5000 points of blood shed

[stratigo]

The Thunderhawk screamed down, settling with a slight bounce on the ground. everywhere Thunderhawks were ferrying Ultramarines to aid their brothers at the strip mines. But first they had to set up a base of defense to await the rest of the forces landing.

Alexi had heard that a foe he knew well was operating in the area. They had faced each other in battle many times. Alexi had thought that he had killed him at the slaughter on Dargosa, but Haargath was still alive.

Suddenly Librarien Darien looked out into the wastes. "there is something worng."

"what.." Alexi started when a blood curdling cry sounded. The haze that had covered the area lifted, revealing legions of Chaos warriors. "By the throne" it was a trap.

Unholy shells rained down, blasting craters into the ground and killing men as the berserk Chaos warriors started their charge. "Devastators form up and start firing into that mass. Aim for transports and demons first! Assault squads I want you to flank them and take out that Artillery! vindicator tanks spread out and fire onto the rushing warrior! Move or die by the throne!"

A uniform cry could be heard from the massed ranks of the Khornate warriors. "Blood for the Blood God!" repeated over and over. Soon lances of energy and blasts of rockets started errupting in the chaos ranks, kicking over bodies and vaporising the heretics. The undisturbed bombarment of defilers started to take out devastator positions peice by peice though. Alexi knew that they would not be able to stand up to a charge if those defilers were not taken out soon. A land raider exploded next to him, causing him to duck. Stunned Terminators stumbled out of the wreck. it was a disastor. Then the fire lessened. And then stopped. "Sir mission accomplished." crackled over his comms. The voice of Chaplain Gaius, who led the assault group. "It was good to fight beside you brother." Gaius said over the screams of men and the crackle of gunfire. Alexi lowered his head. he knew it was a suicide mission, but the life of those men would buy the lives of many more battle brothers.

The Chaos battle line started arriving in peicemeal, some of the Khorne worshipers getting more excited than others. The early ones fell under a hail of fire, but there was just too many to stop. demons were appearing all over the feild, foul Bloodletters and their swords. The vindicator shells blew huge holes in the chaos ranks until they too were surrounded and ripped appart. Then came the close combat. The chaos scum whirled around, ripping apart men and machine. Screams could be heard all around with the bloodthirsty roar of berserking warriors. Next to Alexi Librarian Darien moved like a flash, his psykic powers enhancing his abilities as he hewed through the ranks of traitors. Alexi himself with his retinue of honour guard fought in a tight circle. Even so the ferocity of the Chaos worshippers took its toll.

Then alexi heard it. It was Haargath himself. "Alexi! I have come for your skull!"

"Come and take it heretic scum!" He said, cutting down a champion in front of him. He couldn't see Darien any more, probably buried under bodies.

Haargath push his way through his own warrior, killing them if they didn't scramble fast enough. "Out of my way, his skull is mine alone!" The chaos warriors formed a ring around him, Haargath stepping into the middle massive powerfist crackling. "this time there will be no escape Alexi. I will add you skull to the Throne of Khorne myself."

"I will spill your foul blood heretic, even if I die."

Laughing Haargath step forward, raising his fist just as a flaming streak hit the ground behind him. Opening out stepped several terminators wielding hammers and claws. looking up he could see many such drop pods descending. "It looks like you're too late haargath. This battle is over, retreat if you want to live."

Snarling the great Chaos lord turned and beat his way through his men. The rest of the chaos horde slowly retreated before too many Ultramarine forces landed. Those too battle crazed to realize the danger were killed under massive fire.

Behind Alexi several bodies blasted up revealing the gore spattered form of Darien. "so you survived after all." Alexi said, clasping his battle brother's arm. The librarien stayed silent. Alexi knew how he felt. They had lost too many in that battle. Though the chaos scum lost even more one marine life was not worth one million chaos deaths.