[Grimbog Elf Ater]

"Contact, sixteen-zero-zero meters, sector alpha five niner." The horned and visored helms of silver power armoured warriors could be seen waiting in their trenches. "We're done here, and we've cleared a path for tac squads to the first trench system. Squad Praecursor, we're at the nest, progress report, over."

The veteran sergeant's comlink crackled to life: "Coming to the objective now, charges will be set t minus one. Standby." With great stealth and care, squad Praecursor kept the anti-air missile facility between themselves and the iron warriors in the trenches beyond. A good thing that the automated heavy bolters had been taken out earlier, otherwise they may not have made it to this crucial location. As the squad made it to the base of the building, the sergeant snapped "Meltabombs out squad, set timers for one minute! You know why we're here men, so set them for maximum effect." Turning on his comlink, he spoke again "Squad Conspicio, charges are set and we're off to the forest rim, are you in place?"

"Affirmative, our charges are set and we are in the nest," even with the sergeant's enhanced vision, he still couldn't make out any of the snipers in the edge of the hill. That didn't surprise him, they were good infiltrators, like his own men.

"Great, call in the tac squads and devastators, we need those trenches occupied, pronto! Shadow Chaplain Blashrykk, we're set for t minus thirty seconds and in position."

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Blashrykk nodded his head aboard a Thunderhawk high above what was transpiring below:

"Affirmative sergeant, switching the frequency, "Squads Ungula, Rostrum and Gladius; proceed as planned. Squad Hamus, deploy now, follow these co-ordinates." Turning to the assembled assault squad, he said "Squad Novacula Pennatus, we fly - vinctorus aut mortis!" he shouted as their jetpack engines roared to life and they jumped out of the Thunderhawk.

From the forest rim, the squads burst forth along the path that had been cleared for them by the scouts earlier. The Iron Warriors spotted them only a few metres away from the trenches, so the squads made it to safety as the first few lascannon and bolter rounds whizzed by.

"Ok, you know what to do. Target the wall base at alpha four nine, all squads - FIRE!" Co-ordinated by the devastator marines, the tactical squad lascannons and missiles from the devastator squad rained in with pin-point accuracy, the wall above crumbled well before the trench that the Iron Warriors were occupying, and now, the interior of the fortress was accessible. Moments later, explosions could be heard to their right, and two anti-air towers toppled in a heap of twisted metal to the ground.

"Now keep up your fire, keep those chaos scum occupied." They could see that not many traitor marines had fallen from their barrage, only a few were falling from sniper shots above, and they were in no way ready to make a break for the concrete fortress walls. A shell could be heard screaming in at the Raven Guard lines, heralding the arrival of a deflier. It lumbered up behind the breach in the wall and spat out shell after shell of screaming death upon their position. "Taking fire, request strafing run on Iron warriors tac squads!"

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"We're already here, came a reply in the headset of the veteran sergeant of squad Gladius, as land speeder typhoons Iracundia and Tempestas pulled up out of mid air at the last possible moment and stabilised for a strafing run along the trench system. Sounds of autocannons, an heavy bolters could be heard as warrior after warrior fell to the hail of bullets. The defiler attempted a shot at the fast moving land speeders but couldn't get it's bearings right.

This was all of the distraction that they needed. "Aim and fire all heavy weaponry, take that abomination down." As the defiler's attention turned back to the entrenched infantry, three missiles from devastator squad Gladius hit home, one blowing a leg clean off as the other hit the heart of the mechanical beast, resulting in a spectacular detonation. "Good shooting squads, we wait and provide cover for now, the rest is in Blashrykk's hands."

From high above the battle ground, Blashrykk could see all that was transpiring below. Scout squads Conspicio and Praecursor have successfully take out the anti-air batteries of the chaos foes, while tactical squads Ungula and Rostrum have successfully breached the fore-wall and have occupied a trench for cover. Iron warriors poured out of the breach and into the trenches below, while devastator squad Gladius rained in missile fire.

This was too much for the disheartened Iron Warriors in the trench, only a handful were alive and picked their way out of the trench and past the smoking wreck of the defiler to the inner citadel. As they fled, a drop pod slammed into the ground in front of them.

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"Remeber squad, as soon as those panels drop, open fire and show them what stuff we Raven's are made of!" The feeling of freefalling was replaced with the lurching halt of hitting the ground, the pod was depressurising, and the panels dropped quickly. I front of them, a squad of battered silver power armoured chaos marines were fleeing the battle behind them and heading right into their arms. "Blessings be to you Blashrykk! Squad Hamus, open fire!" Plasma and bolter fire filled the air, may of their number fell before the furious hail of fire, but they ploughed onwards to engage the squad in close combat. "Hold the lines men, teach these traitor the meaning of duty!" Overhead, the roar of jet engines could be heard.

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"Swoop warriors! Swoop and reap sweet vengeance upon the traitors of Istavaan IV!" His headset roared with responses from his squad-mates as they fell upon the rear of the chaos marines who were furiously engaged in fighting with tactical squad Hamus. A handful of choas marines made their way around the combat, seeing this Blashrykk changed frequency on the comlink and said "Squad Praecursor, deploy now." Moments later, the fleeing chaos marines were cut down by the scout squad who were in hiding nearby.

Blashrykk cut down two of the infidels with his crozius and batted away a chaos marine's lazy thrust at him with his pistol, as the remained of his squad dismembered the remaining dozen marines. "Vinctorus!" shouted Blashrykk with an upraised fist, and the shout was echoed by all that could hear it. At that moment, Blarshrykk's comlink blared to life "Sir." "What is is patrol?" "We've spotted the Iron Warriors transport, reported the landspeeder pilot, "their commander is loading up the last few remaining troops, he and three obliterators are all that remain to be loaded."

"Affirmative. Brothers! Back to the ship, let us pursue and destroy them utterly!� Roar of approval filled his helmet. This was the only the beginning as far as Blashrykk was concerned.

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Ok, so re-done in the way I first envisioned it. Any better? :hmm: