The Andreus Campaign

[Simoleo-Brother marine]

Here's the opening story for what I hope will become some sort of series: ;)

 

With a shudder, the strike cruiser ‘Calibanite Lion’ reappeared in real space, leaving the darkness of the warp far behind. Her dark green armour had gained several new dents, blows from whatever lay within no doubt. The white symbol of the winged sword stood out against the dark back drop of the cruiser and the darkness of space. Company Master Simoleo slapped the harness release button on his chest, and stood up to check the status of the bridge. Simoleo carried two twin swords in sheaths on his back, both gifted to him by the Chapter’s Techmarines. Combined, they gave Simoleo the versatility of a soldier who bore lightning claws into battle. On his belt he carried a plasma pistol and storm bolter, both of the highest quality, along with frag and krak grenades and meltabombs. He also bore the combat blade he had been gifted with in his days of the Tenth company, more as a memento and good luck charm than anything. His robes covered his legs and torso, marking him out as a veteran amongst the Dark Angels. He bore many golden items across his body for rewards in many campaigns, as well as wearing a winged helmet, a symbol of his status as Third Company Master.

 

As he gazed around he could see no damage, with all the monitors functioning correctly and all the servitors and chapter serfs at their posts. At the command pulpit, Chief Adept Varras breathed a sigh of relief and muttered a quick prayer of thanks to the Emperor and the Lion before turning to face the Company Master. “We have successfully entered real space and are currently in orbit of ‘Andreus Prime’ Company Master”, said Varras. “Beginning surface scans now.” Simoleo nodded before surveying ‘Andreus Prime’ out the bridge view screen. A desert tundra, with a hive for a capital city and other smaller settlements dotted across her surface. The planet was used as a military training ground, with most guard regiments doing some form of training here. The planets own regiment, ‘The Sidewinders’, specialised specifically in desert warfare and as such were called to many different warzones across the Imperium as their skills were in high demand. They had recently sent off too many soldiers, leaving the planet at a lower than average soldier count. Such is the way of the Imperium in these dark times. Normally this wouldn’t be a problem, but Chaos can find ways of manipulating the smallest of things. Many had heard the whispers of Chaos, and after these ‘chosen ones’ had overrun a large city known as ‘Bilton’, they had opened a warp portal, as their masters decreed. Chaos Marines of the ‘Black Legion’ had poured through the portal, widening it further as to allow heavier weaponry through. From there, the mixture of Chaos Marines and Cultists had taken control of most of the planet, capturing every major settlement and slaughtering countless innocents. “Surface scans have located the city of ‘Bilton’ sir, your orders?” asked Varras, facing Simoleo as he spoke.

“We take this city, and cut off their entry point,” replied Simoleo. From there we mobilise outwards. We will have to move fast though, as undoubtedly they will attempt to set up, or already have, more portals across the planet. I want all units to mobilise in the drop pod bays immediately.” Varras nodded as he repeated these orders over the vox, leaving Simoleo to head for the hangar immediately.

 

C+C please ;)

 

-Simoleo

[Skirax]

Nice start, a nice beginning to the story and also very decent and detailed description of the planet. I wonder what sort of miscreants live in 'Bilton'? :)

[Firenze]

Bilton. Is that all you come up with :cuss? I live about 5 minutes from there.

 

Otherwise, nice start to the series. And I thought we agreed Firenze was 3rd comp and Simoleo 5th :lol: Keep it rocking.

[Simoleo-Brother marine]

I thought the idea of Bilton getting ravaged was a nice idea ;)

 

And we can see about the companies ;)

 

Thanks for the comments guys :)

 

-Simoleo

[Simoleo-Brother marine]

Next installment people. :) A few more touches to personalise the company and we get into the thick of the attack:

 

Simoleo always had loved the drop pod assault. The roar of the Imperium’s machinery racing through the sky towards the planet below. The howl as the pod broke through the atmosphere. The prayers and hymns of faith by his brothers, preparation for the battle ahead. The clicks and other sounds of weapons being prepped, so they were ready for the slaughter. The sound of AA fire against the mighty crafts hull, none able to penetrate a vehicle carrying the Emperor’s most faithful servants. The hymns rise in sound level now, the anticipation increasing as the target draws nearer. The planet draws nearer, the anticipation heightens further. The screams of the pods thrusters, slowing it down as it reaches the planet’s surface. The crash into ground, the clunk of the doors opening, and the battle cries of the Dark Angels rise up. That is a true drop pod assault thought Simoleo to himself, as he led the charge out the pod, and onto the planet.

 

“To know the light, you must see the dark!” Simoleo roared his, and his companies, personal battle cry as he charged towards the first building he saw. He heard answering calls from his company, as well as cries of “Repent! For tomorrow you die!” and “For the Lion and the Emperor!” Up ahead Simoleo could see the enemy. Cultists. Citizens who had turned from the Emperor’s light and become nothing more than scum for the God’s to play with. He turned to his command squad. “Brothers! We know the light! I see the dark over there! (He indicated the Cultists at this point) Let us bring the Emperor’s light to them!” With a roar, he charged, his command squad following him into the first building. Screams echoed through the building as cultists leapt upon the Lion’s chosen. Simoleo swung his twin blades, the master-crafted power swords striking through the twisted Chaos scum with ease. They fell around him, no match for a Dark Angel. Some tried to fire at him twisted hunks of metal that Simoleo assumed were guns, but none could hit him, for he moved so fast and gracefully through the cultists, killing as he went. His command squad followed his lead, hacking through the twisted creatures like a hot knife through butter, albeit it a very holy one. They repeated this procedure from building to building, as did the whole company, edging slowly towards the city centre. This was where they thought the portal would be.

 

Simoleo surveyed the square before him. He couldn’t fail to see the abandoned temple before him with the supernatural lights flickering from within. He knew there was only really one option. Full scale assault. The company had taken no casualties today, although Apothecary Martinius had had to deal with a few minor cuts and bruises, and one case of electric shock when a tactical marines plasma gun had gotten to hot. Everyone was fine now though, so he had over 100 marines to throw at one building. Should even the odds just slightly.

 

A mention in the next installment to the first member to find the link to a British TV program ;)

 

C+C as always :P

 

-Simoleo

[Firenze]

I like the drop sequence. Very thematic but you used 'light' a little much.

[Skirax]

“Brothers! We know the light! I see the dark over there! (He indicated the Cultists at this point) Let us bring the Emperor’s light to them!”

Just something small, here, instead of putting brackets in the middle of a sentence, maybe put:

 

"Brothers! We know the light! I see the dark over there!" he cried, indicating the Cultist squad, "Let us bring the Emperor's light to them!"

 

And what TV programme wil it be? Find out next time on, Death or No Death? I mean, the Andreus Campaign.

[Simoleo-Brother marine]

Clearly no ITV and Martin Clunes fans :P Thats your hint by the way :)

 

@Firenze: Light was meant to be used a lot, as it is Simoleo's personal battlecry :P I will make less use of it however

 

@Skirax: You've had your hint ;)

 

-Simoleo

[Skirax]

It's Doc Martin!

[Simoleo-Brother marine]

A round of applause to Mr Skirax! If you would be so good as to quote the section ;)

and chaplain or Veteran sergeant? :)

 

-Simoleo

[Skirax]

Apothecary Martinius had had to deal with a few minor cuts and bruises

It's just there! :)

 

And...could I be...a Chaplain please?

[Simoleo-Brother marine]

A Chaplain it is :)

 

Chaplain Skirax who is attached to the company ;)

 

As a hint to others, I may run this for several other positions so keep your eyes open :)

 

-Simoleo

[Skirax]

And I see from your sig that You have named a Vet squad after me. Thanks :)

 

As for comments on the story before Sigismund arrives, I think it's very good, a nice way of showing how your compay works. ;)

[Simoleo-Brother marine]

Maybe it will just be the Vet squad then :) We shall see :)

 

And thanks for the comments guys ;)

 

-Simoleo

[Firenze]

And you can't use me. I am a captain already.

[Simoleo-Brother marine]

Here we go again guys. For the Lion!

 

“All sergeants on my word, move!” issued Simoleo over the vox to all the squad leaders in his company. They were all fine marines and worthy of their position, and now he trusted they would once more lead his men to battle gloriously. Simoleo had explained the plan earlier, and now hoped it would go well. His tactical squads would surround the building and attack from all sides, Simoleo personally leading the charge through the main doors. As this began, the Assault squads would crash through the windows and cut down cultists from within. Devastator Squads ‘Reaper’ and ‘Levitas’ would keep watch from outside for any reinforcements, as heavy weapons were of little use in the close quarter fighting that would undoubtedly happen within the temple.

 

 

3, 2, 1. With an explosion and smoke, the doors to the temple were blown open. Simoleo charged through the smoke, his plasma pistol in one hand and one of his twin swords in the other, his command squad right behind. Gathered in the temple stood many cultists, along with the dark figures of Chaos Marines amongst them. Their black armour showed they were members of the treacherous ‘Black Legion’. Standing on the altar however stood someone slightly different. A man in black armour, but he wore the bone robes of a Dark Angel and was clearly not possessed or tainted. He looked up and fear flickered across his face. And quite rightly, thought Simoleo to himself, levelling his pistol at the man. Before he could fire however, all hell broke lose. All the cultists and marines turned as one and charged at Simoleo and his command squad. Before they could reach them though, bolter fire echoed across from both sides of the temple. The tactical marines of the Third Company opened fire and the treacherous foe. Simoleo reacted with them, replacing his pistol and drawing his sword and charging headlong into the combat. The screams of the tainted were heard as Simoleo hacked and chopped his way through the mass of bodies. Like a hot knife through butter, he made his way through the mass of Chaos bodies. Around him his command squad supported him. The Assault marines timed their arrival perfectly, smashing through the temple windows and landing in the mass, cutting through them with ease with bolt pistol and chainsword. Simoleo reached the altar but his prey was gone. He roared in frustration and turned to watch his company finishing off the last of the Chaos scum. Their work in this city was done.

 

 

Simoleo’s next move was to begin to make his way across the planet, freeing section by section before making a final push for the capital. His company was at full strength, although several marines would not be fighting due to severe wounding. As they began to mobilize armoured units, the enemy lay in wait…

 

C+C as always guys :D

 

-Simoleo

[KEEPER]

Not a bad read, I defiantly like the Drop Pod assault. One thing that struck me as odd was the fact that Company took no KIA's fighting through a city. In my experience with urban warfare, it is time consuming, and very costly. Both with equipment and men. I understand that they are Space Marines, but fighting through a cities worth Cultist will eventually cause a casualty.

 

Also Apothecary wouldn't need to treat minor cuts and bruises, they are Space Marines after all.

[Simoleo-Brother marine]

@KEEPER: Thanks for the feedback, nice to know someones enjoying it. <_<

Looking at it, I agree with your point on wounds and apothecary, but I wanted it to appear how my company were tactically prepared etc. This city is also not a particularly large one, therefore making it relatively easy to run through in comparison to others. This should probably have been made more clear. In future sections I will probably alter this slightly, showing a more realistic slant to this.

 

Thanks and keep the C+C coming guys :)

 

-Simoleo

[KEEPER]

Glad I could help. But remember, when it comes to Urban warfare, it's not as straight forward as it would be in a field, or mountain pass. You'll be taking small arms fire from all directions. Roof tops, across the street, shooting from underneath the streets and sewers. No matter how tactically proficient you maybe there is no way you can plan for everything. Keep it up, I'm looking forward to reading more. And I'd be more then willing to answer any questions you got about tactical situations.

[Simoleo-Brother marine]

Clearly quite an expert here :) I'll make sure to make use of that offer I think

Watch this space <_<

 

-Simoleo

[Simoleo-Brother marine]

More for the tale :P Things aren't going so well now...

 

The endless highway lay out before them, and the journey was long and arduous. Due to an incident in the ‘Calibanite Lion’s hangar bay, all Thunderhawks had been grounded until further notice. This meant that Simoleo and his company had to continue their campaign by use of ground vehicles. Simoleo led the convoy in his personal Land Raider, a mighty beast and symbol of the might of the Dark Angels. Joining him was his command squad, company Chaplain, and company Techmarine. The remainder of the company then followed in Rhinos, including the assault marines, who had removed their jump packs for the transit. Veteran Squad ‘Skirax’, in a Land Raider Crusader, rounded off the convoy. As the convoy rumbled along the endless highway, the hive of ‘Cawston’ lay ahead. This was another key settlement in the Dark Angels campaign, due to Cawston being the largest transportation centre of the planet. Every transport route was controlled from here, and many routes ran through it as well. As Simoleo sat deep in thought, an explosion shook the earth, and the convoy ceased movement.

 

 

“What’s going on?” yelled Simoleo, stepping from his Land Raider and surveying the halted convoy. Smoke rose from the centre of the column, and Simoleo ran to its source. The smoke was black as night, and only through the aid of his helmet was Simoleo able to see what had befallen this squad and their Rhino. Some form of roadside bomb had gone off, taking the left side off the Rhino, igniting the engine and all but destroying the vehicle. One entire side was gone, and all three others had serious fire and explosion damage. The squad inside were in a bad way. Five men dead due to explosion, one man was lying in agony on the floor and the short-circuiting of his plasma gun in the aftermath of the explosion had knocked out one marine. The last three, including Sergeant Babbage, were fine, and only had minor wounds. One marine had his combat blade in hand and the other carried his plasma cannon, it being safely shielded from the blast. As Apothecary Martinius ran to help the marine on the floor, a rocket blasted out from behind a ridge on the left hand side. It struck the side of another rhino, but only managed to shake it slightly, causing no lasting damage. Simoleo turned to see an army of cultists and Chaos Marines standing on the lip of the ridge. Without a second glance, the majority charged forward as heavy weapons roared over them to provide cover.

 

 

Simoleo knew that he and his company were hardly in the best position to defend themselves. But they were Dark Angels, and they would react to this threat. Rallying his command squad to him, Simoleo led them forwards. The Devastator squads began to set up their heavy weapons behind the cover of their vehicles, but it would be several minutes before they were ready. The assault marines had a similar problem, due to having to attach their jump packs. Squad ‘Icarus’ ordered the other squad to charge without them, as they needed more time. The marines agreed without question, and followed after Simoleo. The tactical squads attempted to mobilize themselves, moving to find cover whilst laying down cover fire. As the Simoleo drew nearer to the enemy, his Chaplain roared the ‘Litanies of Hate’. Taking motivation from these, Simoleo hit the wave of impurity, his swords bared. He span and slashed, taking down foes with ease. As he turned, a tainted power fist flashed out and knocked Simoleo to the ground. He looked up to see the fist bearing down upon him…

 

C+C as usual ;)

 

-Simoleo

[Roguemarine]

EXCELLENT use of keepers advice brother, keep it up now you are painting an amazing picture of urban warfare...

[KEEPER]

I like the last post Simoleo. Actually reminded me of an ambush I was hit in. Initiate with and IED, the open up with small arms and RPGs. Keep it up.

[Simoleo-Brother marine]

@Roguekeeper: Thanks :lol:

 

@KEEPER: It's good to know I can keep the accuracy :D

 

More to come soon...

 

-Simoleo

[Firenze]

Very nice! Could I be the techmarine?