Geratomran Reconquest - Clash of the Demi-Gods: The Paragonian infantrymen were too busy fighting off the Emperor's Children's attack to cheer at the Warlord’s destruction. Despite their best efforts, hurling Frag Grenades right into the faces of the onrushing Chaos Space Marines barely slowed them down. Jonas watch in horror as one of the transhuman monsters lost an arm to a volley of Autocannon fire only for him to switch to his sidearm and continue to fight.Another of these brutes came directly at Jonas and his platoon's Commissar despite having a bolt embedded in his chest-armour. Still fizzing with its propellant charge, the bolt detonated seconds later, nearly ripping the Space Marine's head from his torso.The morale of Jonas' men faltered at the sight of the Chaos Space Marines' unholy resilience. As the first turned to take flight, he was immediately gunned down by Commissar Suliban, momentarily bolstering Imperial morale, but both officers knew that this was a fight they couldn't win. Lieutenant Bannick contacted Honoured Lieutenant Lo Parrigar on the Vox, calling for the Stormlord to extract them.Having dealt with the Warlord, Honoured Lieutenant Bannick was about to order Lux Imperator to bring its secondary weapons to bear on the enemy infantry when an armoured gauntlet seized him by the back of his raincoat. With one swift motion, the tanker was lifted out of his hatch.With horror, Bannick stared into the mouth-grille of a Heretic Astartes. Almost casually, the towering warrior unpinned a frag grenade from his belt and threw it down the still-open hatch. The Traitor Marine stood still, waiting for the dull crump and tongue of yellow fire that marked the grenade's detonation before throwing Bannick off the roof. With slow, deliberate movements, the Chaos Space Marine mag-locked his Bolter to his side and jumped down after him, eager to finish the job hand to hand.Back among the infantry, as the Righteous Vengeance came up behind Jonas' platoon, the lieutenant gave the order to fall back. Abandoning their heavy weapons where they stood, Jonas' men vacated the dugout and surrounding trenches in an uncoordinated rush, each man for himself, just as the bulk of the Chaos Space Marines reached the slope's top. Several dozen troopers were mercilessly gunned down in their retreat by laughing Traitor Marines before they noticed the onrushing super-heavy tank.The barrels of its hull-mounted Vulcan Mega Bolter already spinning, and the Twin-linked Heavy Bolters of its sponsons facing forward, Righteous Vengeance unleashed its attack. The Vulcan Mega Bolter roared and a portion of the trenchworks disintegrated alongside the enemies sheltering there. Jonas threw himself to the ground, rolling to his side and shielding his ears with his hands as the Heavy Bolters opened up just as the Stormlord's right sponson passed overhead. Still groggy from the cacophony, Jonas got up and headed for the rear-mounted access ladders.The lieutenant saw several men shot down as they attempted to climb up, their bodies literally exploding when hit by a bolt. From the fighting deck, Meltaguns and Plasma Guns replied, keeping the enemy from closing in on the tank. Climbing the blood-slick ladder, Jonas finally reached the relative safety of the Stormlord's open fighting deck. Righteous Vengeance fired its Mega Bolter again, buying his men precious seconds to close with the tank.Unsteadily Corlaron Vor Anselm Lo Bannick rose from the mud, his hands fumbling to draw his Power Sword. With shock, Bannick saw Lux Imperator drive away, its own sponson-weapons covering the retreat of his cousin's platoon. Controlling his own panic, Bannick readied himself to face the Chaos Space Marine alone. As his enemy approached, Bannick did not activate his weapon, luring his enemy to attack. When the Chaos Space Marine was in striking distance, Bannick swiftly pressed his sword's activation stud. Still shielding the blade, the scabbard was disintegrated by the blade's disruption field and Bannick executed a perfect fencer's blow, piercing his enemy's plastron and going straight for the heart.An unexpected back-hand blow sent Bannick sprawling into the mud, his enemy obviously still alive. Letting out a gasp of surprise, the Chaos Space Marine went for the sword embedded within him, and deactivated it before pulling it from the wound. The towering warrior held the sword in his grasp, and examined the blood flowing along its blade with interest before letting it drop to the ground. The Traitor Marine's gaze fell on Bannick and he advanced again on the fallen Imperial Tank Commander.As new Chaos Space Marines emerged from the downpour, Jonas recognized that they would have to retreat. Although it sat ill with the lieutenant, he understood that high command could not risk a super-heavy tank for the lives of a few Imperial Guard infantry soldiers. The lieutenant helped Commissar Suliban up the ladder just as Righteous Vengeance was beginning to leave.Realising their fate, some desperate troopers held on to the tank's armoured sides and tracks, but most were felled by Bolter fire. As Righteous Vengeance began to pick up speed, Jonas cursed under his breath as his badly savaged ears picked up the sound of more engines. Out in the rain several headlights had appeared. The enemy was pursuing them!Bannick watched with a sense of grim foreboding as his killer slowly advanced upon him. To his surprise, the Traitor Marine did not kill him outright but unclasped his helmet. His neck-seal gave off whips of compressed air, heavily scented with perfume before revealing a face of exquisite beauty. Far more beautiful than any statue he had ever seen, the Chaos Space Marine's noble features were marked by swirling purple tattoos that somehow accentuated his beauty.Dumbstruck by the thing's handsomeness, Bannick froze, hanging on the creature's every word as it talked in an ancient form of High Gothic. The dark warrior complemented him on his swordsmanship, and thanked him for the reminder about the virtues of pain. Bannick recoiled as the towering warrior unsheathed a long, silver blade form its scabbard, but the warrior deftly pinned him in place, an armoured boot firmly planted on Bannick's arm.The blade was so sharp it effortlessly cut open Bannick's sleeve and flesh. Only when the Traitor Marine deliberately hit a nerve ending did Bannick cry out in pain. So fixated was the Chaos Space Marine on savouring the pain he visited upon his new captive that the sounds of nearby battle did not register with him. A twin line of bolts suddenly hammered into the Heretic Astartes' torso, blasting him into the mud. This time the Traitor did not rise again.The tall and squat forms of an Adeptus Astartes Assault Bike slid to a halt in Bannick's field of vision. A tall, armoured figure swiftly dismounted and trained his Bolter on the downed Traitor. Framed by its headlight, the silhouette was unmistakably that of a Space Marine. As the figure advanced Bannick could make out the black of its Power Armour and the white of its pauldrons. Skulls, bones and other memento mori adorned the armour, its red trim revealed by the light. Bannick fully expected the Bolter to abruptly turn and end his life, but instead the towering warrior lowered his weapon and extended his left hand."Hail to you," intoned a deep voice, "though poorly met on this day of torrents and of treachery. You have survived one of the worst creatures this galaxy has to offer, son of Holy Terra, and yet you live. The Emperor of Mankind watches over you. Take my hand and be risen from the earth. Your struggles for the Imperium are not yet done."Bannick seized the offered hand and was easily lifted back on his feet. Blinking the rain out of his eyes, Bannick could finally look at the emblem adorning the Space Marine's pauldrons and chest: it was that of a Gothic cross. "You are not going to kill me. You are of the Black Templars." Bannick said to chattering teeth, suddenly overwhelmed with cold."I am not going to kill you, I swear." the figure confirmed and then continued, "I am Adelard, Sword Brother of the Michaelus Crusade of the Black Templars Chapter, Adeptus Astartes, and loyal son of Rogal Dorn. You have nothing to fear. We are brothers, you and I. Warriors in the never-ending war. Come with me, and be safe."