The Skirmish in the Ruins

Sergeant Zadakiel and his kill team advanced cautiously through the ruins towards the energy sources revealed by earlier auspex scan. Zadakiel had been dispatched by Master Korahael to track down and obtain logic engines and data caches belonging to Traitor Astartes forces. Korahael had made clear to Zadakiel the importance of capturing this hardware intact – the data contained in them could provide key information to tracking down the as yet illusive Heretic Astartes present in the Mercatorius System.

“Sergeant, I think I’ve found something.” Infiltrator Namaat’s voice crackled over the vox.

“Understood, team converge on Namaat’s position.” Zadakiel voxxed back.

Zadakiel emerged from the ruin of what had once been a hab to find the kill team clustered around a cogitator half buried the rubble of a ruined building which bordered a road running through the hab block. His team numbered five excluding himself, all handpicked by the sergeant for this mission. From his own Intercessor squad were Azathor and Zoreal, carrying the squad auspex; he had chosen Infiltrator Namaat and Eliminator Bethor from the Phobos detachment seconded to 4th Company; and finally, Nemator – armed with the squad’s fire support in the form of a plasmagun. Zadakiel was most reassured by the presence of Nemator - a long time veteran of 4th Company. Zadakiel was surprised that he had not ascended the ranks to the elite Deathwing, instead Nemator was content in his place in the 4th and Zadakiel - still relatively new to the Dark Angels after joining from the Indomitus Crusade - was glad he had a wealth of combat experience to draw on when he needed to.

“Have you scanned the device?” he inquired of Zoreal.

“Aye sergeant, initial examination has this marked as one of the Iron Warriors’ devices” replied Zoreal “I’d hate to delve deeper without the proper equipment for fear of scrapcode contamination but I think we’ve found what we’re after. Scans revealed a few more caches in the surrounding area.”

“Excellent. Continue to sweep and clear, standard pattern. Let’s gather up the rest of them and extract as soon as possible.” said Zadakiel.

As the squad began to disperse, the boom of an explosion echoed in the near distance. On Zoreal’s auspex, one of the energy signatures disappeared. Across the neighbouring street and through the ruins of more hab blocks Azathor caught a glimpse of red power armour.

“Sergeant, contact up ahead. Looks like fellow Astartes.”

“I see it. I wasn’t aware that any other chapters were operating in this area, Zorael try raising them on the vox.”

“Hail fellow Astartes, this is Squad Zadakiel of the Dark Angels, identify yourselves.” Zoreal radioed.

“Stay out of our way Dark Angels, these matters do not concern you.” came the reply.

“There is no need for hostility brother, we all serve the Imperium.” voxxed Zoreal.

“Our matters do not concern you. You have been warned.”

Zadakiel frowned, it was unsuaul for fellow Astartes to be so openly aggressive to one another. The boom of another explosion echoed through the ruins and another of the energy signals being tracked by Zoreal vanished from the auspex.

“Sergeant it appears that they’re targeting the data caches that we’re after, perhaps in an effort to cleanse this area of heretical taint.”

“Aye, it’s concerning. How many signals are left and do we know what chapter we’re dealing with?”

“The auspex reveals six including the one we’re sitting on. As for the chapter, their vox signatures identify them as belonging to the Blood Angels.”

Again, Zadakiel’s brow creased in a frown. He had fought with battle brothers from the Blood Angels during the Indomitus Crusade and had found them to be the more agreeable members of the mixed squads of Unnumbered Sons, to meet them now acting in such an aggressive manner was of great concern.

“Team, let’s proceed with caution. Something is not as it seems here,” he said “Nemator, Bethor and Zoreal, take up overwatch positions. Azathor and Namaat with me, we’re going to see if we can’t persuade our cousins to work with us.”

The squad split and Nemator, Bethor and Zoreal ascended a nearby ruin, from their elevated position they could see out across the road that ran past their location and over into the quagmire of ruined buildings. Zadakiel, Azathor and Namaat advanced over the ruined walls of the building and made to cross the road. They were halfway across when the bark of a bolter rang out, the round streaked past Azathor and smashed into the wall behind, detonating.

“Contact! Contact!” he yelled.

The three squad members scrambled back over the wall and into cover.

“Bethor what’s going on, can you see anything?” said Zadakiel.

“Negative sergeant.” came the reply “Wait, no. Across the road, I can see four Blood Angels advancing through the ruins.”

“Affirmative.” Switching so he could address the entire Kill Team he said “For whatever reason the Blood Angels have responded to our presence with aggression. Respond in kind and hopefully Master Korahael will be able to sort this mess out when we return to base.”

From his elevated position Nemator scanned the battlefield, his plasmagun charged and ready when a bolt shell glanced off his left shoulder. Hunkering down he scanned across the street and the gleam of a sniper scope caught his eye.

“Across the road dead in front of us, second floor.” he said to the two other squad members.

“Confirmed,” replied Zoreal, auspex in hand. “Enemy Eliminator.”

Nemator took aim and squeezed the trigger, two bright balls of plasma streaking from his gun and into the ruin opposite. The first shot smashed into the ferrocrete but the second hit the Blood Angel square in the right shoulder, melting the ceramite plating.

Through the scope of his sniper rifle Bethor could see the Blood Angels more clearly, four Reivers advancing at speed through the ruins. He took aim at the squad sergeant, steadied himself and fired. The bolt shell the hit Reiver’s left arm and detonated, taking the arm off below the elbow and the Reiver collapsed into cover.

From his position on the ground Zadakiel could see no enemy combatants. He moved through the ruin and across to the right, ordering Azathor and Namaat to hold position while he attempted to flank. As he reached the edge of the ruin, a jump pack wearing Blood Angel burst across the road, thrusters burning as he flew straight at Zadakiel. Zadakiel dodged quickly to the left and turned to face his opponent as the Blood Angel landed in the ruin.

“Brother why are you doing this?” he yelled.

“Disgusting traitor!” roared the Blood Angel, challenging Zadakiel with chainsword and plasma pistol drawn “You dare turn from the Emperor and now defile Terra itself with your presence!”

Confusion hit Zadakiel, some fell influence must be manipulating these Blood Angels for them to see their fellow Astartes as traitors. As for the reference to Terra, this Zadakiel could not understand, Terra was several light years away from Mercatorius. He drew the power sword sheathed at his hip and thumbed the activation switch, the blue power field encasing the length of the blade.

“You leave me no choice brother.”

Zadakiel charged the Blood Angel who raised his plasma pistol and fired. The superheated ball smashed into Zadakiel’s chest and melted the ceramite in what should have been a fatal blow but the Mark X armour miraculously held. Zadakiel swung his sword in an overhand strike from the right and the Blood Angel rose to parry with his chainsword. The power sword cut clean through his opponent’s chainsword and continued, opening the Blood Angel from left shoulder to right hip. The Blood Angel collapsed to the ground and Zadakiel turned to exit the ruin. As he made to move out onto the street, he took one last glance at the crumpled form of the Blood Angel.

“I am sorry, brother.”

Up on the platform, Bethor sighted the enemy Eliminator through his scope. He fired but his shot went wide, obliterating the ferrocrete beside the Blood Angel. The Eliminator turned his rifle to aim at Bethor and replied with a shot of his own. The bolt shell narrowly missed Bethor, streaking over their position to detonate in the building behind. Beside Bethor, Nemator took aim as a Reiver emerged from the ruins and bounded across the street towards Azathor and Namaat. Acting quickly, Nemator overcharged his plasmagun and fired, the ball of plasma streaking out and crashing into the Reiver, evaporating his right arm just as Namaat fired his own bolt carbine. The two rounds caught the Reiver in the chest and he fell back into the road and lay unmoving.

Nemator turned to fire at the enemy Eliminator but before he could bring his plasmagun to bear a bolt round smashed into him and knocked him off the platform. He fell and landed heavily in the ruins below. Seeing his battle brother fall, Bethor took aim at the Eliminator, determined to end their deadly duel. He aimed, sighting his crosshairs on the chest of his enemy and squeezed the trigger. The bolt struck true and the Eliminator pitched backwards and out of sight, his rifle finally silenced.

Peering out across the street, Zadakiel could see another of the Blood Angels Reivers in the cover of the ruins. Taking careful aim with his bolt rifle he let rip with a burst at the enemy. The trio of rounds smashed into the Reiver and detonated. With a grim resignation Zadakiel moved to cross the street, his frustration at how the Blood Angels had forced his Kill Team’s hand etched on his face. As he moved across the street, another Reiver burst from cover and advanced towards him. This one’s squad markings identified him as a fellow sergeant and blood trailed from the stump of his left arm. With a sigh of resignation Zadakiel took aim and fired, the bolt rounds found their mark and silenced the Reiver.

“Zoreal contact report,” he voxxed.

“All clear sergeant,” came the reply “Although from the looks of things the Blood Angels were able to destroy a few more data caches, the sweep is only returning three signals now.”

“Team form up on me.” Zadakiel ordered “We’re grabbing these caches and getting out of here; I’ve seen enough action for one day.”

A chorus of affirmatives came across the vox and as he waited for his kill team to assemble, Zadakiel knew that this conflict with the Blood Angels was unlikely to be the last.