C. Goto - Dawn of War

Tanthius strode forward into the square, scanning the upper windows of the temple for signs of Chaos Marines, but he could see no movement. His feet squelched horribly as they trod through the gory mess on the ground, but he nodded an acknowledgment to Ckrius on the temple steps.

The clink of grenades hitting the flagstones sounded an ominous note in the morning air. Suddenly, explosions rocked the temple precinct and, with a crack the temple doors burst open-a volley of bolter fire punched out into the square, scattering the storm troopers and peppering the armour of the Terminators.

A phalanx of Alpha Legionaries stormed out of the temple, their guns blazing in all directions at once. Simultaneously, more stained-glass windows shattered and fire hailed down into the square from above.

The sound of combat outside echoed through the narrow passageway, shaking the stone blocks in the foundations of the temple. Gabriel crouched and rushed the last few steps, emerging into one of the antechambers in the interior of the temple. He snatched his bolter from one side to the other, but the room was empty. He whistled a signal, and the rest of his team stalked out of the service tunnel, immediately spreading out into a firing formation with their weapons primed.

Gabriel held a finger to his lips to silence the others as he strode towards the only doorway, his heavy boots clanking against the stone floors in blatant disregard for his own order. Outside the small stone chamber was one of the low, subsidiary aisles of the majestic nave, cast into deep shadow at this time of the morning. Beyond it, through a series of wide arches that ran the length of the temple, the grand, vaulted nave stretched off in both directions, leading to the main entrance on the left and the altar on the right.

The huge front doors were a frenzy of activity as Alpha Legionaries arrayed themselves around it in a tight firing arc. Others had already rushed outside, and Gabriel could see the report of their bolters in the darkness of the precinct. In the other direction, behind the altar and beyond the apse, a coruscating purple glow spilled into the temple from the cloistered courtyard in the heart of the temple. And high above, in the rafters and ramparts, Gabriel could see other Chaos Marines running to the front of the temple to find vantage points for the battle.

“Sergeant,” whispered Gabriel to Matiel, as he ducked back into the antechamber. “Take the assault squad into the shadows of the aisles and wait for my signal. You can provide support for Tanthius and Sergeant Ckrius from there, catching the cursed Chaos Marines in your crossfire.”

Matiel did not answer, but he nodded briskly, flicking some silent hand signals to his squad. The Space Marines dropped into crouching positions and darted out of the door, filing along the arched side-aisles, virtually invisible in the deep shadows. Finally, Matiel nodded again to Gabriel. “May the Emperor guide your blade, Gabriel,” he said as he ducked out to join his squad.

“What about us, captain?” asked Mordecai, swinging his warhammer between his hands.

“We have a ceremony to interrupt,” hissed Gabriel, peering round the doorway and then dashing out into the nave towards the altar.

“Sindri!” called the Chaos Lord as he burst into the courtyard, his eyes quickly scanning the scene of carnage. The sorcerer had gone, leaving a ring of dead cultists in the centre of the courtyard, lying in the blood grooves like spokes on a wheel.

“Sindri, you coward!” he bellowed, spinning to search the shadows in the cloisters around the edge of the courtyard. That vile sorcerer, thought Bale, his anger rising. His plans have failed and he has deserted me.

The Chaos Lord kicked his boot against the ribs of one of the sacrificial cultists. It made no noise, except for a moist squelch as a bubble of blood burst out of its slit throat under the sudden pressure.

“SINDRI!” roared Bale, thrusting his scythe into the air and spinning it in a vicious arc, smashing it down into the body of the cultist at his feet. The blade clanged and sparked against the flagstones as it hacked straight through the dehydrated human form. “You will suffer for this,” he muttered under his breath.

“You will suffer first,” came a voice from behind him.

The Chaos Lord looked back over his shoulder, his scythe still buried in the distended flesh of Katrn. Stepping through the purple energy field that still enveloped the courtyard strode a Blood Ravens captain, his chainsword drawn. Behind him came the figure of an inquisitor, wielding an ancient-looking warhammer with controlled malice.

Bale laughed, dragging his blade free of the corpse and spinning it round his head, sending a spray of blood splattering across the courtyard as he turned to face the intruders. He dropped into a low fighting stance, the blade of his manreaper scythe held above his shoulder as he shifted his weight onto his back foot. At last, he thought, an opponent worthy of a Chaos Lord of the Alpha Legion.

“Don’t worry, we will deal with your sorcerer later,” added Gabriel, holding his chainsword vertically at his side in both hands, and pushing his left leg forward into a long combat stance.

“This one is mine,” he hissed to Mordecai, as he darted forward, lifting his chainsword above his head and driving it down towards the Chaos Lord. Mordecai hesitated, eager to assist but aware of the age-old rivalry between the Blood Ravens and the Alpha Legion-this was an honour duel, and he had no place in it. He switched his warhammer into one hand and retreated into the shadows of the cloisters. As he did so, something caught his eye on the other side of the courtyard-a figure in blue power armour had emerged from one of the transepts. He only saw it for a moment, before it sank back into the shadows. It looked like Isador.

The Chaos Lord was as quick as Gabriel, dropping his scythe into a vertical sweep and smashing his blow aside, lifting his front foot simultaneously and kicking it into the Blood Raven’s chest. Gabriel staggered back under the blow, regaining his balance and repositioning his chainsword in a horizontal pose above his head, pointing at the Chaos Lord.

Letting his momentum turn his body, Bale spun his other leg in a low sweep towards Gabriel’s front foot, bringing his scythe around at the same time. Gabriel lifted his foot just in time, stamping it down again on Bale’s ankle, feeling the joint collapse under the force. Simultaneously, he dipped the point of his chainsword and swept it round to parry the scythe blade as it streaked towards his head.

The Chaos Lord let out a scream, part pain and part fury, as he tugged his broken leg back out of Gabriel’s reach. “Sindri!” he yelled. “You will pay for this!”

No, I don’t think so, Lord Bale, came the smooth tones of the sorcerer, slipping directly into Bale’s mind. I’m afraid that the ceremony failed to break the protective seal guarding the stone-I confess that I had expected that it would not work… yet. We need a larger sacrifice, my lord. We need more blood to fully consecrate the ground.

All of a sudden, a series of explosions sounded from within the nave of the temple, and then the rattle of bolter fire erupted in their wake. Matiel and the Marines had joined battle against the Alpha Legionaries.

“You have failed, sorcerer!” bellowed the Chaos Lord, bringing his scythe down for another attack. Unbalanced by his broken leg, the strike was more clumsy than the last, and Gabriel stepped comfortably inside it, pushing his chainsword into Bale’s midsection.

No, my lord. Power demands sacrifice-and I thank you for yours.

The manreaper fell from Bale’s grasp, clattering to the ground as he staggered back, gasping for breath. The morning sun had just crested above the cloisters, sending the first red rays of the day lancing into the courtyard, accompanied by the cacophony of battle in the nave and in the precinct outside.