Its a Scouts Life

The Assault Angel was not a large ship by imperial standards, by it still was big enough to house a comfortable crew complement of forty thousand, not including passengers.  Even larger yet when trying to reach a destination on the opposite side of the ship with an untold amount of hostiles blocking your path and no known reinforcements to back you up.  Scout Squad Archanus, was trapped in the loading dock area of the ship when the daemon incursion began.

Archanus, a veteran of the Angels of Silence tenth company, had been on patrol of the docking area, constantly training and teaching his scouts the ways of the Angels, perfection in every action.  Now they crouched hunkered down in their grey camouflage cloaks, planning their next move, hiding amongst the debris of old damaged that never got repaired fully.

“Scouts, listen,” Archanus voice was hushed, “We need to regroup with our brothers, we are in a very isolated area, and I doubt, even with our skills, we will survive long.”

The determination in the scouts was strong, and it ran across their faces, they knew no fear, and they will die for the glories light of the Emperor.  “We are with you Sergeant, we will find the others, we will not let chaos win,” Marnem spoke with fervor.  He would become a great Space Marine one day if he makes it out of this thought Archanus.

“Good I’d expect no less from my scouts, now let’s show this worthless daemons who they are messing with one last time.” Archanus pulled the dagger from his belt, and flipped the switch on the hilt to test it; this blade was barely longer than a foot and a half but was deadly in his hands.  Preferring it to clumsier longer blades, he needed every little bit of speed he could get, especially with his lack of power armour.

Staying crouch the group moved forward, down a disused corridor, hopefully circumventing most of the larger forces aboard the ship, and enabling the ability to perform mass stealth attacks on the enemy.

“Sir, my Auspex is reading Astrates over this way,” Zethar spoke, holding a odd machine in his hand, as he rested his shotgun upon his lap.

“How many? Are they friendly?”

“It’s not clear too much interference coming in, but the power armour is easy enough to read,”

“Zethar, you and Kinias take point, keep your shot guns level, keep your wits, Marnem, Ashor, take the rear, and keep your blades handy, pistols out.  Let’s not get caught with your pants down now,” He gestured his hand forward, moving the group onwards to check out the signal.  Finding anyone from the First Company would increase their odds of survival by tenfold, and he dared to hope that’s what he would find.

The corridor began to smell, the air smelling like blood, lots of blood, and the soar smell of daemon entrails.  Taking their time and utter most caution they sneak forward until they reached the point where the Auspex signaled they found the power armoured individual s and the smell was the worst.

Archanus glanced around the corner just ever so quickly to take a count of all who was there, capturing the image with his augmented eye.  He swore silently to himself after noticing that those power armoured Astrates, were in fact dead, and being munched on by Khorne Flesh Hounds; A group of five from his count, and luckily enough they were distracted.

“We take them by surprise, Zethar, Kinias, give them hell, show them what your worth, Marnem, Ashor your with me and we are going hit them hard, blades out, empty your clips and pray to the Emperors glory there isn’t more around that corner.” Archanus spoke softly, he then lifted up his fingers to represent on, three.

Three, Two, One.  They group bursts from cover, the shotgun wielding scouts blast out their shots in rapid succession, Zethar catching one off guard and punching a hole through its unholy aura, and blasting a crater into his chest smashing it into the wall.  Archanus and his three run headlong forward, the Flesh Hounds barking in anger, blast up without a moment’s thought,  not even phased at the sudden attack of these Space Marines.

The hounds hit them hard, knocking all three down to a knee in force, they were barely able to push them off, each as strong as themselves, the shotgunners, dash forward, Zethar and Kinias, blasting away.  A found losses itself from the three already engages and tackles down Zethar hard, its teeth biting deep into his chest, Kinias took the opening and sent a shell into the creatures side blasting it apart in a red mess.

Quickly checking on Zethar, alive but out, he trained his shotgun up, aiming about, watching for any other enemy that might attempt to sneak up.  Leaving the three outfitted for combat to their duties. 

Archanus and his two other attack scouts had the hounds right on them, teeth snapping at their faces, claws trying to dig into their braces, giving no quarter.  Archanus quickly activated his daggers power, it blazed in electrical might as he quickly jabbed it deep under the jaw of the beasts head, breaking through the horrendously thick skull.

Archanus kicked the body off his blade, with only enough time to dodge another hound which had disengaged Ashor, attempting to strike the leader of the scouts.  It growled at him, Archanus noticed that it had clipped his arm, and red fluid rolled down his dark skin.  That had been a close one, and he would not let it happen again.

As the creature lunged again, he ducked down and stabbed his dagger into the chest of the and rolled with it.  Slicing through the inner’s of the flesh hound and spilling its guts all over the metal corridors floor.  With another quick flick of the wrist, he tossed that same dagger deep into the head of the remaining hound as its teeth had found purchase on the scouts shoulder plate.

Marnem quickly stabbed with his own blade, chopping at it, as its jaw would not let go, even dead.  Ashor rushed over chopping the head off the creature, and pried its head off with his hands, leaving deep groves in his shoulder pad, and blood running down his arm.  A mix of Marnem’s own blood and that off the daemon’s.

“Scouts status?” Archanus asked as he pulled his dagger from the creatures head.

“Zethar is alive, but he needs to heal, the creature cut deep but looks to have missed vital implants.” Reported Kinias.

“Minor wounds, will heal in a short period of time,” Reported Marnem

                “Superficial damage, not injured,” Ashor reported last.

                “No Casualties,” Archanus moved over to a nearby hatch, and opened it, scanning it quickly. “In here, we will reload, bandage our wounded, and prepare to head out again. Move”

                On command, they grabbed Zethar, and rushed into the room, Archanus sealing it behind himself.  It looked like a servitor storage room, though no servitors remained, most were damaged or on duty at the time, and unlikely many would remain.  “Kinias, keep watch of the door, Ashor, tend to Zethar, Marnem check this room for any supplies we can use.  We need everything we can get.”

                It wouldn’t be long before they had to head out again, with or without Zethar, and far more deadlier creature roam this ship….