The ground shook as the trampling Brother Shen tore past Tyberus, pressing into the lines of Raven Guard that tried to stand their ground and fight back the monstrous Contemptor Dreadnought. The massive power fist wreathed in crackling white and purple energies crushing and sundering Raven Guard as they rushed towards his armored form, their bolt rounds panging off harmlessly as he tore those close enough to him into pieces. The rapid thud of Shen's Kheres assault cannon echoed over the immediate surroundings, but were still somehow lost into the background noise of the awe inspiring conflict they waded further into.
"Take flight and rain terror onto them Brother Tyberus!!" The heavily digitized voice of Shen erupted over the vox, so loud and grating that it was almost painful to Tyberus' ears, but he did as ordered and fired his jet pack, bursting off of the ground and again he was able to look out onto the battlefield in its greater expanse, it was breathtaking and incredible, the flares of gunfire and screams of war as far as his eyes could see. Firing his thrusters again, he careened down into the midst of the Raven Guard that were advancing onto the position of Raskreia, some 15 or 20 meters ahead of where the banner of the 4th Company fluttered in the wind.
His power maul struck the ground with the concentrated force of a meteor, the shockwaves of the power field that the weapon created seemingly caught the advancing tactical squad offguard. Tyberus quickly scanned the squad, assessing them in the order in which he would need to dispatch of them, a Raven Legionaire wielding a meltagun quickly jump to the front of the pack in his mind. Fluidly he brought his maul back up, the Legionaire was trying to bring his gun up in order to fire off the shot that would turn the Night Lord into super heated pulp. Tyberus unusually powerful build however allowed him to wield the maul with surprising speed and accuracy, he wondered how wide the eyes were of his foe when he brought his maul crashing down into the meltagun, the weapon shattering like glass upon impact, the Raven Guard's hands disappeared in a gush of gore and crackling energies. The stroke of the weapon carried through on a downward trajerctory and the power maul continued on its destructive path, striking the Legionaire in the groin. The shriek that emerged from the Legionaire was reminiscent to Tyberus of the cries and screams of Nostramon women in the slum hive cities as they were murdered or raped. The sickening thought made Tyberus grin wildly, hidden by his helmet, tearing his weapon back from the ruined form of the doubled over Raven Guard and stomping on his neck after he hit the ground.
The crunch underfoot of the meltagun Legionaire's neck was audible to all within striking distance of Tyberus. Planting off of the dead Legionaire's neck Tyberus swung his maul around, bringing the weapon up and striking home under the jaw of a Raven Guard who had stowed his bolter and drawn a chain sword. The maul took the Legionaire's head clean off, leaving his body to fall asunder to the dirt.
Finding himself in a rather off balance position from the upward strike Tyberus quickly drew his stormbolter and unleashed a salvo into a Raven Guard that stood just out of melee range. The thudding, alternating barrage of the stormbolter took its toll as huge chunks of ceramite were gouged out of the Raven Guard's armor. When he was pushed back by the storm bolter the Legionaire tried desperately to bring his own bolter up, but at such short range the Stormbolter continued to chew into the armor until each resounding thud was no longer met with the 'shunk' sound of hitting ceramite and instead the bolt rounds made a wet slapping noise as they tore into the flesh of the Raven Guard Legionaire. The sheer volume of bolt rounds almost instantly took him down and Tyberus' arrogant laugh was the last thing the Raven Guard would hear before his world went black.
Bounding in to support what was likely his squad, a Raven Guard warrior wielding dual lightning claws emerged, sprinting, pushing his way past several Brothers to meet the power maul wielding traitor. The lighting clawed warrior was quick, even by Astartes standards. The distance he closed was incredible and at the last Tyberus was able to stow his stormbolter and take up his power maul with two hands to block the two handed downward slash the Raven Guard attempted. The smell of burning metal and ceramite could be picked up through his rebreather grille as the very tips of the Raven Guard's claws dug into the lower section of his reinforced MK III helm, his gorget also bore the claw marks of the Raven Guard. With a mighty shove he pushed the Raven Guard back, and the battle seemed to flow around them as the Raven Guard gave way to what appeared to be a Veteran Sergeant, allowing him to dispose of his Night Lord foe in one on one combat. "Whatever your name is beast of Kurze, you shall be remembered as nothing more than a traitor who's life was taken at the hands of Sergeant Atilia, Loyal to the Emperor!" The name was of no import to Tyberus, but Atilia was a veteran sergeant of with a very comendable service record and had Tyberus known who he was, he might have second guessed himself against such a master of close combat. "I shall rip and tear your wings and break you little bird!" Tyberus snarled back and lunged forward, swinging his power maul with near wild abandon with a slashing motion that took the weapon from an overhead angle down and to his right.
Atilia was as graceful in combat as a raven might be in flight and expertly brought up his left lighting claw, placing it in the path of the power maul. The Raven Guard sergeant did not place force enough on his left hand to try and outright block the strike, instead he applied just enough, redirecting the weapon just slightly to ensure that it would miss him wide to his left, leaving an opening for his lunging right lightning claw.
Too late Tyberus saw his folly, but his reaction time was still impeccable, turning his left shoulder as much as he could so the piercing lightning claw would only dig into his shoulder. Atilia sought to press his claw deeper and the claws dug in deeper, now pushing past the thick ceramite and into the muscled shoulder underneath. Tyberus let go with his left hand and with his power maul only in his right hand, he jab out with the weapon, striking Atilia squarely in the chest with the energy wreathed maul, cracking the ceramite plate and knocking the Sergeant back. "Keep using your body as a shield savage, I have no qualms with bleeding you dry!" Atilia called over the battlefield, his attempts to goad Tyberus unfortunately worked on the arrogant and savage Night Lord.
Tyberus again leapt after the Raven Guard Sergeant, again he brought his maul overhead and brought the weapon downwards. He could see Atilia setting his feet and readying his claws to again redirect and counter. The maul then crashed down with all of his fury and weight into the ground just in front of Atilia, the tremor and backlash of energy crackled upwards sending the Raven Guard Sergeant's feet back, knocking him off balance. In that moment Tyberus brought his weapon back up in a fluid followup, this time bringing the weapon out wide and then slashing it back across in a horizontal strike aimed at Atilia's right shoulder.
The Sergeant had no choice but to brace himself, bringing up his right clawed hand in an effort to shield his head and torso to 'block' the oncoming blow. In that sense his tactic was successful, but the crunch and pop as the power maul struck, followed by the laughter of Tyberus was enough to know that the lack of feeling in his right arm was as much to do with the shock his body was experiencing as much as it was due to his arm no longer being there. Tyberus snarled out and he then jabbed out again with the maul, this time striking the pauldron protecting Atilia's left shoulder. Atilia, dogged and experienced as he was made use of his remaining claw, trying to parry and redirect what attacks he could, but without his right arm he no longer held much threat of a counter and Tyberus pressed his advantage relentlessly.
Again his jabbing maul struck the left pauldron, this time the plating gave way completely and Tyberus follow up with a strike precisely at the shoulder joint. Atilia screamed in agony as his arm fell away from his body. Less in pain and more in anger and frustration that, without either arm, he would fall prey to this savage beast that belonged to Kurze's flock of murders, rapists and traitors. Tyberus kicked Atilia square in the chest knocking him onto his back. Tyberus quickly stowed his power maul and picked up the remains of Atilia's left arm, its claw was still in tact, but no longer held any power field, having been disconnected from its power source. The sadistic Night Lord hefted the ceramite covered arm in his right hand, "Lighter than my maul," he observed, his tone was tinged with sarcasm. He swung the severed arm down upon Atilia as he struggled to get to his feet. Kicking him in the torso until he fell over again and he struck him with his own severed arm repeatedly. The impact was enough to jar Atilia's head around, but these were not killing blows, they were meant to antagonize and prolong the death of an Astartes whose exemplary career did not deserve to be mocked in such a way. All the more reason he -did- deserve it Tyberus thought. Finally he upended the severed arm and drove the unpowered claws down into the vox grille of the fallen and prone Marine at his feet. He then produced his maul and drove that down on top of the severed arm, the crackling energy of the maul effortlessly tore through the arm and into the head of Atilia. The Veteran Sergeant's headless, armless body was left to be claimed by the dust and grime of the charred soil they fought upon. Tyberus strode away from his kill shouting "I told you I'd rip and tear your wings!!", wading further into the battle, seeking to rendezvous with his Captain.