The air was filled with a metallic taste, Hargar spat and the ground sizzled a little where the acid ate into it. The three tanks were stopped, burning wreckage littered the ground between them and the line of bunkers on the other side of the narrow valley.
The Space Wolf hammered on the side of the tank and the hatch popped open.
"That shelling isn't getting any less accurate," Hargar yelled up at the commander.
"Anyone that moved up further got zapped by that weird lightning," was the response.
Hargar moved to the rear of the vehicle and climbed up the track crouching next to the commander on the side of the Leman Russ battle tank. He dwarfed the commander, his bulk putting the man in shadow.
"Get your bastard tanks up there now or you won't have to worry about lightning ever again," Hargar said.
He dropped off of the side of the tank hearing the hatch slam shut behind him. He walked up to the Razorback and got in. The three tanks and the Space Marine APCs started advancing, to their right some young Space Wolves jumped forward taking cover in the ruins of a destroyed building. Hargar watched through the display inside the APC and saw the few members of the 13th company accompanied by their Rune Priest disappear. It was eerie when they did that.
In the center of the formation Kraagni moved forward ahead of the vehicles. The marine was not old, he had been badly injured on only his second campaign but he was perfectly suited for Dreadnought armour. He was anxious to get to grips and see what his new body could do. The whine of the shell came to their ears and landed right in front of Kraagni blasting earth up around him and showering him with rocks and shrapnel. The force of the blast was enough to blast the dreadnought off of its feet and onto its back. Hargar looked at the screen. The machines sensors must have been damaged in the blast. He could see the dreadnought moving, trying to do something, but all of the sensors were flat lined. They would not have the support of that for the coming battle.
**********************************************
The spy was stuck. He looked out behind the panel that was humming behind him and saw the Astral Claws at work around their master. He had been just in time to get out of their line of sight when they came in. He expected to be back at the imperial lines now, he had been crouched behind this machinery now for more than two hours. None of his comm-sys devices worked. It must have been
interference from the Ener-sphere. With five more minutes he might have figured out how to shut it down. He had the information about what was powering the lightning generating sphere that was holding up the advance. He was in no way a match for the seven renegade Space Marines that were between him and it now though. With their enhanced sense they would pick up any attempt he made to escape.
Then he heard something above the thrum of the power grid, a low growl, almost indistinguishable at first. The renegades heard it too and started moving towards him. Suddenly after the sound of a muffled explosion the wall behind him collapsed. Five Space Wolves as well as six Fenrisian wolves moved into the room shooting bolt pistols and plasma. The renegades ducked for cover and returned fire.
"The device in the next room, it is an Ener-sphere, it is the source of the power for the lightning weapon, destroy it and you cut off the power to the weapon," he yelled to the marines, tossing them a small data slate. One of them caught it and must have had heard something over the exchange of bolter fire and turned to run out of the range of the disrupting power waves, going back out the entrance they had made. The renegades advanced on the outnumbered scouts and a great goute of fire flowed from the leader, engulfing several of the marines and a couple of the dogs. The smell of burned flesh and hair was strong even over the actinic sensation produced by the powerful energy waves in the room.
The battle went against the marines, the wolves charged through the fire but were quickly dispatched by the renegades. The spy sat at the feet of one of the renegades trying to make himself very small, with his attention focused on the enemy he failed to notice the small figure and moved to intercept the wolves who had charged. The spy stayed put, deciding the cramping in his leg wasn't so bad after all.
***********************
"Sir, there is a message coming through," said Sajanus.
"Put it on the screen," Commander Hrolk said to the menial.
The plans for the device came up on the screen, Hrolk saw where the weak spot was.
"Tell Grimjar to be ready to teleport now," he said through the comm.
"They are ready, sir," the vox responded back.
"Then send them in."
