7110815.M41, later that day or the following, committed to memory for later notation.
We were shot down by a grenade launcher on our way back to base camp. The pilot managed to put the Falcon down in one piece on a small strip of flat snow situated between minor hills, but was killed by the impact. The gunner survived severely wounded. We cleared the vehicle asap, but none of us was completely intact, the lady Fitheak being rather dazed, possibly due to a concussion.
Probably drawn by the noise of the crash-landing a group of Guardsmen appeared over the hill to the south, and opened fire. We were able to repell them, but there were more and more of them forming a firing line halfway around us, and managing to take down Brother Bethor and then Brother-Sergeant Azrael with their sustained fire, as well as killing the hapless gunner.Staying with the wounded was no longer an option, and we charged those that our bolters had not accounted for, still well over 20, I would guess. The Eldar stayed close to us, and gave a good account of herself, fighting like a fury with her bewitched blade until she was cut down in the press shortly after Brother Damian was overwhelmed. I have seldom seen Brother Calidus in such a wrath, it was like the Black Rage was on him, but eventually even he succumbed, outnumbered more than tenfold. It was the last I saw before they got me, too.
Later we found ourselves sans materiel in a kind of low-tech detention block in solitary confinement in adjoining cells. Taking stock, Brothers Azrael and Bethor are suffering from multiple las-shot wounds, and are the worst off, the rest of us is bruised and battered, but overall our enhanced physiques cope, and we are healing. The Eldar’s condition gives reason for concern: Already in pain and greatly exhausted, she was bound and drugged immediately upon our arrival, presumably to prevent her from using her psychic powers; she is obviously sick and injured, and is almost completely unresponsive.
Yet, Sanguinius be thanked we are all still alive so far, and Emperor willing we will find a way to get out of here.
(Excerpt from Brother Ezekiel’s diarium)
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