The stench of rot wafted in the air, a great behemoth pushed over a few trees. He was clad in decayed power armor. It was a sickly green color, puss filled sacks bloated and contorted in a disgusting manner and broke out of cracks and soft spots in the armor. Slime and ooze leaked from every orifice on the thing that use to be human, and it stood nearly 9 feet tall. This is a son of Nurgle one of his most prized warriors from the Death Guard space marine legion. The massive figure came to a halt and raised his hand in a closed fist, signaling his following cadre of disease and pestilence encrusted warriors to stop. They came to a slow stand still as the Champion of Nurgle listened, and watched he knew something was out of place.
It started as a single hissing noise, something was moving through the jungle at alarming speeds. By the time he knew what it was it was too late, a screaming whine of a bolter shell punched a fist-sized hole in one of his eleven brothers. The armored figure fell to the ground on his knees then fell face first into the dirt as his sacks of puss burst and flies and insects scrambled from them.
"GET DOWN!", he ordered in a heavy gargle as four more bolter shells rang through the forest. One of them found its target, and took half the head off of the Plague Marine to the left of the gargant warrior. Then the heavy hum of a Las-cannon punched a hole through a tree then through another Death Guard. This was followed by plasma gun fire that melted a giant pit in the rear Plague Marine.
"The Emperors dogs..", the Champion said to himself as he looked at the puddles of a green puss filled blood collecting around some of his dead, "Seraphs Mortis, emperors lackeys. DEATH GUARD RETURN FIRE!"
Sergeant Grant’s helmet sensor zoomed deep into the forest, the heat sensitive goggles locked onto the position of the Nurgle marines. "Thank the Emperor, Brothers your weapons aimed straight and true. We even the odds a little.", he said looking at the four bodies on the ground. Grant, was here to rout a band of Plague marines causing havoc in the near by towns and cities. They had sent him and his 7 man team, at the request of Colonel Greg Holleron. The Colonel had lost 30 some men already trying to kill this infection, this cancer that found it's way to the planet. The Guardsmen only inflicted minor casualties they killed one Death guard with a demolitions charge trap they set and wounded another badly.
"Brothers! Take cover incoming fire!", Grant yelled as plague bolters squirmed through the air leaving trails of grey-green puss in their wake,
Brother Deloctuis took a hit in his power pack, the bolter shell hit inside one of the cooling vents ricocheted around then detonated his power pack. It nearly melted the Space Marine in two, as the reactor burned in an intense white light. Deloctuis was alive barley, when Brother Derek kneeled beside him and asked if he wished the emperors peace. Grant turned back to the advancing enemies as he heard a bolt pistol fire, and the wounded Marine was sent to the Emperor. Then he Geneseed was recovered to allow the creation of a new Marine.
With a renewed vigor the Seraphs fired back. But the Nurgle traitor’s armor took the blunt of the attack as Bolter rounds bounced off of them. The plasma gun carried by Brother Trectius over heated and sprayed his face with plasma; he wiped it off and started the cooling systems on the weapon.
The Nurgle Champion made his way through the volley of fire, once again he heard the unmistakable hiss of a Las-Cannon burning it's way through the forest. It was headed straight for him, but with a skill that can only be learned from ages of training he dodged it and it flew harmlessly past.
"Death to the False Emperor!", he yelled and his men continued to fire their weapons. Their puss laden rounds flew towards the loyalist position and killed another Seraph Mortis tearing a hole through his chest.
"DEATH! WE ARE THE DEATH GUARD LOYALIST SCUM!", he yelled as more bolter fire echoed in the green forest. The ammunitions bounced ineffectively off his troops, but soon the Las-Cannon fired a third time and burned one of the Traitors to cinders. Plasma gun fire ate through the armor of yet another Plague marine sending him to the ground in an awkward and sprawled position.
The Plageu Champion leapt over a fallen log in a single bound, and sprinted towards the dug in Space Marines. He fired his bolter spastically, followed by his cadre. Grant took a hit in his shoulder pad, but it bounced easily off, and landed on the ground.
"They are getting close! It is time to fight the way the Emperor intended! Draw your weapons!", the Sergeant shouted as he pulled his plasma pistol from his holster and activated the ancient power sword. With a mighty leap he sprang forwards and over the barricade of wood, the remaining Seraphs Mortis followed suit. They fired their guns, shells rang forward, the Death guard returned fire as the titans clashed in the jungle. Smoke gathered around them, fire and debris filled the air, the stench of nurgles rot was overwhelming. Plague minions soared from the puss filled bubbles on the traitor marines and overtook Brother Derek as they infected, and ate his flesh. The battle dragged on at close range, plasma guns cut through the Death guard armor with ease and sent some of the warriors to the ground. Bolter fired hit the Imperials hard as they struggled to keep the upper hand. Finally combat ensued, the smoke still lingered but the roars of bolter fire died down as they came to hand and hand combat. Both sides fought viscously. Men died, and the forest was rattled by the sounds of these gods fighting. Soon, the battle was all but over. The bodies of the dead fell in every position, red blood mixed with green puss in a sick display.
Sergeant Grant stood there, an electric field sparked over his weapon, he eyed up his rival. The Champion of plague, his plague sword dripped in a brown color coiled in blood and ooze, the faint crackle of electricity could be seen around it as well but just slightly.
"CHAOS FILTH!", Grant shouted and charged towards the 9 foot tall marine. The Sergeant was nearly that tall himself and they came eye to eye. The powerful slash from the Seraphs Mortis missed as the Traitor dodged and rolled to the side. The Death guard got back up and retorted, "HOUND OF THE FALSE EMPEROR!"
With that he lunged at Grant, but with a practiced motion the blade was blocked and knocked backwards and the Champion stumbled. Fighting like this continued for nearly an hour as both giants took and gave blow after blow. Finally the battle was coming to and end, the Seraphs Mortis Sergeant knocked the cursed blade from the hands of the foul traitor, it fell to the ground along with it's master.
Grant used this chance and step across the chest of the plague marine. With one leg on either side of him, he raised his power sword high.
"TO THE DEPTHS I SEND YOU FOUL CHAOS SPAWN!", he shouted as he was lowering his weapon into teh heart of his enemy, the Chaos champion reached for his plague sword that lay only inches form his out stretch hand. Then by the twisted effects of the warp tentacles sprang from his fingertips and he grabbed it. In the blink of an eye he swung it upwards and plunged it deep into the Space Marines chest as he was coming down for the final blow. Grants eyes grew wide underneath his helmet, as blood ran from his mouth as the Champion twisted the blade and pushed it down. The Seraph Mortis couldn't complete the attack, and with a swift kick the Plague marine pushed him over on the ground.
"I return to the Emperor, for I have given my life in battle and in his service.", he mumbled then closed his eyes and went to be with the Ruler of Humanity. A final swing of the plague sword took Grants head off and the Plague Champion took it in his hand.
The last reaming plague marine looked around the battlefield. The dead, and mauled motionless and cold. He could feel his own wounds welling up, and decided it was time to leave this planet. He could not continue his raids at this strength...
End Stentch of Rot
Start: Unfinished Short Story
The shells of heavy bolter fire echoed in the ears of Sergeant Alexander as he commanded his heavy weapons team to lash out against the accursed vehicles of the elder raiders. Each bark of well aimed gunfire brought down a swooping vyper or grav-bike, the space marines had remained firm in the face of such onslaught. Like a rock in the ocean they destroyed countless elder warriors from behind their barricade of sandbags and metal. As always with battles the Marines are called to it was never enough. For everyone that died two more took it’s place and the odds outnumbered them nearly 7 to 1.
Four wave serpents dislodged nearly 40 alien warriors against the five man devastator squad. Twenty of them wore green armor and had blades that resembled the standard Imperial Chainsword. The others had been garbed in normal Eldar battlegear and charged in front of their green armored allies.
“Fodder.”, Sergeant Alexander commented at the tactic.
But the short distance it took for the warriors to close near the squad would be the bloodiest. The heavy armor piercing rounds fired by the heavy bolter tore through the lighter armored warriors like paper and cut down many of the green armored ones.
Only 28 aliens remind after just one volley of fire but their speed was enormous. The gap
closed before the second volley was released and they jumped into hand to hand combat.
The Devastators held off as many as they could each one taking on five aliens at a time. Biting blades licked at their armor taking chucks of it with them at every blow. The Sergeant dropped his bolter and grabbed the legs out form under a green armored scorpion then proceeded to use him as a weapon; smashing aside the swarming hordes.
As he fought, the Exarch came from behind him, then grabbed around his knee joint and crushed as hard as he could, Alexander dropped to one knee and released the warrior from his grip out of surprise rather then pain. He turned to see who had hurt him and swung a powerful fist at the xenos leader. He dodged to the side but was struck in the face by a powerfist the size of his chest turning his body into a red pulp that soaked all those around it.
Alexander looked around and now saw five terminators jumping into their small barricade. The tides of battle turned and the marines finished off the remaining eldar with ease. Outside fast vehicles still circled but knew not to get to close lest they face the wrath of such powerful weapons.
“Sergeant Alexander I just saved your life.”, said the largest of the Terminators with a chuckle in the back of his throat.
“No you didn’t, Emperor damn you Marcus. We would of finished them off on our own.”, Alexander said looking out onto the circle of pirates.
“Haha, well maybe your battle brothers would of but you needed the help.”, Marcus responded as he targeted the Large Missile pack attached to his terminator armor.
With a scream it let out a single missile that impacted on an Eldar vyper turning it into a flaming wreck and watched as it smashed into another near by vyper.
“Two with one shot, do better then that Little Brother.”, the large terminator scoffed seeing the formation of vehicles split apart and leave. They decided their target was now too powerful to continue the attack.
“Brother Marcus good shooting.”, commented the Terminator Sergeant shouting damnations at the fleeing Eldar.
It is very hard to become a space marine, and many who join never make it past the training and surgeries required. Even rarer is to have siblings make it through the process.
But in this case they did, Marcus and Alexander are brothers in Spirit, Brothers in Faith, and Blood Brothers. Birthed by the same parents they always tried to outdo each other but when the fighting got fierce their combined teamwork was outstanding killing many foes in the name of the Emperor. No one ever questioned their loyalty, and they have been in some of the toughest crusade the Seraphs Mortis chapter has ever seen.
“This is Brother Drakken of Terminator Squad Drakken, we have secured the victory and driven off the elder. We linked up with Devastator Squad Alexander, but we cannot get a response from Tactical squad Grant. I will lead a search for them at their last known position inside the old pumping station.”, Terminator Sergeant Drakken voxed over to the Thunderhawk flying above.
“Okay brothers we cannot hail brother Grant and his squad. Their last known position was a pumping station Northeast of this location. We must find out what has become of them.”, Drakken said taking the first leap out of the bunker and landing with a thud leaving two massive imprints of his feet in the sand.
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