Warzone: Borhelia - a mini-campaign on the planet Boreliah in the Esenie system!
-Why are they here, Yrok? What do you think?
Henrek, a young Black Raven scout whispered as he and his group lay waiting in a wooded area. He brushed away a Foolian Spider, which slowly probed its very long legs on his arm and turned to Yrok. Yrok had been around for many years, taking part in lots of campaigns and a great deal of them against the foul forces of Chaos, and was considered a veteran of great measure. Yrok grinned.
-They are here to give you a good kick in the arse. Just for asking stupid questions!
Yrok spat and continued.
-Who cares why they are here? They probably don’t know it themselves. That’s Chaos for you, Henrek!
He looked up from hiding place and assessed the area in front of the scout squad, turned back and whispered;
-Ok, lads! Prepare for combat! The target is right in front us. Be ready to move out!
Yrok looked at each one of his squad, knowing far to well that this could be the last time he saw any of them…
***
Dawn was about to break and the icy wind had almost calmed down. Lord Entragian moved back and forth eager to claim what was rightfully his. That fool Lord Stench had missed his opportunity a couple of years ago and was brutally murdered by the false Emperor's vile Death Wing. Entragian spat and growled. The visions and dreams had been very clear about going to the Esenie sector. It was here. Somewhere nearby. The secret library of Gullibus Frekhhofen. It had to! All signs pointed here. Even the Tyranid invasion, which had been reoccurring in Entragian’s visions! Lord Stench had also found that out, but he was weak and had paid dearly for his weakness! Gulibus had been building his library for a hundred years, searching tomes, books and scripts. He had found a lot of strange books. Dangerous books. Books that could change everything. There was a particularly important book in the library that was the most powerful artefact in the galaxy. Gulibus had realized this and hid the library, going mad in the process. He couldn’t separate from the library which he loved som much. And the contents of it had made him unstable, so he disappeared together with the library and hasn’t been heard of since. The library was probably the most well hidden secret of the whole Imperium of Man. And the most dangerous! Oh, the things one could do, Entragian thought. To finally cast aside the false Emperor and the pitiful followers of him would instigate a new era.
It was a risky business to come to this planet, full of Emperor scum and xenos filth. But it was necessary, he thought. The path was laid out before him and nothing could stop him. Not even death. Entragian had caught Father Nurgle’s interest some four thousand years ago and he was one of the most favoured children. This was his 13th body!
***
Entragian could see movement ahead and knew that the time had come. Just as he was about to step forward and engage the oncoming Black Ravens he sensed movement behind him. He turned around, but saw nothing. Then the shooting started and lit up the dark morning. Two squads of Plague Marines opened fire on an advancing group of blue-clad Marines, which inflicted a few casualties. Then the rest of his warband moved up and fired. Then morning light broke and the shooting became more accurate. Entragian realized that more and more Space Marines turned up in front of his Plague Marines. He quickly directed his forces towards this part of the battlefield, committing more troops. Then he suddenly felt a stinging sensation in his back. The sensation grew and also the pain, which seemed to travel from his back up towards his head. He turned around and saw a pack of lightly clad Black Raven scouts. He managed to shout to the nearest troops before his head exploded in a messy goo!
Nraaakh turned his head and flapped his wings. The Daemon Prince saw the foul Nurgle Lord’s head explode by a lucky shot from a meltagun. Anger pulsated in his body, not because the humans killed a child of Nurgle, but because the puny humans dared challenging the cause of the ruinous powers. Nraaakh charged with a howl, followed by a squad of Plague Marines who wanted revenge for their killed leader. The Plague Marines didn’t manage to catch up with the Daemon Prince though, who swept down onto the now terrified scouts. A gigantic claw sliced three of the scouts in two grisly halve and large, gleaming sword a fourth. Only Yrok was left, defiant. He roared and threw himself against Nraaakh, which anticipated this, leaning on the knowledge of a thousand of years of constant battle. Yrok was first pierced with Nraaakh’s spiked tail and lifted up in the air towards Nraaakh’s face. Hundreds of sharp teeth then ripped Yroks head to pieces!
***
More and more troops joined the fray. The whole left flank was crowded and shots were fired at close range. A group of Black Raven terminators advanced with their assault cannons pumping shell after shell into the squads of Plague Marines. Only a few of them fell. Then a disturbance in reality suddenly occurred in front of the terminators, as a squad of Death Guard terminators teleported down from the orbiting battle cruiser. They opened fire at once, but somehow, the Marine terminators were unhurt! This was the opportunity the Black Ravens had been waiting for. An all-out attack from a squad of Marines and the terminators hit the Death Guard terminators hard. Limbs, heads and weapons flew as the frenzied Black Ravens wiped out the foul terminators of Nurgle.
***
Nraakh looked up from the corpse that once had been a proud Space Marine scout and saw the development in front of the Plague Marines. The advance of the Space Marines had to stop. And it had to stop now! He jumped up in the air and flew towards a large, metallic figure; a Dreadnought! Nraakh bumped into the Dreadnought and struck it twice. It swaggered, and missed its returning blow. The two beasts circled around each other, looking for a opportunity.
***
The battle now raged on several places. To the right a squad of Thousand Sons, ancient enemies of the Space Marines, slowly advanced towards a lonely Black Raven. The soulless Marines, bonded by magic and controlled by a sinister Sorcerer of Tzeentch, sensed that the lonely warrior was special. Dangerous! The Sorcerer waved his hand and suddenly something ripped itself out of the warp. A group of Tzeentch Horrors materialized and almost immediately charged the lonely Space Marine. Claws, teeth and tentacles hit him, but his armour was at the most dented. He struck back and felled a couple of Daemons, but they then redoubled their attacks and sent the Space Marine to the ground, sprawling. They threw themselves over him and ripped him apart!
The battle was a stalemate and both the Space Marines and the Chaos forces started to pull back. Firing as they retreated both sides moved away from the battle. The Chaos forces decided that it was enough, their casualties were adding up – but the prize wouldn’t go anywhere and it was theirs to take – soon…
***
Ragnarus Quirinius, The Black Raven commander grinned as a Apotechary slowly removed an unexploded bolt from his shoulder with a gigantic instrument.
-Have another Rummydrink and you’ll be fine, Commander! Inquisitor Eisenhorn should be here by tomorrow to remove the rest of it.
The Apothechary put the bolt carefully in a box imprinted with protective seals and symbols.
The bolt was unholy and had to be exorcised, as well as Ragnarus who had been shot with it. But that was a matter for the Inquisitor who was on his way. The Apothechary shuddered with the thought of the Inquisition. The aura around those servants of the Imperium was always filled with hate, contempt and ignorance of all but the righteous ways of the Emperor. The Apotechary realized what he was thinking and immediately suppressed the thoughts. It was a thin line between rational and healthy perception and heresy and the Apotechary was not about to lose himself in that kind of thinking.
-What do you think, Petros? Why were they here? Why now? With the Tyranids swarming about… what’s going on?
Ragnarus looked intensely towards the Apotechary.
-I don’t know, old friend… but now Eisenhorn will be here to investigate matters. I think though we will see more action… and soon… very soon!
The two friends rose and strode off to the headquarters and for that rummydrink…
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Written by Tony melander (2010)