Warriors of Ultramar by Graham McNeill

Author:Graham McNeill
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Publisher: Black Library
Published: 2011-01-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Uriel and Learchus surveyed the wreckage of the trench lines with practiced eyes, realising that against another aerial assault they would probably hold, but against a combined assault of land and airborne creatures, they would not. Reconnaissance provided by the Fury pilots stranded on Tarsis Ultra after the Kharloss Vincennes had been unable to recover them had indicated that a chitinous tide of unimaginable proportions was barely sixty kilometres to the west.

A conservative estimate of their speed of advance put the tyranid horde less than hour away. Three aircraft had been lost to discover this information, brought down by roving packs of gargoyles lurking in the coloured clouds that billowed up from the mutant growths propagated by the alien spores.

‘We will not hold this line, brother-captain,’ said Learchus.

‘I know, but it will be a bitter blow to morale to have to pull back so soon after the first attack.’

Stretcher bearers and field medics moved along the trenches, applying battlefield triage where they could and marking those who needed immediate removal to the medicae facilities with charcoal sticks. The soldiers of all the regiments had performed heroically, but Uriel knew that heroics alone were not enough to win this war.

Further along the trenches, Uriel could see Chaplain Astador of the Mortifactors, kneeling in prayer within a circle of his brother Space Marines. Smoke from an iron brazier set before Astador drifted skyward and even over the stench of today’s battle, Uriel’s enhanced senses could pick out the scent of boiling blood.

Learchus followed his captain’s gaze, his lip curling in distaste as he too caught the scent of blood in the dark smoke.

‘What devilment are they about now?’ wondered Learchus.

‘I do not know, sergeant, but I’ll wager that you will not find its like within the pages of the Codex Astartes.’

Learchus grunted in agreement as Major Satria of the Erebus Defence Legion and Captain Bannon of the Deathwatch made their way towards the two Space Marines. Bannon moved with the leisurely stride of a born warrior; his armour was bloodstained, the yellow and black symbol of the Imperial Fists obscured with purple ichor. Satria’s features were bloody and exhausted. A red-stained bandage bound his left arm and his helmet bore deep grooves, scarred by alien claws.

‘Sergeant Learchus,’ he said.

‘Major Satria. Your men have fought bravely,’ said Learchus.

‘Thank you,’ replied Satria. ‘There’s steel in these lads. We won’t let you down.’

‘Your fighting spirit is commendable, Major Satria, but I fear this is but a taster of what is to come,’ said Uriel.

‘You may be right, Captain Ventris, I’ve just received reports that seven other cities have been attacked already. And we can’t raise many of the smaller settlements.’

‘They are already dead,’ said Bannon.

‘You can’t know that,’ protested Satria.

‘But I can, Major Satria,’ answered Bannon. ‘I have fought the tyranids before and we can expect more attacks very soon, launched with even more ferocity and cunning.’

‘So what do we do?’

‘We will fight,’ stated Bannon, his tone brooking no argument. ‘This is the largest

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.