Chapter 1 Part 9

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Inquisition

=ATBS=

Part 9​

Jenova Town

Deimos Peninsula

Kronus

Two more shots and the remaining Admisnistratum flunky collapsed on the ground, screaming, with his kneecaps blown off.

That left the Arbiters as an immediate threat– all two dozen of them.

Behind me, the platoon opened fire, which was drowned a moment later by the sharp bark of auto canons. With any luck and the Emperor's blessing, they would be able to handle the mob.

The LT and her group were fanning out and joined the Stormtroopers in keeping my rear safe and providing much-needed fire support.

That didn't even slow down the heretical Arbiters. They acted like automatons – with stiff, precise movements – the traitors unslung their riot shotguns form their backs and chambered rounds.

At least the maniacs didn't rush us. Instead they simply moved in so they wouldn't shoot their friends. Their actions gave me plenty of time to shoot two of them in the head. The Arbiter's faceplate proved to be insufficient barrier for my laspistol. The front of my targets heads turned into red mist and they crumpled on the ground.

Time moved sluggishly – or at least my enhanced reflexes made me perceive it so. That gave me a great view of the remaining Arbiters as they raised their weapons and aimed them in my general direction. Pickos and her guards were picking them off one after another, yet the death of their buddies didn't faze the rest.

I let my laspistol go and drew as much of the warp's raging energies as I dared. Purple lighting surrounded me like a cloak as I let the excess power bleed of my body. My nerves lit up with pain as they were kissed by that corrupting caress of the warp and I channeled all the energy dancing within and around me through my free hand, using the latter as a guide for its path. I waved in front of me and unleashed a stream of eldritch energy at the remaining Arbiters.

Those of them, who were touched by the raw warp energy had the flesh stripped from their bones within moments and the rest were thrown like rag-dolls from the concussion wave.

I stumbled back as I cut off my attack and dropped the amount of power I was channeling. My lips drew in a bloodthirsty smile as I surveyed my handiwork. At least ten of the bastards were turned into twisted, smoldering skeletons. The remaining Arbiters were dazzled and most of them had lost hold of the riot-shotguns.

I didn't let them recover and charged, holding my trusty chainsword in a two-handed grip. I gave a wordless battle cry and slammed my weapon into a heretic's neck, then pushed down. The adamantium teeth cut through armor, flesh and bone as if it was made of butter, spraying me with blood and gore.

It all felt glorious! The shouts of the men fighting around me were music to my ears. The agonized screams of the dying – it made me laugh as I cut down another heretic. Then there was the warm blood splashed over my face and mouth… it tasted like the best wine I'd ever tried!

I slammed my sword into the gut of an Arbiter, who was just finding his footing and cut him in two, spilling his guts on the ground, when something blasted me off my feet and broke my concentration, making me let go of the Warp. That in turn drove me out of the blood-crazed haze I had fallen in.

I just lay there for a few moments, staring at the blurry figures fighting in front of me. A giant clad in red armor was swinging a warhammer at a mechanical spider, while the machine was responding with laser beams and cutting torches. The former struck the larger combatant again and again, for no visible effect, while the latter were evaded with startling ease.

A familiar bearded face appeared in front of my eyes, cutting the view of the battle.

"Veil! Are you all right?!" Valencia mouthed off and I barely heard him.

Huh. My ears were ringing and I was noticing it just now.

A strong hand grabbed my shoulder and shook me and when that didn't remove the fog drifting through my mind, the Stormrooper slapped me with his armored glove.

That bloody hurt.

"Valencia! The fuck?" I groaned and shook my head.

He pulled me up and I looked around. Ah. Yeah. Fucking heretics were trying to sacrifice us to the Chaos Gods.

Most of those in the immediate vicinity were either dead or busy dying, courtesy to Pickos and her troopers. Only the corrupted cog-head was still standing and he was locked in combat with Anteus.

That wasn't something I wanted to get in between, but we didn't have time to let the Librarian have fun.

"Shoot the cog-head!" I rasped. Damn, my chest hurt like a mule had kicked me in the side.

I glanced down. My carapace armor was dented – no mean feat. Whatever those shotguns were loaded with, it wasn't standard ammo.

I glanced beyond the immediate area. The Guardsmen were pouring all they could into a crowd of crazed people, who were simply stumbling over their dead and coming closer and closer to us. That wasn't helped by the presence of a local PDF squad, who had taken cover behind a nearby statue and was doing their best to suppress the platoon.

Then they vanished in a flash of light as an auto canon hit them with a frag round.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

I returned my attention to the Astartes just in time to see him catch the traitorous tech-priest in the side with his power weapon. The warhammer's head nearly cut the cyborg in half, before it threw him nearly ten meters away. A moment later, the heretic was followed by a frag grenade, which landed next to his head and blew up, shredding what little flesh he had left.

"Santos, shoot him some more, just in case!" I ordered. The Stormtrooper wasted no time in complying and unleashed a hail of laser bolts at the cyborg, slagging parts of its chassis.

Anteus gave me a curt nod and turned around, then charged at the crowd, which was coming uncomfortably close to the Chimeras, despite the torrent of fire that was scything their ranks. The Librarian enhanced his attack with warp energy and when he hit the heretics, it was unleashed. At least fifteen mangled corpses were sent flying into the air when he hit the crowd. The Astartes waged into the maddened civilians and started smashing through them with his warhammer.

"The left flank!" Pickos shouted, making me tear my eyes from the bloody spectacle. I looked in that direction and winced. Despite the best efforts of the Guardsmen, the heretics were almost in arms-reach of our people.

The LT sprinted that way, followed by her retinue and the Stormtroopers.

I grit my teeth, opened myself to the warp and followed suit.

It was time to paint the ground red.