We ran for all we were worth. They hit us like nothing else had ever hit us in all my 15 years of being a soldier. Even in our emplacements we barely got off any fire as they came bounding in.
And we ran. Not many of us made it very far. I had the coms so I could hear what was happening. Our command post was behind us and they told the Astartes in reserve behind us that we were running.
They came up to stop the route. It had been expected that the Astartes would be able to act as a mobile reserve and plug any gaps. That the traitors wouldn't be able to hit us every where at once. What they didn't expect was that when they did get us to run they would turn on the units on our flanks.
I ran until I saw red. Red power armour ahead of me. The Blood Angels. Salvation. Or at least a reprieve.
They stood and fired over my head. Even in that situation they didn't disregard my life. I dove for cover in a building behind them.
That is when I heard the route of the 42nd and 77th. My unit was the 60th. We were between them. Now we were all mostly dead and the World Eaters were coming at our relief force from both sides.
Their forces were spread out but it became apparent to the Blood Angels that they were in the jaws of a trap.
I heard over the coms that transports were coming up to rescue the trapped Blood Angles. I prayed they would come in time.
The fighting unfolded before my hiding hole. I could see Blood Angel assault squads fly off in both directions taking the fight to the enemy. Even in a defensive position these troops were aggressive.
Suddenly a massive Contemptor looms into view on the left. The static screaming coming out of his vox casters can be heard above the sound of gun fire, a Blood Angel dreadnought moves into its path but not for long, I can feel the heat of the blast that hits the loyalist machine from where I am. It simply melts a hole right through it and then smashes the inert form over as it moves past.
A second dreadnought had moved up behind the first and charges into the World Eater machine. What the machine arms lack in speed they more than make up for in force. The Contemptor is rocked back as the twin power fists of the second Blood Angel dreadnought strike it.
It still manages to connect a hit with the smaller loyalist dreadnought though and it looks like it will be a repeat of the previous fight until a band of Blood Angel terminators who I had last seen in brutal combat with World Eater infantry charge it from behind.
Their power fists slam into the back of the contemptor splitting its attention, it is just enough to allow the Blood Angels twin power fists to land two more blows on the Contemptor.
Staggered, the warmachine reels. The Blood Angels do not hesitate. Both dreadnought and terminators pile in and powerfists smash the Contemptor to the ground. I see one of the massive legs torn off as the Contemptor falls. A terminator climbs up the round drum of the still thrashing machine and, firing his bolter into the things face as he moves up punches down with his fist. The fist disappears into the cave where the monsters head is and the thrashing stops.
As my attention is drawn back to my right it seems like the Blood Angels have stabilized their flank on that side but an unanswerable booming rips from one of the buildings. Explosions remove a squad of Terminators from view momentarily and when the smoke clears there are two fewer standing than their had been and those that are left are withdrawing from the punishing fusillade.
The Blood Angels withdraw to set up a new defensive line. They use the cover of the buildings to pull back, the intense fire from the heavy bolters is too much even for Astartes.
To my left the line looks solid. A row of Terminators backed up by a squad in a bunker and a still substantial force of assault marines, all backed up with a dreadnought.
Bolter fire rattles out over there but it looks like the Blood Angels are holding their own.
Then I hear the sound of an engine coming in from that side and behind me and see the dreadnought turn to cut off this new threat.
The rhino comes into the street next to the building I'm sheltering in. Just as it edges its way into the road the dreadnought hits it with a heat blast, slewing it slightly to the side and and killing the engine. The Astatres pile out of their wrecked vehicle and fire on the dreadnought. Most the shells patter harmlessly off the armour but one of them has a plasma pistol and the super-heated beam bores a neat hold in the front of the machine. It stops moving on the instant and I look with full horror as I see World Eater Astartes not more than 40 meters from my current location.
I know that I'm not a priority target, although I can barely hope that their super-human sense can't see me in my hiding spot.
But behind them a wall collapses and a giant red box comes plowing through the rubble. The World Eaters turn and run away from it. Assault marines land in front of them and between the two the traitors change direction and run directly away from me towards their own lines.
The cavalry had arrived. I expect cheering but then see why I do not hear it.
I look to the left to see if the Astartes are going to start falling back and all I can see is bodies and parts of bodies flying into the air. Angron has arrived.
The improvised bunker anchoring the Blood Angels left is quickly turned into a charnel house. I see arms, heads, hands and torsos of full marines go flying with axes the size of men tearing through them with a speed that makes them almost a blur.
I cower down, much as I could feel the heat from the multimelta that destroyed the first I could feel the pure animosity coming off of this monster now.
I run. I run past the massive warmachine that is here to rescue the Blood Angels. I run past the other two vehicles here to pull them out. I run as the assault squad lands among the vehicles. I run and I trip over rubble and I get up and I run again.
I hear screaming behind me and I hear tank tranks and I turn and look and see the Blood Angel vehicles pulling out.
I dive to the side as they rumble past, assault marines vaulting over them above me.
I look back again and realize I didn't run fast enough. The tanks were faster than the World Eaters. I am not.
has a painting service do Space Marines.
