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Post by Jara Hellhammer on Mar 27, 2024 15:01:19 GMT
Another day, same old routine.
Within the grounds of the Watch Fortress, there stood the over 7ft tall figure of the Deathwatch Terminator, Jara Hellhammer. This day, like any other, started with the space marine getting up at the break of dawn, ensuring his duties were fulfilled and being on guard in case his squad's services were required to serve the Emperor's will. After a conversation with his brother in arms, Karak Oudious, Hellhammer made his way to his favourite location within the halls of the fortress, the training grounds.
He began his daily exercise regimen with a few stretches, ensuring that his hulking mass could perform at maximum efficiency. Once the stretching was out of the way, the Terminator would spend hours practicing with his beloved Thunder Hammer, the weapon he had used in battle several times before. Thud. Thud. Thump. The sounds of the Thunder Hammer could be heard throughout the training facility, Hellhammer's focus intense as he swung every blow with purpose and ferocity.
Eventually, he deemed to have done enough practice. Kneeling down on the ground, he began to meditate.
Last Edit: Mar 28, 2024 17:05:56 GMT by Last Order
It is not uncommon for the training hall to be occupied by several members of Deathwatch, whether in honing their own skills or observation. The latter appeared to be the case, at least for the final few minutes of Jara's routine.
Brother Zarra Valentius, a long-term veteran of deathwatch and member of the Storm Wardens chapter, lurked nearby the entrance for a time, merely observing. However, as Jara knelt down for meditation, the hulking warrior approached.
"Hail, cousin," Valentius greeted. "I've come to inform you that you've been chosen for deployment. Arm yourself and join the team in hangar X-13. You'll be briefed then."
With that said, Valentius departs and leaves Jara to prepare.
When he arrived at the hangar he would find twelve other battle brothers and two Thunderhawks preparing. Valentius, now fully armored and armed with his massive claymore and more, raised his hand to call him over.
Once he joined the rest, Valentius stepped away and turned to address them.
"You have likely heard, by now, of the assault on Velon," Valentius began. "Forces have been dispatched to deal with it, including some of the local garrison on the planet. We have no doubt that they will prevail, but in the interim, the activity has riled up the orkz investing the area and they are looking for a fight."
Valentius raised his hand and clenched his fist for emphasis. "We are being sent to give them what they are looking for. A number of installations of great import are left with mere skeleton crews for garrisons and command worries they will be insufficient for dealing with the green menace. To that end, we are deploying in two teams to cover two locations."
Valentius paused for a moment and looked between the various marines assembled before him. "This is a defensive assignment. We are not to pursue the orkz beyond the perimeter unless we can guarantee security. There will be time in the future for such offensive actions, so keep your heads and restrain your fury."
"The Emperor's light may be hidden from us, but we are not hidden from his watchful gaze. Do not disappoint!"
Valentius lifted a data slate from his belt and tapped it. He called off a handful of names and designated them as one team and ushered them off to their tbunderhawk before turning to the remaining few.
"Well, cousins, you will be with me. Let's embark.
Aside from Valentius, the team leader, who was clearly armed for close combat, there was a devastator, brother Horn; two tactical marines, brothers Rask and Neeman; and an apothecary, brother Yuri. They came from a mixture of chapters, but now they were one team with one purpose: to purge the xenos filth from the Imperium in the name of the Emperor!
Post by Jara Hellhammer on Mar 28, 2024 17:08:41 GMT
It didn't take long for the Terminator to prepare. Arming up became almost second nature following his foray into the Long Vigil.
When he arrived at the hangar, he glanced around in order to assess the situation and took note of the Thunderhawks in particular. This was serious. Good. Hellhammer was itching for something big right now.
As Valentius gave the briefing, Jara stayed silent, offering merely affirmative grunts and nods in order to keep things on the level whilst confirming that he was indeed listening. At various points, he glanced around in order to gauge his brothers reactions. They seemed ready.
When the Salamander's ears heard the word Orkz, he visibly tensed. Those pesky green things loved to mess up his day whenever they got a chance. The tension was replaced with a subtle smirk as Valentius told the Marines that they'd be engaging the Orkz in battle. A chance to mess up THEIR day? Hellhammer wasn't going to miss this.
Eagerly, he embarked the Thunderhawk and greeted the Marines he would be fighting alongside, the little spark of humanity that remained within him coming to the surface briefly.
Boarding a thunderhawk is something that each of these marines has done dozens, perhaps hundreds of times, so it is quick, efficient, and done with practiced precision. It did not take long, only a matter of a minute or two, and then they were secure. A handful of serfs had pre-loaded the thunderhawk with some extra supplies, things they may need once deployed, and ensured the craft was ready for action.
As soon as the rear hatch closed, sergeant Valentius activated their internal vox and prompted the team to attention. "Each of you will find a prepared data slate with mission-relevant details in the overhead compartment."
True enough, each marine found one. The data slates contained a variety of information, including local maps and blueprints for facilities in the area of deployment. It was, in essence, anything they could possibly need to know.
"We'll be defending Processor-Rho, a grain processing plant responsible for a significant portion of Velon's output. Security forces on site are thin due to redeployment, but we can expect friendly forces. You'll note in the satellite images that Processor-Rho has a series of perimeter walls and defensive emplacements. These have been sufficient in deterring orkz in the past, but we cannot guarantee that will be the case now."
As Valentius spoke, the Thunderhawk lurched and rattled, signalling takeoff to the passengers. Nothing abnormal, nothing of note about it. Everything was green so far.
"We do not know what level of threat we will be facing, as we are responding to speculation. Nevertheless, we must remain vigilant. The greenskins like a fight, and will be whipped into a frenzy. Even if they do not show, we must act as though they will."
"We have ten hours and seventeen minutes until arrival, so you have time to clear your heads."
With that said, Valentius went silent.
Transit proved uneventful.
Everything else, did not.
About the time the thunderhawk entered Velon's atmosphere, Valentius activated the vox again. His voice was still level and even, but his speech was a bit rushed compared to earlier, hinting at urgency.
"I've been informed about the situation on the ground. The greenskins have assaulted processor-rho, and the outer wall has been overrun. We will be disembarking in utility field gamma within the internal perimeter. Rask and Neeman will secure the landing zone and then escort Horn to the north east section of the wall to provide overwatch.
"Yuri, you will remain with the thunderhawk while Hellhammer unloads our supplies. Cover him if necessary, but I do not expect the greenskins within the interior. I will be meeting with the security officer in command to coordinate efforts and get updated information, then I will meet up with the rear team and move to the front."
Valentius' fingers clenched the hilt of his mighty claymore in anticipation. "Trust your training and your battle brothers. The Emperor watches over us, so do not disappoint!"
It did not take long before the thunderhawk's maneuvers altered from mere entry to evasive, though based on information pertaining to local ork bands, little in the way of anti-air was expected, so the pilots were likely avoiding the odd rokkit or two lobbed in their direction by particularly eager orkz.
Soon after, the retros were engaged and the force within the crafted shifted dramatically as it quickly decelerated and eventually stopped, roughly dropping to the ground even as the landing bay opened to release the marines.
As soon as they were able, Rask and Neeman rushed from the rear, bolters ready, but neither opened fire. Jara would be right behind them, followed by the team's devastator and apothecary, and finally, their sergeant.
"Let's make this quick," Valentius intoned. "The thunderhawk is a prime target for the greenskins and we do not want to walk back to the watch fortress."
The bit of humor was not lost on the squad, but there was little but affirmations across the vox. It was serious now, and they'd need to be focused.
Jara had his assignment. As with the others, he would likely take a moment to ensure they were not under immediate threat, providing mobile cover with his bulk and shield, but as soon as the scene was clear and the others moved out, he'd need to unload their supplies.
Taking the spaces normally filled by other marines were four large crates. Each would have taken no less than four strong men, or probably a loade servitor, but for Jara, it should be easy enough.
The thunderhawk would wait just long enough for him to unload before taking off, and then he and Yuri would be alone.
Yuri kept his bolter ready. No greenskins were within the perimeter, but the sounds of battle raged around, and vigilance was a trademark of the astartes.
Post by Jara Hellhammer on Apr 1, 2024 17:53:17 GMT
Orders received. As soon as the opportunity presented itself, the Terminator got to work.
Glancing over at Yuri, he gave a look to ensure that cover-fire would be provided should the need for it arise. This took mere milliseconds as Hellhammer was accustomed to working alongside fellow marines and they operated like well-oiled machines, being trained for combat since undergoing their gruelling treatments to become marines in the first place.
Taking hold of one of the crates, Hellhammer began his assignment. Carefully, he took the crate and began unloading the supplies. The sounds of nearby fighting did not escape his ears, making him alert and on guard whilst he completed his assignment. His head would occasionally be on a swivel, glancing around for any signs of Orks nearby and then to Yuri, the sight of his fellow marine helping to keep his mind focused on the supplies.
The Salamander would repeat the unloading process for the rest of the crates, each time glancing around for the sight of green skins before making sure his orders were completed.
When it was just him and Yuri, the Thunderhawk having gone, he remained vigilant. He had experience in dealing the green skins and they were rather persistent pests. Ones that could overrun them if they weren't adequately prepared.
Unloading the supplies for the mission is never a glamorous or exciting responsibility, but it is important. The local security teams relied on their own equipment, none of which would be suitable for astartes. The crates would ensure that they'd have the option of restocking their ammunition as needed rather than running out and relying exclusively on melee weapons.
At least, it was over soon enough.
It was time to wait. From the wall, the sound of the heavy bolter unleashing righteous fury upon the greenskins could be heard, and the occasional smaller shot from the other two accompany it underscored the cacophony, but down in the field there was nothing of note.
But now that the craft was unloaded, the Thunderhawk prepared to depart. The landing bay closed, the thrusters fired up, and moments later it was airborne, roaring off into the distance until it was needed once more.
Shortly after the thunderhawk's departure, sergeant Valentius returned with a pair of loading servitors and a handful of guardsmen in tow.
"These loyal servants will take care of our supplies, so we go to assist," Valentius stated before looking to the wall with the rest of the team. "With me, brothers!"
The sergeant hefted his mighty sword and rushed towards the wall, heavy foot steps drumming on the dirt. Yuri was not far behind, and Jara was expected to be along, too. Their objective: enter the fray!
The astartes ascended via the stairs, skipping numerous at once until they were at the top and regrouped.
From there, they could see the outer gate whose mighty slabs of metal were now twisted and deformed by explosives, allowing the hoard of greenskins to pour through and into the defenders.
"We must stem the tide and secure the gate. Our allies cannot stand against the orks in melee, so we must go in their stead."
With that said, Valentius vaulted the edge of the wall and dropped to the ground. "Adopt valorous spear formation and advance!"
The formation is a simple one, with the heavy bolter front and center, Jara and Valentius to either side protecting him from assault, the apothecary in the rear, with the two tactical marines in the wings. The formation provided excellent versatility, a powerful frontal push, and a wide range of cover from the sides.
As the kill team formed up, the more astute and observant orkz recognized the opportunity. They came for a fight, and the best fight was there with the space marines.
Cries of WAAAGH!!! echoed over the din as the greenskins shifted priorities and soon they were upon them.
The heavy bolter ripped through them, splitting the center apart and forcing them to approach the indomitable Jara in his terminator suit or the consummate duelist serving as their sergeant. On either side, the tactical marines gunned down greenskins, thinning them out and ensuring Jara and Valentius were never truly overwhelmed.
But it wasn't enough. Soon, they entered the fray good and proper. Several of the orkz posed an imminent threat to Jara, whose mighty armor shrugged off their small arms fire. He had more than enough foes to vent his fury upon.
Post by Jara Hellhammer on Apr 3, 2024 19:20:56 GMT
Jara made sure to remain within the Spear formation as he knew all too well the price that could be paid for breaking such a thing. Focusing on his flank, he relied on Valentius to cover the other.
As the Orkz came within a suitable range, he began firing off short, controlled bursts of the Melta gun cooking any unfortunate greenskins that happened to be in the path of the intense beam that burnt over thousands of degrees centigrade. Using the tactics learnt within his chapter back on Nocturne, he'd scorch the green skins and make Vulkan proud. At least that was what he thought.
Whenever the odd Ork came too close to comfortably fire off another beam from the Melta gun, he switched to his trusty Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield combo. He awaited the opportune moment, as one green skin came within optimal striking distance, before he unleashed a calculated swing of the Hammer, the head smacking into the skull of the unfortunate foe and the shockwave ensuring the deed was finished. He'd slam the hammer down several more times, into the torso of another green skin and followed through to catch the green skin's approaching ally square in the jaw.
This was it. His mind flashed back to previous encounters with the Orkz, to fallen brothers and the destruction the greenskins brought with them. This time, they will fall. They will pay.
Fortunately, these orks were not large, strong, or particularly skilled compared to what they could be. Even with their superior numbers, the handful of highly trained killing machines in the kill team had little trouble dispatching them by the dozens.
Bolter rounds tore off limbs and shattered bodies, blades clove through flesh with little resistance, and the mighty thunder hammer wielded by Jara crushed the greenskins and toppled them with ease.
But orks don't usually relent because the fighting is getting tough. Often, it spurs them on. These orks were thrilled with the prospect of deadly foes to test themselves against and gleefully threw their number against the kill team.
Jara's hammer and shield were too much for most to contend with. Even if they orks were smart enough, or willing, to block his blows, the immense power behind his swings would more often than not blast through their guard and connect anyway. More than once, an ork took a powerful blow and was sent careening into his fellows, tripping them up and leaving them vulnerable to further strikes.
As they approached the gate, the number of orks within the compound dwindled, but the tide was not wholly stemmed. They continued to push through the battered and broken defenses only to fall upon the weapons of the astartes.
But the battle was not over.
As Jara battered on ork into a bloody mess, another moved in and latched onto his shield as if intending to rip it away, even going so far as to bite at it with his powerful, tusk-filled jaw.
Others moved to overwhelm the mighty terminator, swinging their primitive weapons with impressive levels of brawn, but damaging the mighty terminator armor is no easy feat.
It wasn't just orks in melee, either. A handful wielded their primitive firearms. Most were just oversized autopistols, but some were larger, and more threatening.
The two tactical marines did their best to thin those out, but ammunition was running low. Yuri, the apothecary, was contributing as well, placing precise shots through the front, and brother horn with his heavy bolter had been forced to fall back somewhat as the formation struggled to keep up.
"We need a way to block the gate!" sergeant Valentius shouted. "Fury and faith alone do not build walls."
There would be options. The doors might be operable enough to push shut, even somewhat, and slow the orks. Some of the farming equipment nearby could make a good barricade if moved into position, and more. Either way, they'd have to be quick about it.
The guard had received relief thanks to the kill team and had cleaned out the orks from within, but losses had taken their toll. If the orks breached again it might be too late for them.
Post by Jara Hellhammer on Apr 5, 2024 16:30:00 GMT
Upon hearing the shouts of Valentius, Hellhammer smacked another Ork with the head of his Thunderhammer before nodding. "Affirmative, cousin. On it."
Immediately upon gaining enough space to move around freely, or at least unimpeded enough to not get hit whilst in motion, the Terminator moved briskly to the doors. He would first attempt to close the doors shut, provided they were sufficiently operational. If they weren't, he'd attempt to close them manually.
Not satisfied with merely closing the doors as far as they could shut, he swiftly began piling up the corpses of deceased Orkz behind it. It was an unconventional approach and arguably not as effective as moving some of the farming equipment over, but he hadn't much time to work with and thus, chose to pile the corpses up into a makeshift barrier due to the speed and availability of the green skin bodies around him.
Turning to his fellow marines, he gave them each a nod. "Better than nothing."
He would then get into a defensive position, ready for an assault should it happen swiftly.
The kill team had stemmed the tide. Fewer orkz were entering the compound through the destroyed gate and those that remained within were being felled by the defenders in short order. However, the tide beyond the wall had not diminished, at least, not in any noticeable way.
With the order given to bar the gate in any way, the kill team went to work. Jara and his impressive strength forced the battered doors to close, at least most of the way. Enough that the orkz would have to enter one by one or force the doors back open. To ensure that each task would be more difficult, corpses were piled up, either those of the deceased within the compound or those entering and climbing over their fallen brethren.
It turned into a job well done. Even if it were not the perfect solution and could be improved upon, it was something.
The orkz were doing their best to press against the twisted metal and force their way back in, but progress was agonizingly slow. A familiar roar, that of the a thunderhawk's engines, could be heard approaching over the din of battle, and with a single decisive strike, it unleashed a deadly payload upon the orkz beyond the wall.
With such massive casualties sustained in such a short time period, the orkz began to fall back and regroup in the forest, ensuring they were beyond range and hidden beneath the canopy. It'd be only a matter of time before they returned, but for now there was calm.
Valentius moved to inspect the gate and peered over the mound of corpses. "The greenskins retreat for the time being. Cousins, take this opportunity to rearm. Our supplies are at the command center, so make haste."
The others left to refill their ammunition, so Valentius turned to Jara. "I shall take my leave as well, to confer with the officers on site and take stock of the situation. In my absence, you are in charge of the defenses. They will need your guidance, cousin."
He clapped a hand on Jara's shoulder and then strode off.
All around, the battered security force trickled in. They were young men and women interspersed with the odd veteran with some years on them but they were not well equipped, and their training lacked.
One young man whose insignia showed him to be a sergeant, approached as nervous as a child expecting trouble from their parents. "M-my lord, what do we do? I've never seen so many greenskins..."
The others murmured uncertainly. Morale was low. These poor sods needed something - anything, to help...
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