[Dan296]

Several hours had passed since Brianas death, and the sisters had fallen into a sullen silence. The sporadic attacks by bands of chaos fighters had been ongoing, but the blockade created by Korthrim and his devestators had delayed Crot’s main force. However, as they grew closer to the startport they began to hear faint chanting and roars of engines echoing in the hives deserted streets. Many of the force had fallen during the march. Injured fighters who did not succumb were forced to be carried by comrades to avoid falling behind, a certain death sentence.
Meanwhile, as they marched on, events outside of the city worsened. The space marines had landed most of their forces and, together with the guardsmen on the planet, created a blockade to contain the chaos forces. However, the forces of Khorne began to concentrate their attacks. Trenches dug by the PDF forces in the blockage ran with blood as frenzied traitor marines hacked down screaming guardsmen. Space marines would rush in and drive off the traitors, but there were not enough of them. Soon, an armoured spearhead consisting of three land raiders and a dozen rhinos broke through, heading for a large, deserted munitions plant. Talon fighters swarmed over the area, preventing arial attacks. Soon, the talons abandoned the area. However, the chaos tanks had disapeared from the scanners of the Revilers battle barge, the Dark Redemption. A regiment of PDF forces swarmed the area, but reported that nothing had been found.
“Look! The Starport!”
The huge structer loomed over the surrounding buildings. Nearly all of the defense lasers had been destroyed or had burned out, and the remaining ones were out of power. The landing pad structure itself was a huge circle, large enough for an imperial navy cruiser to land. A quarter of the structure was a huge ramp, but much of it was cluttered with burnt out shells of unidentifiable vehicles. Katrina reported “this is were the chaos forces landed much of their elite forces. High in the hive, so they could swiftly kill the governer and his command structure. Their plan worked. We must be wary, however, many heratics are no doubt still looting this area.”
The force moved up the gently sloping ramp. Weapons out and guns cocked, they advanced warily. As they neared the top, Mortimer hailed the Dark Redemption “Chapter Master Larendul. We are ready for extraction. Send the thunderhawks.”
They cleared the crest, and stared out at the flat landing pad, and stopped with a gasp. A huge pyramid of skulls had been piled in the center. Around it, traitor marines danced in a crazed bloodlust waving their weapons in the air. One of them, seeing the assembled servents of the Emporer, called a halt. He wore two gauntlets, and no helmet. His armour had chaos runes drawn in blood all over it, and a symbol of khorne had been carved into his forhead. He grinned as he walked forward, and Mortimer saw that his teeth had been filed into sharp points. “So, you’ve finnally arrived to play,” the champion said. “nice of you to finally arrive. Your skulls shall make our tribute to khorne much more laudable.” With a laugh, his lightning claws unsheathed themselves from his gauntlets with a crackle of energy. The rest of the chaos forces also sprang forward. The two forces erupted with battlecries and sounds of fighting. Mortimer swiftly unslung him Crozius and pressed the activation rune. He emptied his bolt pistol clip at the approuching champion of chaos, with no effect. The champion swiped at Mortimers head, who ducked under it and thrust forward with his Crozius. He smashed into the champions chest plate, which buckled and threw him back. Mortimer, chanting linities of battle, stalked his fallen enemy. He got up, servo moters in his armour whining loudly. Mortimer sprang at him, and the champion blocked the deadly mace. “Blood for the Blood God!” yelled the champion, and he knocked away the Crozius and body slammed Mortimer, who lept aside. The champion crashed down, his head cracking against the plasteel plates. Mortimer put his heavy boot on the back of the traitors neck, and drew his bolt pistol, and sent the fallen marine to the hell he richly deserved. Glancing around, Mortimer saw that his forces had pushed back the chaos forces. Squads of Sororitas herded the bezerkers into larger clumps, then backed off and allowed other squads to cut them down with bolter fire. Soon, it was all over.
Mortimer took a closer look around at the landing pad. In the far end, chaos dreadclaws and corrupted thunderhawks lay grouped together. Three thunderhawks screamed overhead, and landed close to the entrance. Malekai said “send the wounded and civilians first. Get them to safety.”
The back hatches of the thunderhawks slammed down, and were loaded with wounded and the 50 civilians who remained. They lifted off, and sped away toward the nearest hive. However, above the roar of thunderhawk engines, chanting could be heard. The main chaos force drew close! Soon, they could be seen at the bottom of the ramp. Mortimer ordered the remaining forces to the cluster of chaos landing vehicles. Korthrim, however, could not fit into the tight spaces. “no matter,” he stated, “the traitors shall see their end either way.” The venerable brother shot two missles into the pile of heads, vaporizing them. His devestators took up positions on top of the chaos thunderhawk closest to him.
“Dark Redemption, this is Mortimer. We have taken up positions on the far end of the landing pad. The main chaos force closes in, and we have a small, secure area, space enough for only one thunderhawk. We shall be forced to make a fighting withdraw. This will be the chapters finest hour. Pray for us.” Mortimer closed the vox channel.
Malekai stood before the assembled forces. “Men and Woman of the Imperium, you are the finest warriors we have to offer. We will make these traitors pay before we make our escape. Now, ready your weapons and steel your souls.”
The sisters started a hymnal of supremacy, as Mortimer lead the Revilers in the Litanies of Hate. The Chaos tanks cleared the ridge.