Crusade Campaign: Hit Squad
Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2021 2:48 pm
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Kellan glanced through the cockpit window at the terrain racing below. The darkness hid most features, but he could make out scattered rockcrete ruins illuminated by the moonlight. "More ruins than buildings on this backwater" he said to no one in particular. The valkyrie's pilot in the seat beside him half-turned her head, unsure whether to answer. After a moment's pause, she gave a cautious response of "Yes, Inquisitor."
He had been on this world several weeks now. Why the daemons of the warp had taken an interest in this particular world, Kellan had no idea - not that it mattered. They were here, and his duty would have him follow - but always one-step behind it seemed.
--- 12 hours earlier ---
The stormtroopers under the Inquisitor's command fanned out to surround the large manor before them, smartly moving in twos while the rest of the squad aimed at the structure, ready to provide cover. Another two squads moved door to door through the rest of the hamlet, ordering the townsfolk to gather in the town center.
The women were certainly well trained, as to be expected from the Militarum Tempestus. They were quick-footed, expert shots, and perfect for rapid airborne insertions. Kellan did not regret his choice of retinue, finding the stormtroopers' flexibility more useful than the raw combat prowess of the Adeptus Astartes or the near-insane faith of the Adeptus Sororitas.
This was certainly the building. He could sense its wrongness, as if he were gazing upon a grotesque art piece (although to a non-psyker, the manor must have looked perfectly normal). For days he had tracked the warp disturbance across the continent, him and his retinue drawing closer and closer to the source until they at last arrived in this tiny farming village.
"Secure the entrance," he spoke curtly into his micro-bead.
Kellan waited patiently at the front gate, resting both hands on his greathammer, while his soldiers blew open the manor's entrance and stepped inside.
No screams or gunfire he thought as long seconds passed. Always a good sign. He had half-expected to hear lasgun fire as a daemon or some other warp monstrosity revealed itself.
"Sir," a voice carried over the microbead. Cassia, one of the squad leaders, he recognized. "It's some kind of ritual site. The entrance hall is filled with bodies and blood. No hostiles." Her voice was supremely calm considering what she must have been looking at. Another benefit of working with the stormtroopers - their minds were well-hardened by long years of training - nearing on the robotic at times - and surprisingly resistant to the madness that is Chaos.
Kellan started a response: "Very well. Continue " - when he was interrupted by an explosion from behind him.
The town center.
The inquisitor and a dozen of the stormtroopers ran double-time back toward the two squads who were left to guard the villagers. As they rounded a corner back onto the main street, they found a melee in front of them. The rearguard was fighting with bayonets to fend off a mob of the townsfolk, who seemed to be mostly unarmed. A few held kitchen knives, others farming implements.
The villagers were babbling insanely while they attacked the injured scions. "Scream! Ahahaha - scream for she who lus" - cackled one farmer, right before his pitchfork was parried and he was bayoneted in the throat.
Kellan recognized that the explosion must have been a grenade - three of his soldiers lay injured or dead in a cluster.
The villagers must have attacked with whatever was on hand, plus the grenade that one had obviously concealed somewhere.
The skirmish ended almost immediately after the inquisitor's reinforcements arrived. The fresh stormtroopers unleashed an intense barrage from their hot-shot lasguns, dropping the majority of the townsfolk with fire powerful enough to penetrate power armor. The ones who were too close to the injured scions to be shot were quickly subdued by a bayonet charge.
--- 12 hours later ---
The town from earlier in the afternoon was already just a memory - in more ways than one: Kellan ordered it burnt to the ground before his stormtroopers left, just one more ruin on this cursed world.
The inquisitor's study of the manor did not reveal the purpose of the blood ritual inside, but he was able to pick up another psychic trail leading away from the town. Whatever the ritual was meant to accomplish, it was seemingly linked to another site. Kellan would follow, and he would disrupt every ritual site he could find - hopefully before the chaos forces at work could finish whatever their dark design was.
"Inquisitor," the pilot started. "We're approaching the target coordinates you provided. Looks like another town. Touchdown in 5 minutes."
She spoke more decisively this time, apparently happier to be discussing work with Kellan than entertaining his conversation.
Kellan flipped a switch and activated the announcer toward the body of the aircraft, where his scions were waiting for their next mission.
"Cassia, we arrive in 5 minutes. No surprises this time - shoot the villagers on sight."
The pilot glanced nervously at Kellan, then quickly returned her eyes to the terrain, hoping he didn't notice. He did.
Kellan glanced through the cockpit window at the terrain racing below. The darkness hid most features, but he could make out scattered rockcrete ruins illuminated by the moonlight. "More ruins than buildings on this backwater" he said to no one in particular. The valkyrie's pilot in the seat beside him half-turned her head, unsure whether to answer. After a moment's pause, she gave a cautious response of "Yes, Inquisitor."
He had been on this world several weeks now. Why the daemons of the warp had taken an interest in this particular world, Kellan had no idea - not that it mattered. They were here, and his duty would have him follow - but always one-step behind it seemed.
--- 12 hours earlier ---
The stormtroopers under the Inquisitor's command fanned out to surround the large manor before them, smartly moving in twos while the rest of the squad aimed at the structure, ready to provide cover. Another two squads moved door to door through the rest of the hamlet, ordering the townsfolk to gather in the town center.
The women were certainly well trained, as to be expected from the Militarum Tempestus. They were quick-footed, expert shots, and perfect for rapid airborne insertions. Kellan did not regret his choice of retinue, finding the stormtroopers' flexibility more useful than the raw combat prowess of the Adeptus Astartes or the near-insane faith of the Adeptus Sororitas.
This was certainly the building. He could sense its wrongness, as if he were gazing upon a grotesque art piece (although to a non-psyker, the manor must have looked perfectly normal). For days he had tracked the warp disturbance across the continent, him and his retinue drawing closer and closer to the source until they at last arrived in this tiny farming village.
"Secure the entrance," he spoke curtly into his micro-bead.
Kellan waited patiently at the front gate, resting both hands on his greathammer, while his soldiers blew open the manor's entrance and stepped inside.
No screams or gunfire he thought as long seconds passed. Always a good sign. He had half-expected to hear lasgun fire as a daemon or some other warp monstrosity revealed itself.
"Sir," a voice carried over the microbead. Cassia, one of the squad leaders, he recognized. "It's some kind of ritual site. The entrance hall is filled with bodies and blood. No hostiles." Her voice was supremely calm considering what she must have been looking at. Another benefit of working with the stormtroopers - their minds were well-hardened by long years of training - nearing on the robotic at times - and surprisingly resistant to the madness that is Chaos.
Kellan started a response: "Very well. Continue " - when he was interrupted by an explosion from behind him.
The town center.
The inquisitor and a dozen of the stormtroopers ran double-time back toward the two squads who were left to guard the villagers. As they rounded a corner back onto the main street, they found a melee in front of them. The rearguard was fighting with bayonets to fend off a mob of the townsfolk, who seemed to be mostly unarmed. A few held kitchen knives, others farming implements.
The villagers were babbling insanely while they attacked the injured scions. "Scream! Ahahaha - scream for she who lus" - cackled one farmer, right before his pitchfork was parried and he was bayoneted in the throat.
Kellan recognized that the explosion must have been a grenade - three of his soldiers lay injured or dead in a cluster.
The villagers must have attacked with whatever was on hand, plus the grenade that one had obviously concealed somewhere.
The skirmish ended almost immediately after the inquisitor's reinforcements arrived. The fresh stormtroopers unleashed an intense barrage from their hot-shot lasguns, dropping the majority of the townsfolk with fire powerful enough to penetrate power armor. The ones who were too close to the injured scions to be shot were quickly subdued by a bayonet charge.
--- 12 hours later ---
The town from earlier in the afternoon was already just a memory - in more ways than one: Kellan ordered it burnt to the ground before his stormtroopers left, just one more ruin on this cursed world.
The inquisitor's study of the manor did not reveal the purpose of the blood ritual inside, but he was able to pick up another psychic trail leading away from the town. Whatever the ritual was meant to accomplish, it was seemingly linked to another site. Kellan would follow, and he would disrupt every ritual site he could find - hopefully before the chaos forces at work could finish whatever their dark design was.
"Inquisitor," the pilot started. "We're approaching the target coordinates you provided. Looks like another town. Touchdown in 5 minutes."
She spoke more decisively this time, apparently happier to be discussing work with Kellan than entertaining his conversation.
Kellan flipped a switch and activated the announcer toward the body of the aircraft, where his scions were waiting for their next mission.
"Cassia, we arrive in 5 minutes. No surprises this time - shoot the villagers on sight."
The pilot glanced nervously at Kellan, then quickly returned her eyes to the terrain, hoping he didn't notice. He did.