Krateron, Tiberius, and Vultus:
The kicked up cloud of dust and ash created by Tiberius begins to fade away, revealing the sacred banner of the Sons of Horus Second Company. Vultus stands in the middle of the street, ready and waiting for whatever may come. Krateron looks down from above, able to see the street clearer now with the rising of the dust. Though just a few stories higher, he can tell the wind from the surrounding storms is stronger there than on street level.
Across the street, diagonally, he sees Gretivalus, his heavy bolter aimed and braced in the shadows of the ruined building.
The thrumming sound of the jetbikes continues to increase. The other vibration beneath your feet, hits again like an inaudible bass drum.
Tiberius sinks into his covered position staring hard at Vultus. Even if he worries the Standard Bearer may ruin the trap, he recognizes the Marine’s higher rank.
A tense moment, tightens the rope around the nerves of all eight Loyalist Astartes.
The humming of the jetbikes spikes in volume. They have turned the corner. They are on the street, and they are not slowing down. In fact..they begin to speed up.
Vultus stares down the incoming speeder. A blue and white shape, rapidly increasing in size, heads straight for him, with more of them behind the first. He wonders if the large barreled gun protruding from its front end will open fire. Instead, the edge of a blade catches the firelight. It makes a wide arc through the air as it is unsheathed from its bearer’s side.
Vultus makes one statement over the vox to the other seven Space Marines, before the cataclysm.
‘Traitors.’
The following takes place in about 15 seconds:
Right before the World Eater’s broad, bashed blade connects with Vultus’s throat, he raises his pistol arm, firing off a shot. The plasma bolt burns the traitor’s sword arm clear off. Scorched flesh splatters onto Vultus’s chest plate, and the sword clangs off of his left shoulder guard with such force that it turns him, nearly sending him to the ground stumbling but - his head remains with him.
Before the light from the plasma shot has fully faded, before the flesh of the traitor has even fully disintegrated, the front end of the Scimitar pattern jetbike hits the industrial chord. It flips over the chord so fast that nothing but a blue and white blur flies past the view of the other loyalists. Only its crumpling like a can can be heard as it finally hits and rolls endlessly somewhere further down the street. The second jetbike makes a futile attempt to turn, the rider diving off. The entire flank of the bike hits the chord and smashes into the ground, rolling as well. Tiberius and Brother Muor only had a few moments to anchor the chord, and so, the second jetbike rips it loose.
As soon as Gretivalus sees the chord loosen and fall, he lets loose with the heavy bolter. The other bikes open fire with their own heavy bolters into the general direction. Three large holes punch through the Second Company banner. Vultus takes a swing with his chainsword but only grazes the third Jetbike. Immediately after, several holes are punched along the length of the bike, and the rider’s chest cavity all but explodes as he rides through Gretivalus’s line of fire.
A further barrage of rounds dances around Vultus’s feet. Most kick into the ground, but two glance off of his armor, and as if he were blessed, neither explode. They dent the armor, heavily, and hurt enough to bring him down.
The crash of the third bike is heard.
A Phoenix Spear penetrates the siding of the fourth after it downs Vultus. The jetbike smashes into one of the building fronts opposite and quickly comes to a stop, a flaring of electric bolts whip around its damaged engine for a moment. Unfortunately, it takes out the support of the floor Gretivalus was on, and he falls through as the ruins cave in.
The Fifth jetbike slows down, realizing there are more survivors hiding in the ruined walls here, and begins strafing at an angle, firing his heavy bolter into the fronts of the buildings that Tiberius, Herridon, Rydon, Solhanan and Krateron hide in. Muor, and Gretivalus are on the other side of the street.
Tiberius and Herridon take the main brunt of the initial strafing fire, their cover exploding all around them. The Sergeant and Solhanan are a bit further down the street, and Krateron, is above.
The World Eater from the second jetbike who lept from the vehicle before it struck the chord, rises, and moves into the ruins where Muor was hiding, a chain axe raised. You see a trio of bolt rounds from Muor fly clean through him, but somehow they fail to stop the Nail-stricken psychopath and he dives out of view into the ruins.
(The second, fourth, and fifth riders are still alive. The Second and Fourth are on the same side of the street. The Second will be duelling with Muor in melee. The Fourth will have a half flattened crooked, broken arm but with his remaining hand will be digging through the rubble looking for Gretivalus, hoping to finish off the Marine he saw fall through the ceiling. The fifth is the one still on the jetbike doing strafing runs on the ruins. You may take out all three of these World Eaters without much incident, but how and who does what is up to you. PM me for cooperation with the members of Dillinger. Vultus, though you went down, you are able to get back up in a timely manner. You all hear a second wave of jetbikes on their way.)
Sebastian and Kyros:
With the voice of Kyros ringing out, his loyalty to the Emperor is defined. Secured with no more doubt, Sebastian and Darius throw their back to him, forming a tight defensive circle.
There are simply too many World Eaters to fend off for Sebastian to form a cohesive response regarding Kyros’s question about a plan. The sound and feel of melee conducted by the sons of the Emperor engulfed them, fully. Clanging of plasteel, ceramite, and adamantium. Yells and grunts. Hardly any strikes made kill the World Eaters now. A strike that falters one simply makes room for another. Out of the corner of your eyes, you see one of Darius’s hands hacked off. The steadfast Marine barely makes a noise when it happens. Sebastian’s sabre quickly finds the assailant’s gut, dropping him.
The defense of his comrade creates an opening, and he is struck in the head by a blunt object or fist, unsure of which. A chain axe rips into his thigh before his sabre is brought back to bear.
Kyros fends well with the aid of his shield, blocking and striking, repeatedly. Keeping his focus despite his fury. not long after the two Emperor’s children take their hits, he sees four pairs of white armored fingers grip the edges of his shield. His former brothers rip it away from him, violently. At the same time two more come in for the now open opportunity. One punches him in the chest so hard it knocks the breath out of him, but the other finds Kyros’s power axe splitting his side.
Sebastian is brought down to a knee. Looking up through his helm at a traitor World Eater about to swing a chain axe into his neck, it seems he has come to his end.
Very loud, explosive blasts echo off of the surrounding structures. The top half of the World Eater about to finish Sebastian is completely blown off. A single round splits two World Eaters in front of Kyros into pieces. Bolter fire cuts through more of the Traitors as they turn their attention toward this new threat. World Eaters that the three Loyal Marines cannot even see due to being surrounded by so many, are blown apart, some of their pieces flying high enough for them to see.
A few chain weapons clash. More blood is sprayed.
The three of you, barely conscious, find arms suddenly holding you up. A circle of Marines quickly surrounds your blurred vision, wearing the green and off-white colors of the Death Guard. One of the Astartes in the circle kneels, and begins reloading a massive auto-cannon. They continue to put holes in the remaining World Eaters. The circle parts for a moment, and a Death Guard Apothecary skids to a halt beside the three of you. As he does so, you feel a heavy vibration shake the earth beneath you. It doesn’t seem to come from anything going on near you.
(The two of you are given enough stimulants and pain relievers to stand on your own again. Afterward, the Apothecary goes to work on Darius’s severed hand. It won’t take long for the Death Guard to finish off the remaining Traitor World Eaters. Regain your composure the best you can. The Apothecary will announce that the group can’t stay here for long and needs to get moving again. The decision to go with them is up to you, ultimately. Do you regain your fallen weapons, the shield, the bolter? I will do any responses from these Marines, if you want to PM me about any dialogue. Do you try to contact anyone, maybe these Marines have a better signal with other loyalists than you? What are their objectives versus yours, etc. Anything you can think of and wish to say, pretty much. You can talk to each other now as well, of course.)
