was nothing like that. It almost felt like they were facing no more than an impromptu militia when compared to those battles still fresh in their memories. Rage welled up in Yuan at the thought that some of his brothers would die to this.

“Shameful. Even for the crows.” Yuan grumbled as he went through the motions of checking his equipment.

“They make due with what they have.” Isaac replied from next to him. “It is as they have done since Galvarian took command.”

“Yet this world is their home. It has consumed so many of the Imperium’s resources and all they have to show for it is a legion filled with underequipped subpar clones masquerading as Astartes. They don’t even have the resolve to defend it properly.” Yuan replied bitterly.

“And yet those ‘subpar clones’ are why we are here.” Shen joked cheerfully, joining the conversation. “That and all the other research they graciously ‘wasted’ all those resources on.” His voice suddenly turned darker. “You make it sound like you want them to be able to beat us, brother.”

“You know that is...” Yuan wanted to say but was cut off by their brother pilot.

“15 seconds to drop off.”

The hanger doors opened letting the roaring winds and poisoned air into the cabin. The Astartes all took their places and readied for the jump. Yuan, Isaac, and Shen at the front.

Shen took the moment to finish the conversation. “I know how you meant it. Yet, intent doesn’t change the meaning of the words.”

Yuan did not respond. Instead switching to his domain channel on the vox and waiting out the 15 seconds. When those passed Yuan charged towards the ramp yelling their legion’s warcry as he did so. “FOR FATHER AND IMPERIUM!” This was then echoed by his brothers as they followed him toward the ramp.

As Yuan jumped the familiar rush of air assaulted his senses as he and his brothers started their freefall. ‘Ground in 20 seconds.’ His visor informed him, a mere two kilometer drop. Much closer than was normal. ‘Pilot must have gotten cocky after such a disappointing welcome.’ He thought grinning to himself. Clearly he was not the only one insulted by this lack of resistance.

A folly punished soon after as his visor picked up 4 objects heading for them at high speeds. “Anti-air, scatter!” He yelled over the vox before igniting his jump pack, accelerating himself further. He hoped he could dodge past them and maybe even screw with their flight path. Yet the missiles streaked past Yuan. Seeming to actively avoid him even. They had already locked onto something. Which was confirmed when they adjusted their path to that of the stormbird that dropped them off. There was nothing they could do as moments later they detonated against the ship. The detonation and fire that followed illuminating its shadow though the smog as it careened to the ground.

Yuan became filled with anger at the sight. “They know we are here now. Jump packs at full throttle, avenge our fallen brother!” With those words he charged. The sound of the jump packs drowning out all noise. As Yuan accelerated combat data started to flood his visor. Four hundred clones manned the defences along with a handful of named crows. His visor even picked up the location of a few crows and marked them as his prey.

Within seconds the battle below became visible, flashes of light piercing through the smog. Followed by the defences coming into view. The Crows had set up impromptu defences around their fortress. Trenches carved out of ferrocrete roads using explosions covered a stairway that led to a raised platform upon which the fortress was built. Rubble of surrounding buildings was used as pill boxes covering four whirlwinds served as both anti air and artillery. Yuan even spotted mortals running back and forth across the lines, carrying what little supplies they could to the defending Crows.

Having heard their approach some of the defenders turned towards the charging assault marines sending hundreds of bolter rounds flying in their direction. Too few to matter. Suppressing fire from their brothers making proper retaliation suicidal.

As Yuan decelerated to non-lethal velocity, his brothers on the ground seized their chance to charge. The heavy footfalls of dreadnaughts resounded across the battlefield as they unleashed their last volleys of las cannon fire.  Half a dozen beams of red gutting one of the whirlwinds.

Anger that some of his brothers would die to this farce of a defence filled his thoughts as his feet impacted one of the clones. Filling the air with the satisfying screech of ceremite being crushed and the groaning of servo pistons.

Eight bolters turned towards him in a second, too late to stop him from cleaving into two more clones with his chain swords. Sparks, ceramite and gore were flung in all directions in equal measure. Trusting his brothers could deal with the rest before they could retaliate he reignited in full. Letting him evade the few rounds they managed to unleash in the half second before his brothers landed and silenced them.

Trusting his brother would take care of the rest, Yuan increased his altitude and searched for a new target. He quickly picked one of the improvised pillboxes that was still peppering his brothers on the ground with heavy bolter fire. Yet with the crows in between him and the pill box he might not be able to make it. Then Yuan saw that Isaac had just disengaged as well.

“Isaac, cover my charge.” He ordered.

“Understood.” was the only response he got before Isaac redirected his flight path and crashed into the Ashen Crow lines along with his cell. 9 Astartes tearing into the Ashen Crow lines provided ample distraction for Yuan to charge. Only a few stray shots grazing his armour as he did so. Within a second he crashed into the pillbox, crushing a Crow in the process. Yet before the dust cleared and Yuan could get his bearings he was forced to dodge a ceramite clad fist. Something so unexpected that only his instinct had saved him.

Within the pillbox two Crows had awaited him. One in front of him had his fists razed and held a combat knife in his left hand. The second simply ignored him and continued manning the heavy bolter, firing suppressive volleys at the charging mass of Blight Wardens.

‘Maybe if you had a better weapon’, Yuan thought as he unleashed a flurry of strikes, forcing the Crow to retreat out of reach. The longer chainswords simply left his opponent with no alternative. Yet he would not let himself be pushed into a corner and be killed without even attempting to retaliate. The Crow dodged below one of Yuan’s strikes and dove forward, both hands on the combat knife. ‘A valiant attempt, but a foolish one.’ Yuan dodged with ease as though he had anticipated the strike and struck his opponent in his midriff with *Foeripper*, tearing into the Astarte and ending his life.

As Yuan turned towards the other crow, he noticed the lack of noise. The heavy bolter was silent. Yuan reacted too late as the Crow loosed 4 shots from his bolt pistol before Yuan could react. Yuan’s armour managed to stop the first round. His left sword a second, the bolt round detonation turning it into scrap. The final two penetrated and blew his right shoulder to bits. Yuan roared as his arm hit the ground with a loud clunk. Furious at having lost a limb to such an inferior being, he dove at his final opponent. The clone managed to dodge the first strike but that one had been aimed not at him but his weapon. As Yuan struck the pistol instead. Knocking it to the ground and leaving the clone weapon less.

Even before the pistol hit the ground Yuan stuck again. Unprepared for such ferocity the clone misstepped slightly. Leaving him open for a flurry of blows that left no room for retaliation. Lost to rage, Yuan didn’t stop his assault until he ground the clone’s face to pulp.

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