Audio diary of Captain Cato, 7th Company, Blood Angels Chapter, Expeditionary Force Rausina.
Our Auspex reports two anomalies:
First, a convoy of human vehicles is nearby, moving in the direction of my main force.
Scouts sent ahead confirm it: behind one of the chimeras, Space Marines in red armour are led by chains. Clearly prisoners. How can troops of our Brotherhood be captured? The images confirm that they cannot be fallen marines of one of the unspeakable chapters that have fallen away from the faith. Their armour has the correct seals, is not deformed and gives a clean impression.
I assume they belong to one of our successor chapters from a later foundation, because what would Blood Angels be doing here? I’m thinking Bloodraven, Fleshtearer or even Blooddrinker?
But no matter who it is, Brothers of the Order must be saved. We will prepare an ambush to stop the convoy. We can determine the reasons for all this later.
Most certainly, however, the planetary commander is corrupted in one way or another. He is probably in cahoots with the Tau, who seem to be claiming this planet.
Secondly, we have sensed several repulse lift signatures and strange energy readings.
This suggests further xeno activity. However, the ejection curves are too smooth for Tau, says Brother Techmarine Aurelius. These signatures are also moving towards the convoy at extreme speed. I wonder if they have discovered us and want to rush to the aid of their human slaves. If they are Tau, then most certainly. But I believe Brother Techmarine Aurelius. Maybe the whole story is a lot more convoluted than we’ve assumed so far.
“ONWARD, BROTHERS! LET’S BEAT THE XENO WORSHIPPERS! LET’S SAVE OUR BROTHERS!”
A short time later we were at the convoy.
An impressive little squad: three Chimeras flanked by three fully equipped Leman Russ battle tanks. They moved as fast as they could across the flat green plain. Only a few low monoliths, buildings from ancient times? obscured the view. Yet our arrival was blessed with the moment of surprise. The xeno had been moving parallel to us for a while now, ignoring our onslaught. They were Eldar. The Eldar cannot be trusted, their ways are always too convoluted and circuitous for us humans. But here they had been moving parallel to us towards the convoy for more than 10 minutes, it was more like a friendly race. I sensed that the Eldar meant no harm. I just hope it wasn’t their perfidious mind manipulation at work.
It served the mission, should the Eldar help us defeat the Tausklaven, we would sooner know our brothers were safe. We could still kill the xeno. But perhaps they will be able to give a reasonable explanation. I had already fought with Eldar on Grupio’s Major and Tillmann’s Star. Once against the scum of the warp and once against the greenskins.
Among the many xenos of the galaxy, the Eldar were among the few with whom it might be worthwhile to form an alliance of convenience. Our squad could also use support from a tactical point of view: Two squads of our brothers, supported by flamer and launcher, were accompanied by a Whirlwind, a Predator and, along with yours truly, our honourable brother Cybot Sallustius.
The Eldar had slowed the lead so we hit the convoy right in the heart.
As we drew nearer, then, by the blood of Sanguinius, lightning struck me!
The Eldar were most certainly our allies. Two Blood Angels brothers stood side by side next to an Eldar commander. They must have convinced the Xeno to free their brothers.
Another squad from our chapter had to be here already. Did Inquisitor Lucius know that?
I charged forward with the brothers. I led my squad to the covered position of the other Blood Angels. Squad Milnon flanked us on the left, as did the venerable Brother Sallustius.
The armoured vehicles, advanced to chase Sal
ven into the enemy as quickly as possible, were overtaken by us.
The Eldar in the same time took such heavy laser lance fire on the convoy that the human slaves decided to stop to give the tanks the opportunity for maximum return fire. Taking double advantage of this, the Eldar began a pincer movement that would dot the top and the side of the enemy that was away from us. The lead Leman Russ tank lost its ability to move in the process. Spectacularly, it unrolled its broken chain. The Chimeras now unloaded the human soldiers into the fire of our Whirlwind with them.
METALLUS GRAVIS, our venerable Predator, caught the second Leman Russ with both laser cannons, leaving only a smoking crater.
My squad came up to cover with our “alien” brothers. We nodded briefly to each other, laser fire whistling from the convoy. Sallustius’ engines rumbled as loudly as his ancient, cracking voice as he stomped towards the centre, filled with the zeal of battle.
The Eldar circled the head of the convoy with their repulsor tanks and advanced to the end of the convoy on the side away from us. We, on the other hand, charged straight at the enemy. Sallustius fired vigorously with his melta, but hit nothing. I, on the other hand, was able to put one of the chimeras out of action with a blinding shot from my combination weapon. The explosion that then tore the vehicle apart took a large part of the enemy commando section from life to death. The Eldar, meanwhile, had completed their flanking manoeuvre and dumped those horrible howling warriors in the middle of the convoy. They had also managed to destroy the rearmost Leman Russ, who had been engaged in a fierce firefight with Metallus Gravis for several minutes.
Squad Milnon had also advanced into the melee in the centre of the convoy. Although the middle Chimera had attempted to overrun the squad, Heavy Weapon Marine Graecus had bravely got in the way. Unfortunately, his missile launcher failed and he was crushed under the Chimera’s chains. Our only loss in this battle.
Praise be to Sanguinius, praise be to the One on Earth.
All that was left for the exchange slaves was a quick death. Fortunately, both Milnon’s boys and the xenos were able to curb their thirst for blood. Otherwise the battle would have continued right between them.
Excitingly, the explosion of the chimera and the subsequent firing by my squad had survived the enemy officer and someone who looked like a commissar. The two of them seemed to ignore us when the convoy officer started shouting at the “commissar” who then held him at gunpoint and shoved a book in his face. I could hardly believe it, it was an “Imperial Officers Uplifting Primer”!
Disagreement among the exchange slaves
Were these not xenoslaves after all? The situation would become clear later, we shot the two squabblers with well-aimed shots, incapacitated but surviving.
Officer and commissar are stunned
First we had freed our brothers, that was all that mattered at the moment.
We cut their chains that had bound them to the exploded chimera.
The Eldar had now retreated to the front of the convoy, we gathered just behind the middle. Everywhere the ground smoked from the craters the Whirlwind had torn. Ammunition shells, tank wreckage and corpses were scattered over a good 20×100 metres.
What would happen now? The Eldar woman had been fighting close to my squad the whole time, her Blood Angel standard bearer and bodyguard had always stayed by her side. Now the liberated brothers also marched over to them, were greeted with clear signs of joy and relief and lined up by the Eldar. What was happening here?
The joy at the successful action was already turning to unease in some of my boys. I could see them looking uneasily back and forth between the rescued brothers and the Eldar troops. The Milnon brothers, who were holding one of the two intact chimeras, looked over at the xenos who were holding the other. The two units were not yet threatening each other, but not much was missing either. The Eldar tanks beyond the convoy also made our tank commanders nervous. Metallus Gravis instinctively looked for a good firing position, and Warlord, our Whirlwind, also tried to get into an optimal firing position.
uer position.
“I need some explanations,” I said in slow, intelligible Goth to the group of Marines around the Eldar commander. “Also for this!” I pointed to the standard. Actually a complete blasphemy, the Eldar woman as the daughter of Sanguinius?
Now it hit me like the holy hammer of the Inquisition: I had heard such a thing before as a rumour.
The great Mephiston and even the Master of the Order himself, in the circle of the captains, had once spoken of a ‘daughter’ of our Primarch: “A cure for rage, we do not know if it exists. But that which is called the daughter of Sanguinius calms madness.”
It was shortly after that Deatchwatch Scriptor, Ambrosius of the Aquamarines, had been with us.
Yes, I really needed an explanation, and I didn’t want any more bloodshed for the time being. A fight against the Eldar would bring heavy losses to both sides and benefit no one. The alien brothers would raise their hands against us and the whole liberation would have been pointless.
The Eldar stepped forward. My squad raised their weapons, whereupon my theory was confirmed once before: The alien brothers then threatened us.
The Eldar, on the other hand, spoke to me in impeccable Gothic.
“Honoured Brother Captain Cato” (so she could read too?) “Brother Bethor, Brother Ezekiel and I, we thank you for your assistance in freeing Brother Azrael, Calidius and Damian.”
Ezekiel? The Ezekiel from my company? Then this Ambrosius must be around, too. Commander Dante had assigned Ezekiel to the Deathwatcher. It’s all very confusing.
“Xeno, I need to speak with the brothers accompanying you. We will take you with us…”
For a second the tension rose immeasurably until the Eldar spoke again:
“Then I will accompany you, it is the only way, for a pledge of friendship on your part.”
I looked unobtrusively back and forth between “my” Marines and “her” Marines. I’m not a procrastinator, but this situation was overwhelming me. It was all too convoluted. I looked at the two unconscious people to our left. What did it say on the officer’s chest plate? I zoomed in closer: ’21st Aquaria’ it read.
My head swam. Aquaria. That was where Ambrosius was coming from!
Suddenly Sallustius’ servo engines screeched to life. The honourable brother, more than three times my age and at least five times more experienced, had made the decision easier for his hesitant captain.
No, he did not open fire!
He dangled the mighty arms of his furioso body and marched to the Eldar woman without coming dangerously close. His dark, ancient voice rang out.
“I WILL GO WITH YOU…”
The Eldar nodded and went into our care.
“I will follow you,” said the Eldar.
With those words, our groups split up again. The Eldar departed with Sallustius. The brothers Azrael, Bethor, Callidus, Damian and Ezekiel gathered at the Eldar and followed her.”
Helmet camera perspective
Audio diary of Captain Cato, 7th Company, Blood Angels Chapter, Expeditionary Force Rausina.
Our Auspex reports two anomalies:
First, a convoy of human vehicles is nearby, moving in the direction of my main force.
Scouts sent ahead confirm it: behind one of the chimeras, Space Marines in red armour are led by chains. Clearly prisoners. How can troops of our Brotherhood be captured? The images confirm that they cannot be fallen marines of one of the unspeakable chapters that have fallen away from the faith. Their armour has the correct seals, is not deformed and gives a clean impression.
I assume they belong to one of our successor chapters from a later foundation, because what would Blood Angels be doing here? I’m thinking Bloodraven, Fleshtearer or even Blooddrinker?
But no matter who it is, Brothers of the Order must be saved. We will prepare an ambush to stop the convoy. We can determine the reasons for all this later.
Most certainly, however, the planetary commander is corrupted in one way or another. He is probably in cahoots with the Tau, who seem to be claiming this planet.
Secondly, we have sensed several repulse lift signatures and strange energy readings.
This suggests further xeno activity. However, the ejection curves are too smooth for Tau, says Brother Techmarine Aurelius. These signatures are also moving towards the convoy at extreme speed. I wonder if they have discovered us and want to rush to the aid of their human slaves. If they are Tau, then most certainly. But I believe Brother Techmarine Aurelius. Maybe the whole story is a lot more convoluted than we’ve assumed so far.
“ONWARD, BROTHERS! LET’S BEAT THE XENO WORSHIPPERS! LET’S SAVE OUR BROTHERS!”
A short time later we were at the convoy.
An impressive little squad: three Chimeras flanked by three fully equipped Leman Russ battle tanks. They moved as fast as they could across the flat green plain. Only a few low monoliths, buildings from ancient times? obscured the view. Yet our arrival was blessed with the moment of surprise. The xeno had been moving parallel to us for a while now, ignoring our onslaught. They were Eldar. The Eldar cannot be trusted, their ways are always too convoluted and circuitous for us humans. But here they had been moving parallel to us towards the convoy for more than 10 minutes, it was more like a friendly race. I sensed that the Eldar meant no harm. I just hope it wasn’t their perfidious mind manipulation at work.
It served the mission, should the Eldar help us defeat the Tausklaven, we would sooner know our brothers were safe. We could still kill the xeno. But perhaps they will be able to give a reasonable explanation. I had already fought with Eldar on Grupio’s Major and Tillmann’s Star. Once against the scum of the warp and once against the greenskins.
Among the many xenos of the galaxy, the Eldar were among the few with whom it might be worthwhile to form an alliance of convenience. Our squad could also use support from a tactical point of view: Two squads of our brothers, supported by flamer and launcher, were accompanied by a Whirlwind, a Predator and, along with yours truly, our honourable brother Cybot Sallustius.
The Eldar had slowed the lead so we hit the convoy right in the heart.
As we drew nearer, then, by the blood of Sanguinius, lightning struck me!
The Eldar were most certainly our allies. Two Blood Angels brothers stood side by side next to an Eldar commander. They must have convinced the Xeno to free their brothers.
Another squad from our chapter had to be here already. Did Inquisitor Lucius know that?
I charged forward with the brothers. I led my squad to the covered position of the other Blood Angels. Squad Milnon flanked us on the left, as did the venerable Brother Sallustius.
The armoured vehicles, advanced to chase Sal
ven into the enemy as quickly as possible, were overtaken by us.
The Eldar in the same time took such heavy laser lance fire on the convoy that the human slaves decided to stop to give the tanks the opportunity for maximum return fire. Taking double advantage of this, the Eldar began a pincer movement that would dot the top and the side of the enemy that was away from us. The lead Leman Russ tank lost its ability to move in the process. Spectacularly, it unrolled its broken chain. The Chimeras now unloaded the human soldiers into the fire of our Whirlwind with them. METALLUS GRAVIS, our venerable Predator, caught the second Leman Russ with both laser cannons, leaving only a smoking crater.
My squad came up to cover with our “alien” brothers. We nodded briefly to each other, laser fire whistling from the convoy. Sallustius’ engines rumbled as loudly as his ancient, cracking voice as he stomped towards the centre, filled with the zeal of battle.
The Eldar circled the head of the convoy with their repulsor tanks and advanced to the end of the convoy on the side away from us. We, on the other hand, charged straight at the enemy. Sallustius fired vigorously with his melta, but hit nothing. I, on the other hand, was able to put one of the chimeras out of action with a blinding shot from my combination weapon. The explosion that then tore the vehicle apart took a large part of the enemy commando section from life to death. The Eldar, meanwhile, had completed their flanking manoeuvre and dumped those horrible howling warriors in the middle of the convoy. They had also managed to destroy the rearmost Leman Russ, who had been engaged in a fierce firefight with Metallus Gravis for several minutes.
Squad Milnon had also advanced into the melee in the centre of the convoy. Although the middle Chimera had attempted to overrun the squad, Heavy Weapon Marine Graecus had bravely got in the way. Unfortunately, his missile launcher failed and he was crushed under the Chimera’s chains. Our only loss in this battle.
Praise be to Sanguinius, praise be to the One on Earth.
All that was left for the exchange slaves was a quick death. Fortunately, both Milnon’s boys and the xenos were able to curb their thirst for blood. Otherwise the battle would have continued right between them.
Excitingly, the explosion of the chimera and the subsequent firing by my squad had survived the enemy officer and someone who looked like a commissar. The two of them seemed to ignore us when the convoy officer started shouting at the “commissar” who then held him at gunpoint and shoved a book in his face. I could hardly believe it, it was an “Imperial Officers Uplifting Primer”!
Were these not xenoslaves after all? The situation would become clear later, we shot the two squabblers with well-aimed shots, incapacitated but surviving.
First we had freed our brothers, that was all that mattered at the moment.
We cut their chains that had bound them to the exploded chimera.
The Eldar had now retreated to the front of the convoy, we gathered just behind the middle. Everywhere the ground smoked from the craters the Whirlwind had torn. Ammunition shells, tank wreckage and corpses were scattered over a good 20×100 metres.
What would happen now? The Eldar woman had been fighting close to my squad the whole time, her Blood Angel standard bearer and bodyguard had always stayed by her side. Now the liberated brothers also marched over to them, were greeted with clear signs of joy and relief and lined up by the Eldar. What was happening here?
The joy at the successful action was already turning to unease in some of my boys. I could see them looking uneasily back and forth between the rescued brothers and the Eldar troops. The Milnon brothers, who were holding one of the two intact chimeras, looked over at the xenos who were holding the other. The two units were not yet threatening each other, but not much was missing either. The Eldar tanks beyond the convoy also made our tank commanders nervous. Metallus Gravis instinctively looked for a good firing position, and Warlord, our Whirlwind, also tried to get into an optimal firing position.
uer position.
“I need some explanations,” I said in slow, intelligible Goth to the group of Marines around the Eldar commander. “Also for this!” I pointed to the standard. Actually a complete blasphemy, the Eldar woman as the daughter of Sanguinius?
Now it hit me like the holy hammer of the Inquisition: I had heard such a thing before as a rumour.
The great Mephiston and even the Master of the Order himself, in the circle of the captains, had once spoken of a ‘daughter’ of our Primarch: “A cure for rage, we do not know if it exists. But that which is called the daughter of Sanguinius calms madness.”
t was shortly after that Deatchwatch Scriptor, Ambrosius of the Aquamarines, had been with us.
Yes, I really needed an explanation, and I didn’t want any more bloodshed for the time being. A fight against the Eldar would bring heavy losses to both sides and benefit no one. The alien brothers would raise their hands against us and the whole liberation would have been pointless.
The Eldar stepped forward. My squad raised their weapons, whereupon my theory was confirmed once before: The alien brothers then threatened us.
The Eldar, on the other hand, spoke to me in impeccable Gothic.
“Honoured Brother Captain Cato” (so she could read too?) “Brother Bethor, Brother Ezekiel and I, we thank you for your assistance in freeing Brother Azrael, Calidius and Damian.”
Ezekiel? The Ezekiel from my company? Then this Ambrosius must be around, too. Commander Dante had assigned Ezekiel to the Deathwatcher. It’s all very confusing.
“Xeno, I need to speak with the brothers accompanying you. We will take you with us…”
For a second the tension rose immeasurably until the Eldar spoke again:
“Then I will accompany you, it is the only way, for a pledge of friendship on your part.”
I looked unobtrusively back and forth between “my” Marines and “her” Marines. I’m not a procrastinator, but this situation was overwhelming me. It was all too convoluted. I looked at the two unconscious people to our left. What did it say on the officer’s chest plate? I zoomed in closer: ’21st Aquaria’ it read.
My head swam. Aquaria. That was where Ambrosius was coming from!
Suddenly Sallustius’ servo engines screeched to life. The honourable brother, more than three times my age and at least five times more experienced, had made the decision easier for his hesitant captain.
No, he did not open fire!
He dangled the mighty arms of his furioso body and marched to the Eldar woman without coming dangerously close. His dark, ancient voice rang out.
“I WILL GO WITH YOU…”
The Eldar nodded and went into our care.
“I will follow you,” said the Eldar.
With those words, our groups split up again. The Eldar departed with Sallustius. The brothers Azrael, Bethor, Callidus, Damian and Ezekiel gathered at the Eldar and followed her.”
Deutsch:
Helmkameraperspektive
Audiotagebuch von Captain Cato, 7. Kompanie, Blood Angels Chapter, Expeditionstrupp Rausina.
Unser Auspex meldet zwei Anomalien:
Erstens ist ein Konvoi von menschlichen Fahrzeugen in der Nähe, der sich in die Richtung meiner Hauptstreitmacht bewegt.
Vorausgeschickte Spähtrupps bestätigen es: Hinter einer der Chimären werden Space Marines in roten Rüstungen an Ketten geführt. Eindeutig Gefangene. Wie können Truppen unserer Bruderschaft gefangen genommen werden? Die Bilder bestätigen, dass es sich nicht um gefallene Marines eines der unaussprechlichen, vom Glauben abgefallenen Chapter handeln kann. Ihre Rüstungen sind mit den korrekten Siegeln versehen, nicht verformt und machen einen sauberen Eindruck.
Ich gehe davon aus, dass sie einem unserer Nachfolgechapters aus einer späteren Gründung angehören, denn was sollten Blood Angels hier? Ich denke an Bloodraven, Fleshtearer oder gar Blooddrinker?
Aber gleich wer es ist, Ordensbrüder müssen gerettet werden. Wir werden einen Hinterhalt vorbereiten, um den Konvoi aufzuhalten. Die Gründe für all dies können wir später noch ermitteln.
Ganz sicher ist aber der planetare Befehlshaber auf die eine oder andere Weise korrumpiert. Vermutlich steckt er mit den Tau, die diesen Planeten zu beanspruchen scheinen, unter einer Decke.
Zweitens haben wir mehrere Repulserliftsignaturen und eigenartige Energieauswertungen wahrgenommen.
Dies deutet auf weitere Xenoaktivität hin. Allerdings sind die Kennlinien des Ausstoßes zu glatt für Tau, sagt Bruder Techmarine Aurelius. Auch diese Signaturen bewegen sich mit äußerster Geschwindigkeit auf den Konvoi zu. Ob sie uns entdeckt haben und ihren menschlichen Sklaven zu Hilfe eilen wollen? Wenn es Tau sind, dann ganz sicherlich. Aber ich glaube Bruder Techmarine Aurelius. Vielleicht ist die ganze Geschichte viel verworrener, als wir bisher angenommen haben.
“WEITER, BRÜDER! SCHLAGEN WIR DIE XENOANBETER! RETTEN WIR UNSERE BRÜDER!”
Kurze Zeit später waren wir am Konvoi.
Ein beeindruckender kleiner Trupp: Drei Chimären, flankiert von drei voll ausgestatteten Leman Russ Kampfpanzern. Sie bewegten sich so schnell, wie sie konnten, durch die flache grüne Ebene. Nur wenige niedrige Monolithen, Gebäude aus grauer Vorzeit? nahmen die Sicht. Dennoch war unsere Ankunft gesegnet mit dem Moment der Überraschung. Die Xeno hatten sich nun schon eine Weile parallel zu uns bewegt und unseren Ansturm ignoriert. Es waren Eldar. Man kann den Eldar nicht trauen, ihre Wege sind für uns Menschen stets zu verworren und umständlich. Hier aber bewegten sie sich seit mehr als 10 Minuten parallel zu uns auf den Konvoi zu, es war eher wie ein freundschaftliches Rennen. Ich spürte, dass die Eldar nichts Böses im Sinn hatten. Ich hoffe nur, es war nicht ihre perfide Gedankenmanipulation am Werk.
Es diente der Mission, sollten die Eldar uns helfen, die Tausklaven zu besiegen, würden wir schneller unsere Brüder in Sicherheit wissen. Töten könnten wir die Xeno dann immer noch. Vielleicht werden sie aber auch eine angemessene Erklärung abgeben können. Ich hatte bereits auf Grupios Major und Tillmanns Stern mit Eldar zusammengekämpft. Einmal gegen den Abschaum des Warp und einmal gegen die Grünhäute.
Unter den vielen Xenos der Galaxis waren die Eldar unter den wenigen, mit denen es sich lohnen konnte, ein Zweckbündnis einzugehen. Unser Trupp könnte aus taktischer Sicht auch Unterstützung gebrauchen: Zwei Trupps unserer Brüder, mit Flamer und Raketenwerfer unterstützt, wurden begleitet von einem Whirlwind, einem Predator und, nebst meiner bescheidenen Wenigkeit, von unserem ehrenwerten Bruder Cybot Sallustius.
Die Eldar hatten die Spitze gebremst, sodass wir den Konvoi genau im Herzen trafen.
Als wir näher kamen, traf mich dann doch, beim Blute Sanguinius, der Blitz!
Die Eldar waren ganz sicherlich unsere Verbündeten. Zwei Blood Angels Brüder standen Seite an Seite neben einer Eldarkommandantin. Sie müssen die Xeno überzeugt haben, ihre Brüder zu befreien.
Ein anderer Trupp unseres Chapters musste bereits hier sein. Wusste Inquisitor Lucius das?
Ich stürmte mit den Brüdern vor. Mein Squad führte ich an die gedeckte Stellung der anderen Blood Angels. Das Squad Milnon flankierte uns links, genauso wie der altehrwürdige Bruder Sallustius.
Die Panzerfahrzeuge, vorgestoben, um schnellstmöglich Sal
ven in den Feind zu jagen, wurden von uns überholt.
Die Eldar nahmen in der selben Zeit den Konvoi so stark mit einer Laserlanze unter Feuer, dass die menschlichen Sklaven beschlossen, anzuhalten, um den Panzern die Möglichkeit zur maximalen Feuererwiderung zu geben. Das nutzten die Eldar gleich doppelt und begannen mit einer Zangenbewegung, welche die Spitze und die uns abgelegene Seite der Feinde punktieren würde. Der Führungs-Leman-Russ-Panzer verlor dabei seine Bewegungsfähigkeit. Spektakulär rollte er seine gerissene Kette ab. Die Chimären entluden nun die menschlichen Soldaten mit in das Feuer unseres Whirlwinds. METALLUS GRAVIS, unser altehrwürdiger Predator, erwischte den zweiten Leman Russ mit beiden Laserkanonen, sodass er nur einen rauchenden Krater hinterließ.
Mein Squad kam zu der Deckung mit unseren “fremden” Brüdern. Wir nickten einander kurz zu, Laserfeuer pfiff vom Konvoi her. Sallustius’ Motoren grollten genauso laut wie seine uralte, krachende Stimme, als er, erfüllt von Gefechtseifer, auf das Zentrum zustampfte.
Die Eldar umkreisten mit ihren Repulsorpanzern den Kopf des Konvois und stießen auf der uns abgelegenen Seite bis zum Ende des selbigen vor. Wir stürmten hingegen geradewegs auf die Feinde zu. Sallustius feuerte energisch mit seinem Melta, traf aber nichts. Ich hingegen konnte mit dem gleißenden Schuss aus meiner Kombiwaffe gleich eine der Chimären außer Gefecht setzen. Durch die Explosion, die daraufhin das Fahrzeug zeriss, wurde ein großer Teil der feindlichen Kommandoabteilung vom Leben in den Tod befördert. Die Eldar hatten unterdessen ihr Flankenmanöver abgeschlossen und diese schrecklichen heulenden Kriegerinnen in der Mitte des Konvois abgeladen. Zudem war es ihnen gelungen, den hintersten Leman Russ zu vernichten, der sich seit einigen Minuten ein wildes Feuergefecht mit Metallus Gravis lieferte.
Squad Milnon war ebenfalls in den Nahkampf im Zentrum des Konvois vorgestoßen. Zwar hatte die mittlere Chimäre versucht, den Trupp zu überrennen, aber Heavy Weapon Marine Graecus hatte sich tapfer in den Weg gestellt. Leider versagte sein Raketenwerfer und er wurde unter den Ketten der Chimäre zerquetscht. Unser einziger Verlust in diesem Kampf.
Gepriesen sei Sanguinius, gepriesen sei der Eine auf Erden.
Es blieb den Tausklaven nur noch der schnelle Tod. Glücklicherweise konnten sowohl Milnons Jungs als auch die Xenos ihren Blutdurst bremsen. Sonst wäre die Schlacht gleich zwischen ihnen weitergegangen.
Spannenderweise hatten die Explosion der Chimäre und der folgende Beschuss durch mein Squad den feindlichen Offizier und jemanden, der aussah wie ein Kommissar, überlebt. Die beiden schienen uns zu ignorieren, als der Offizier des Konvois anfing, den “Kommissar” anzuschreien und dieser ihn daraufhin mit der Waffe bedrohte und ihm ein Buch vor die Nase hielt. Ich konnte es kaum glauben, es war ein “Imperial Officers Uplifting Primer”!
Uneinigkeit bei den Tausklaven
Waren das am Ende hier doch keine Xenosklaven? Die Sachlage würde sich später klären, wir schossen die beiden Streithähne mit gezielten Schüssen kampfunfähig, aber überlebensfähig.
Offizier und Kommissar werden betäubt
Erst einmal hatten wir unsere Brüder befreit, das war alles, was zählte im Moment.
Wir durchtrennten ihre Ketten, mit denen sie an die explodierte Chimäre gebunden gewesen waren.
Die Eldar hatten sich nun zu Spitze des Konvois zurückgezogen, wir sammelten uns kurz hinter der Mitte. Überall qualmte der Boden aus den Kratern, die der Whirlwind gerissen hatte. Munitionshülsen, Panzerwrackteile und Leichen waren verstreut auf gut 20×100 Metern.
Was würde nun geschehen? Die Eldarfrau hatte die ganze Zeit nahe bei meinem Squad gekämpft, ihr Blood Angel Standartenträger und ihr Leibwächter waren stets an ihrer Seite geblieben. Nun marschierten auch die befreiten Brüder herüber zu ihnen, wurden mit deutlichen Zeichen von Freude und Erleichterung begrüßt und stellten sich bei der Eldar auf. Was geschah hier?
Die Freude über die erfolgreiche Aktion schlug bereits bei einigen meiner Jungs in Unbehagen um. Ich konnte sehen, wie sie unruhig zwischen den geretteten Brüdern und den Eldartruppen hin und her schauten. Die Brüder von Milnon, die eine der beiden unversehrten Chimären besetzt hielten, schielten zu den Xenos herüber, die die andere in ihrer Gewalt hatten. Noch bedrohten sich die beiden Einheiten nicht, aber viel fehlte auch nicht. Die Eldarpanzer jenseits des Konvois machten auch unsere Panzerkommandanten nervös. Metallus Gravis suchte instinktiv nach einer guten Beschussposition, und Warlord, unser Whirlwind, versuchte ebenfalls, in eine optimale Fe
uerposition zu kommen.
“Ich benötige einige Erklärungen”, sagte ich in langsamem, verständlichem Gothic zu der Gruppe Marines rund um die Eldarkommandantin. “Auch für das hier!” Ich zeigte auf die Standarte. Eigentlich eine völlige Blasphemie, die Eldar Frau als Tochter Sanguinius?
Jetzt traf es mich wie der heilige Hammer der Inquisition: Ich hatte solch etwas schon einmal als Gerücht gehört.
Der große Mephiston und selbst der Ordensmeister persönlich hatten, im Kreis der Kapitäne, einmal von einer ‘Tochter’ unseres Primarchen gesprochen: “Eine Heilung für die Wut, wir wissen nicht, ob es sie gibt. Doch die, welche Tochter Sanguinius’ genannt wird, beruhigt den Wahnsinn.”
Es war kurz nachdem dieser Deatchwatch Scriptor, Ambrosius von den Aquamarines, bei uns gewesen war.
Ja, ich benötigte wirklich eine Erklärung, und ich wollte vorerst kein weiteres Blutvergießen. Ein Kampf gegen die Eldar würde beiden Seiten heftigste Verluste bringen und niemandem nützen. Die fremden Brüder würden die Hand gegen uns erheben, und die ganze Befreiung wäre sinnlos gewesen.
Die Eldar trat vor. Mein Squad riss die Waffen hoch, worauf meine Theorie schon einmal bestätigt wurde: Die fremden Brüder bedrohten daraufhin uns.
Die Eldar hingegen sprach, in einwandfreiem Gothic, zu mir.
“Geehrter Bruder Captain Cato” (lesen konnte sie also auch?) “Bruder Bethor, Bruder Ezekiel und ich, wir danken euch für die Hilfe bei der Befreiung von Bruder Azrael, Calidius und Damian.”
Ezekiel? Der Ezekiel aus meiner Kompanie? Dann muss dieser Ambrosius ja auch in der Nähe sein. Commander Dante hatte Ezekiel an den Deathwatcher abgestellt. Alles sehr verworren.
“Xeno, ich muss mit den Brüdern, die euch begleiten, sprechen. Wir nehmen Sie mit…”
Für eine Sekunde stieg die Spannung ins Unermessliche, bis die Eldar wieder sprach:
“Dann begleite ich euch, das ist die einzige Möglichkeit, gegen einen Freundschafts-Pfand eurerseits.”
Ich schaute unauffällig zwischen “meinen” Marines und “ihren” Marines hin und her. Ich bin kein Zauderer, aber diese Situation überforderte mich. Das war alles zu verworren. Ich schaute auf die beiden bewusstlosen Menschen links von uns. Was stand da auf dem Brustschild des Offiziers? Ich zoomte näher: ’21st Aquaria’ war dort zu lesen.
Mein Kopf schwamm. Aquaria. Da kam auch Ambrosius her!
Plötzlich kreischten die Servomotoren von Sallustius auf. Der ehrenwerte Bruder, mehr als dreimal so alt wie ich und mindestens fünfmal so erfahren, hatte seinem zögerlichen Kapitän die Entscheidung erleichtert.
Nein, er eröffnete nicht das Feuer!
Er ließ die gewaltigen Waffenarme seines Furiosokörpers baumeln und marschierte zu der Eldarfrau, ohne ihr gefährlich nahe zu kommen. Seine dunkle, uralte Stimme ertönte.
“ICH GEHE MIT EUCH…”
Die Eldar nickte und begab sich in unsere Obhut.
“Ich folge euch”, sagte die Eldar.
Mit diesen Worten trennten sich unsere Gruppen auch schon wieder. Die Eldar zogen mit Sallustius ab. Die Brüder Azrael, Bethor, Callidus, Damian und Ezekiel sammelten sich bei der Eldar und folgten ihr.”