Attention all settler parties, scav-teams, and gangs:
Staff Sgt. "Leon" (ret.) of the Imperial Guard Necromunda garrison offers his services to any interested party. S.Sgt. "Leon" will provide advanced marksmanship, tactical expertise, and grenadier experience for the modest sum of 50 credits per sortie. Discreet hiring practices are preferred.
All replies to be directed to this space, and are subject to screening by "Leon."
18 February 2009
17 February 2009
++ Raid on Voodoo Posse Turf ++
Spc. Ezekial reporting.
At 1830, daycycle 20090215, Sgt. Orion returned from his negotiations with Benedictus of the Nex Manus Imperator faction (NMI), and ordered me to select five (5) men from our number to form a combat squad. I was to lead said squad in a raid into territory held by KFC's Voodoo Posse (VP), specifically targeting a secure structure believed to contain the credit records for the VP gambling operations. Destroying or capturing this objective would severely damage the operational capability of the Delaque faction.
Sgt. Orion informed me that our squad could expect assistance from the NMI. The Cawdor leader and one other member of that faction would meet us outside the boundaries of the VP territory. This alliance was initially forged before the 20090111 action at Dark Bluff, and although the NMI has honored the truce thus far, the Sarge is convinced there is an alterior motive. Although it is unclear what that motive may be, we have agreed to be civil with these fanatics as it is believed they still hold Old Chester captive within their territory. Until he has been released, Sgt. Orion will not risk double-crossing the NMI.
After the briefing, I spoke with the rest of the Rifles and selected my squad. Tex, Visili, Laertes, Lazarus, and Vincent were chosen, and after making preparations and checking weapons and gear, we moved out at approximately 1900 hrs.
We arrived outside the edges of VP territory in Subsector 19 at 1927 hrs., and linked up with Benedictus and Urbanus of the NMI. The Cawdor were armed for close-quarters fighting, and I ordered Lazarus and Laertes to move with them in a spearhead element along the western flank, avoiding contact with VP elements until support was in place. Vincent and Visili would move up the center, and take firing positions upon visual contact with VP sentries. Tex would move along the eastern flank with his plasma weapon, supported by myself and the squad's stubber. Tex's earlier leg wound had been problematic given his specialist role in the Rifles, but the power of his plasma gun was too important to the mission to leave him at HQ.
With a plan of action established, I ordered the squad to move out. Despite the urgency of our action, Benedictus and Urbanus insisted upon undertaking ritual combat prayer before moving into position. All elements signaled readiness at approximately 1940 hrs. and I gave the order to execute maneuvers.
There was no resistance for several dozen meters. All squad elements and allies advanced across the field, with the NMI operatives moving at the very front of the spearhead, followed by Lazarus and Laertes. Vincent and Visili reported visual contact with two VP sentries, identified as Replay and Rude Boy. Visili further reported having secured two firepoints atop an abandoned hab-structure, several meters apart. I moved up into a derelict freight-elevator tower, having ordered Tex to close on the objective at ground level.
As I moved to the third floor to establish fire support, Benedictus broke from the established plan of action and opened fire with a bolt pistol. Despite his lack of discipline, the NMI operative was able to incapacitate Replay. However, Rude Boy activated an alarm klaxon and two VP reinforcements identified as Grease Job and Tom Tom arrived from the northwest. Benedictus was wounded by fire from Tom Tom. Urbanus took cover as Grease Job fired, then dispatched Tom Tom in melee combat with surprising efficiency and finesse before moving to engage Grease Job.
I opened fire on Rude Boy but failed to wound him, as he attempted to find cover. Laertes similarly failed to wound the target despite emptying his weapon's magazine, but Lazarus lightly wounded the sentry and forced him to take cover. Visili fired on the Delaque position, and finally took Rude Boy down.
Further VP reinforcements arrived, identified as Prince and Little Caesar. Both moved past the melee combat to support their wounded comrades. Little Caesar fired at Lazarus, forcing him into cover. Prince eliminated NMI operative Benedictus with blows from a shotgun, and stepped out to fire on the pinned Lazarus. I opened fire with the stubber and took Prince out before he could take a shot, although my stubber's ejection port became jammed by a fouled casing. Vincent and Visili provided covering fire for Lazarus, forcing Little Caesar back. Urbanus easily subdued Grease Job and moved to engage Little Caesar. The Cawdor operative's melee skills allowed him to quickly eliminate yet another of the VP, leaving the field clear for our raiding party to close on the wounded Replay and the objective he had been guarding.
Despite his assurances to the contrary, Tex's lingering wounds had slowed his advance significantly. He was still unable to make visual contact with the objective and as our squad waited for him to close on the objective, one final reinforcing element of the VP arrived. KFC moved into the combat zone, but operative Urbanus reported that the Delaque commander seemed dazed (several reports of varying reliability have been made that KFC has suffered a head wound of some sort, leaving him prone to violent behavior or inhibited mental capacity) and shortly thereafter, KFC stopped in place, making no attempt to defend himself or open fire.
Urbanus engaged KFC in melee combat, but only barely managed to take down the Delaque leader. The Cawdor operative reported that despite his lack of initiative, KFC's reflexive defenses were still unhindered. After KFC was subdued, Urbanus rendered Little Caesar unconscious. At this point, 2008 hrs., all hostile elements in the VP territory had been neutralized, and Tex proceeded to destroy the objective with plasma gun fire. Squad casualties were zero, save for the wounded NMI operative Benedictus.
Operative Urbanus was debriefed following the action and his comments have been added to the preceding report. As I linked back up with the NMI man, I was surprised to see that he had not only carried his unconscious leader to safety, but had also captured one of the VP fighters. Benedictus recovered sufficiently to walk (although he seemed to be suffering from psychological shock), and the two Cawdor agents withdrew from the field, Urbanus hauling the wounded Delaque back to their territory.
Addendum: Due to their devastating wounds in the raid, the Voodoo Posse have apparently reported our actions to the Guild Watchmen. However, during the course of their investigations, the Watchmen have deputized the Rifles, perhaps as thanks for disrupting the VP gambling operations, thereby removing direct competition for settler credits. It is difficult to say what affect this may have on our standing in Subsector 19.
At 1830, daycycle 20090215, Sgt. Orion returned from his negotiations with Benedictus of the Nex Manus Imperator faction (NMI), and ordered me to select five (5) men from our number to form a combat squad. I was to lead said squad in a raid into territory held by KFC's Voodoo Posse (VP), specifically targeting a secure structure believed to contain the credit records for the VP gambling operations. Destroying or capturing this objective would severely damage the operational capability of the Delaque faction.
Sgt. Orion informed me that our squad could expect assistance from the NMI. The Cawdor leader and one other member of that faction would meet us outside the boundaries of the VP territory. This alliance was initially forged before the 20090111 action at Dark Bluff, and although the NMI has honored the truce thus far, the Sarge is convinced there is an alterior motive. Although it is unclear what that motive may be, we have agreed to be civil with these fanatics as it is believed they still hold Old Chester captive within their territory. Until he has been released, Sgt. Orion will not risk double-crossing the NMI.
After the briefing, I spoke with the rest of the Rifles and selected my squad. Tex, Visili, Laertes, Lazarus, and Vincent were chosen, and after making preparations and checking weapons and gear, we moved out at approximately 1900 hrs.
We arrived outside the edges of VP territory in Subsector 19 at 1927 hrs., and linked up with Benedictus and Urbanus of the NMI. The Cawdor were armed for close-quarters fighting, and I ordered Lazarus and Laertes to move with them in a spearhead element along the western flank, avoiding contact with VP elements until support was in place. Vincent and Visili would move up the center, and take firing positions upon visual contact with VP sentries. Tex would move along the eastern flank with his plasma weapon, supported by myself and the squad's stubber. Tex's earlier leg wound had been problematic given his specialist role in the Rifles, but the power of his plasma gun was too important to the mission to leave him at HQ.
With a plan of action established, I ordered the squad to move out. Despite the urgency of our action, Benedictus and Urbanus insisted upon undertaking ritual combat prayer before moving into position. All elements signaled readiness at approximately 1940 hrs. and I gave the order to execute maneuvers.
There was no resistance for several dozen meters. All squad elements and allies advanced across the field, with the NMI operatives moving at the very front of the spearhead, followed by Lazarus and Laertes. Vincent and Visili reported visual contact with two VP sentries, identified as Replay and Rude Boy. Visili further reported having secured two firepoints atop an abandoned hab-structure, several meters apart. I moved up into a derelict freight-elevator tower, having ordered Tex to close on the objective at ground level.
As I moved to the third floor to establish fire support, Benedictus broke from the established plan of action and opened fire with a bolt pistol. Despite his lack of discipline, the NMI operative was able to incapacitate Replay. However, Rude Boy activated an alarm klaxon and two VP reinforcements identified as Grease Job and Tom Tom arrived from the northwest. Benedictus was wounded by fire from Tom Tom. Urbanus took cover as Grease Job fired, then dispatched Tom Tom in melee combat with surprising efficiency and finesse before moving to engage Grease Job.
I opened fire on Rude Boy but failed to wound him, as he attempted to find cover. Laertes similarly failed to wound the target despite emptying his weapon's magazine, but Lazarus lightly wounded the sentry and forced him to take cover. Visili fired on the Delaque position, and finally took Rude Boy down.
Further VP reinforcements arrived, identified as Prince and Little Caesar. Both moved past the melee combat to support their wounded comrades. Little Caesar fired at Lazarus, forcing him into cover. Prince eliminated NMI operative Benedictus with blows from a shotgun, and stepped out to fire on the pinned Lazarus. I opened fire with the stubber and took Prince out before he could take a shot, although my stubber's ejection port became jammed by a fouled casing. Vincent and Visili provided covering fire for Lazarus, forcing Little Caesar back. Urbanus easily subdued Grease Job and moved to engage Little Caesar. The Cawdor operative's melee skills allowed him to quickly eliminate yet another of the VP, leaving the field clear for our raiding party to close on the wounded Replay and the objective he had been guarding.
Despite his assurances to the contrary, Tex's lingering wounds had slowed his advance significantly. He was still unable to make visual contact with the objective and as our squad waited for him to close on the objective, one final reinforcing element of the VP arrived. KFC moved into the combat zone, but operative Urbanus reported that the Delaque commander seemed dazed (several reports of varying reliability have been made that KFC has suffered a head wound of some sort, leaving him prone to violent behavior or inhibited mental capacity) and shortly thereafter, KFC stopped in place, making no attempt to defend himself or open fire.
Urbanus engaged KFC in melee combat, but only barely managed to take down the Delaque leader. The Cawdor operative reported that despite his lack of initiative, KFC's reflexive defenses were still unhindered. After KFC was subdued, Urbanus rendered Little Caesar unconscious. At this point, 2008 hrs., all hostile elements in the VP territory had been neutralized, and Tex proceeded to destroy the objective with plasma gun fire. Squad casualties were zero, save for the wounded NMI operative Benedictus.
Operative Urbanus was debriefed following the action and his comments have been added to the preceding report. As I linked back up with the NMI man, I was surprised to see that he had not only carried his unconscious leader to safety, but had also captured one of the VP fighters. Benedictus recovered sufficiently to walk (although he seemed to be suffering from psychological shock), and the two Cawdor agents withdrew from the field, Urbanus hauling the wounded Delaque back to their territory.
Addendum: Due to their devastating wounds in the raid, the Voodoo Posse have apparently reported our actions to the Guild Watchmen. However, during the course of their investigations, the Watchmen have deputized the Rifles, perhaps as thanks for disrupting the VP gambling operations, thereby removing direct competition for settler credits. It is difficult to say what affect this may have on our standing in Subsector 19.
04 February 2009
++ The Subsector 19 Project ++
Dear Readers,
As mentioned previously, I have witnessed a great many things in my travels over the past several months. Some sights have inspired me and vindicated my choice to leave the news office, and others have given me cause to return immediately to my life in Sump's Drift. I have given a great deal of thought to my options, especially since the brutal violence I witnessed at The Breach, and it is with a heavy heart that I must now announce the end of the Subsector 19 reports.
It is my intention to establish a network for the efficient sharing of information between Subsector 19 and Sump's Drift, as there are a great deal of settlers and Guild representatives creating new townships and trading posts throughout the area. Despite the rapid growth of these settlements, there is a distinct lack of reliable information available to the majority of these people, and perhaps more alarmingly, a distinct lack of lawful representation. The lack of Enforcer presence in this new "frontier," so to speak, has taken a heavy toll on many innocent travelers - the outbreak of plague. It is my hope that by creating such a network, future incidents might be better managed or even avoided altogether via a "quick-response" citizen's watch and/or Enforcer patrol.
On a more personal note, this will allow me to continue to bring the news of the subsector to all my faithful readers while allowing my life to return to some sense of normalcy. I thank you for your time, and future developments and news will follow once a properly-linked facility can be found and secured.
"Scoop" Yurik, Freelance News-Agent
As mentioned previously, I have witnessed a great many things in my travels over the past several months. Some sights have inspired me and vindicated my choice to leave the news office, and others have given me cause to return immediately to my life in Sump's Drift. I have given a great deal of thought to my options, especially since the brutal violence I witnessed at The Breach, and it is with a heavy heart that I must now announce the end of the Subsector 19 reports.
It is my intention to establish a network for the efficient sharing of information between Subsector 19 and Sump's Drift, as there are a great deal of settlers and Guild representatives creating new townships and trading posts throughout the area. Despite the rapid growth of these settlements, there is a distinct lack of reliable information available to the majority of these people, and perhaps more alarmingly, a distinct lack of lawful representation. The lack of Enforcer presence in this new "frontier," so to speak, has taken a heavy toll on many innocent travelers - the outbreak of plague. It is my hope that by creating such a network, future incidents might be better managed or even avoided altogether via a "quick-response" citizen's watch and/or Enforcer patrol.
On a more personal note, this will allow me to continue to bring the news of the subsector to all my faithful readers while allowing my life to return to some sense of normalcy. I thank you for your time, and future developments and news will follow once a properly-linked facility can be found and secured.
"Scoop" Yurik, Freelance News-Agent
11 January 2009
++ S19 - Dark Bluff's Last Stand ++
"Scoop" Yurik, freelance News-agent
As we neared Dark Bluff, the bone-chilling moans of plague victims could be heard for dozens of meters beyond the outskirts of town, thanks in large part to the intensely blustery winds blowing against us as we traveled. With Liam and Cillian on point, our party moved quickly to the hastily-built wall surrounding the town's few buildings and entered through a narrow gap just above shoulder level. Once inside, each of us had weapons drawn and ready as we crept through the empty side streets, but there was simply no movement anywhere.
Only the moans of carriers and the howling wind were heard as we scaled ladders to the top of a pipeline-turned-general store. Here Liam spotted figures entering Central Street from both ends - five members of the 7th Ash Waste Rifles at the south, and five crusaders of Nex Manus Imperator at the north. These new arrivals were quickly noticed by the horde, as dozens of hungry moans filled the air. However, much to this reporter's surprise, a handful of figures called out from atop other buildings and old equipment.
From the rooftop, our guides pointed out what appeared to be several mercenaries stranded in the dead town: A bounty hunter with a towering black and white coif, standing atop a two-story building on the west edge of town; a Ratskin waving his rifle on an outcropping of concrete (barely a half-dozen meters from our position); a stoic figure with a long-las and bush hat at the south end of the street; and a gas-masked man in Guard fatigues with a slung hell-gun, standing atop several storage tanks, just barley beyond the reach of the mindless zombies below him. Each called to their would-be rescuers, promising rewards in return for their survival. All had spent any ammunition long ago and they were all out of food and water.
Against all odds, it seemed as if the Rifles and NMI gangs had called for a truce. This reporter has been quite unable to determine what reasons were behind this alliance, nor how long it might last, but it is quite feasible that following their mutual losses to the Voodoo Posse and in the face of more than twenty plague zombies, each gang's leader had realized how beneficial such an agreement could be. Orion's and Benedictus's voiced echoed back and forth across the field, assuring each other of a cease-fire between their groups and a focus on eliminating the undead. Despite their truce, the task set before them would not be easy.
The battle began with the rapid birth and death of a miniature star; a full-powered plasma blast issuing forth from Orion's pistol and harmlessly melting a patch of dirt and rock into a glassy sheet on the ground, the Van Saar's aim spoiled by a nasty gust of wind. The remainder of the Rifles spread out, watching carefully for targets.
To the North, NMI's kill-team began shouting prayers of purity and cleansing, and took aim at their undead adversaries. Callixtus's flamer rasped and belched as a spear of burning fuel engulfed two zombies, sending one tumbling to the ground on fire; the other black and smoldering but largely unharmed. Benedictus sent a bolt round rocketing towards the scorched survivor, the mass-reactive round punching a huge hole in the carrier's ribcage but failing to bring it down. Nearby, Urbanus's autopistol stuttered as another plague victim was riddled with rounds, but this creature was just as resilient at the last, groaning in protest but shuffling on unhindered. Caius and Adrian both leveled their shotguns at the carrier and two manstopper rounds tore huge chunks of flesh and bone from the decomposing frame, calling out in frustration as they too failed to re-kill the abomination.
With a chilling growl, the scorched zombie reached out to grab Benedictus, who quickly pulled his knife from its scabbard. The Cawdor leader jabbed the glinting blade into the zombie's torso, punching through the rotting ribs and forcing it backwards. Benedictus's bolt pistol roared as a round exploded the carrier's head. After pulling his knife free from the corpse, the Cawdor leader leveled his pistol and purged the flamed zombie from the hive with a shouted prayer punctuated by bolter fire.
Urbanus found himself in a similar situation as the carrier he had targeted lurched forward, arms outstretched and teeth snapping. Despite his disbelief at the creature's resilience, Urbanus reached out to grab the zombie by the throat, and stuck the barrel of his pistol directly between it's dead eyes. A quick burst of fire obliterated the slack face, and Urbanus cast the body to the floor as he would any other refuse.
At the South end, Vasili swiftly climbed a ladder to a platform, aimed and fired his lasgun at an undead target. The shot passed cleanly through the torso, punching a cauterized hole in the shoulder without taking the zombie down. Heavy Zeke brought out his autogun and loosed a quick burst at another carrier, but missed altogether as a gust of wind spoiled his aim. Suddenly another plasma blast lit the streets like day-lamps. Tex, standing atop a tower platform over the street, had managed to incinerate a carrier's leg with a large plasma gun (perhaps a reward for his bravery in The Breach), and the now-lopsided figure toppled helplessly over the edge of the catwalk.
Hearing the curses of his men at their failed shooting, Orion quickly drew his chainsword and brought it roaring to life, yelling for Lazarus to support his charge. The two Van Saars rushed the decaying creature that Orion had earlier targeted but as we watched from our perch, Orion's powerful swing brought him off balance. The Zombie grabbed hold of Orion's shoulders, and bent its neck to feed. Lazarus pulled the creature's head back quickly, and shot it through the neck, crippling it instantly. The creature dropped, but as it did, it's claw-like fingers and broken teeth scraped Orion's face, drawing blood. The Van Saar leader began to move, but began to sway on his feet and soon slumped to the ground, the plague affecting his body with surprising speed.
The NMI continued to advance, with Caius and Adrian moving to flank a zombie near the base of a hab-unit. The creature had not spotted them yet, and so the gangers both aimed and fired manstopper rounds at the unwitting undead. Neither man accomplished anything, save announcing their presence to the zombie, and both swore colorfully, cursing the wind and their weapons. Benedictus managed to hit his target, but as before, the bolt shell only removed a large crater's worth of the carrier's dead flesh without ending it's existence. Urbanus stood braced against the wind, and during a lull in the gusts, managed to blast a zombie off its feet with a burst to the torso. The creature still squirmed, growling, on the ground, but it would be simple work to finish it off.
Meanwhile down the street, Vasili shot the knees out of the zombie on the catwalk, and it plummeted over the edge and tackled another walking corpse to the ground. Both of them flailed in confusion, still "alive" but not a threat for the moment. Nearby, Zeke slung his auto, seemingly frustrated at it's light weight in the wind as he brought his heavy stub gun to bear. The huge gun shuddered as the Rifles heavy fired a long burst at his target, but in spite of the improved stability and rate of fire the zombie was not hit even once. Not once in the span of a long career has this reporter heard quite so complex a string of profanity, dear readers. Orion staggered to his feet, grimacing in pain, and growled an order to Lazarus. The ganger fired his bolt pistol at an advancing corpse, and as expected, opened up a horrific wound which did not stop his target.
Father Benedictus dashed forward, revved his chainsword and with a brutal thrust, severed the head of the zombie laying at his feet. Wary of this group's resilience thus far, the Cawdor aimed his bolt pistol and shot the head between the eyes for good measure. At the hab-unit, Adrian loaded a new shell into his shotgun and blasted the zombie with a load of scatter-shot. The scatter-shot shredded the flesh of the carrier's legs but once again failed to bring it down. Caius loaded a scatter-shell as well, and unloaded the pellets into the chest and neck of the zombie, knocking it back and blasting away one of its shoulder blades, but still the thing lived, stumbling toward Caius with one arm hanging limp. Urbanus, in a desperate attempt to defend his brethren, fired his autopistol, hitting the carrier with several shots, to no avail. NMI heavy Callixtus had switched to his shotgun and blasted off a manstopper round. The heavy slug streaked by the zombie and tore a rather large hole in the hab wall.
The zombie finally reached Caius, dead fingers taking hold of the ganger's red cloak. Caius struggled to reach his knife, but before he could pull it from its sheath, the zombie had bitten his arm and ripped open a deep wound. The shotgun clattered to the ground as Caius tried to shove the carrier away, but the jaws closed again, this time at Caius's throat. Blood soaked the crimson robes, and the NMI ganger fell to the floor, dead. His limbs began to twitch as the zombie turned its attention to Adrian.
Orion's earlier wound seemed to be little hindrance as he took up his chainsword and charged towards another carrier. The growling blade swept up and across, sweeping through a reaching arm and continuing across the scalp of the targeted zombie. The plague victim fell in a heap, and Orion shouted an order to secure the area. Vasili reached the stranded sniper, who appeared to have suffered a badly wrenched ankle, and required assistance to walk. Vasili took aim and shot an approaching carrier as it stepped around from behind the tower, toppling it to the floor, before helping the sniper to his feet. With a snarl of frustration, Zeke leveled his stubber and opened fire once more. This time the volley found its mark and the zombie fell with a cavernous wound in its forehead. Tex fired his new plasma rifle, but the searing full-power blast only succeeded in burning the arm off another advancing zombie.
As the corpse that had killed Caius reached Adrian, the ganger snarled a foul curse and attempted to bash in its head with the butt of his autogun. The corpse's cold hands caught the weapon and held it fast, and a lethal tug-of-war began. Meanwhile, Callixtus holstered his shotgun and climbed to the roof of a nearby building. At the top he advanced with flamer in hand, ready to cleanse any plague zombie that appeared. Meanwhile, Caius had begun to stir and as he clambered to his feet, a deluge of flame engulfed him and the carrier grappling with Adrian. Urbanus's risky shot paid off, as the zombified Caius fell back to the floor and Adrian's opponent staggered back only to catch a skull-crushing blow from the ganger's autogun. Attempting to grant peace to his former crusader, Benedictus fired a bolt round at the former Brother Caius, but the shot was hastily aimed and bounced away into the shadows of an alley.
As yet more carrier closed on the Van Saar kill-team, Vasili slung his lasgun and hustled his wounded charge towards the relative safety of the Southern entrance to Dark Bluff. Like blockers in a game of tackle-ball, Orion and Lazarus met two approaching zombies head-on, screening their comrade. Zeke's autogun fired again, and another zombie fell to the ground where it crazily twitched about in the dirt. Lazarus blasted his opponent at point-blank range, but the bolt shells failed to activate properly; instead of exploding within the carrier, they punched clean through and blew holes in the door of a ratburger stand across the street. Orion's skill with a chainsword proved effective once again, and with another carefull-aimed blow, the head of his undead counterpart was cut free and rolled to a stop at the foot of a refuse bin.
As the reanimated corpse of Caius attempted to regain its footing again, Adrian reached down, pulling back the ganger's smoldering hood, and stabbed his former brother through the eye socket. Caius stopped moving and crumpled lifeless to the ground, his torment ended. Finally, Benedictus was able to reach the Ratskin atop the makeshift watch tower; the tracker was unhurt, and clambered down the ladder. As he reached the ground, a carrier lurched forward from behind the edge of a air-processor unit, and Callixtus's flamer rasped. The sheeting flames engulfed the carrier, and it stumbled around for a few seconds before collpasing. It did not move again.
With that, more than half of the zombies had been eliminated or at the very least rendered immobile by their wounds. Both kill teams quickly departed the street, securing heavy barricade doors behind them. Only Father Benedictus paused, taking a moment to offer a prayer for Caius's soul before using his compact hand flamer to immolate the body.Then the streets were quiet, save for the moans of the remaining carriers. Liam, Cillian, and Ugly Sean methodically fired at any visible zombies, either killing them or crippling legs or feet to prevent their escape, then we too departed the field, seeking the survivors of the undead siege of Dark Bluff.
-Yurik out.
As we neared Dark Bluff, the bone-chilling moans of plague victims could be heard for dozens of meters beyond the outskirts of town, thanks in large part to the intensely blustery winds blowing against us as we traveled. With Liam and Cillian on point, our party moved quickly to the hastily-built wall surrounding the town's few buildings and entered through a narrow gap just above shoulder level. Once inside, each of us had weapons drawn and ready as we crept through the empty side streets, but there was simply no movement anywhere.
Only the moans of carriers and the howling wind were heard as we scaled ladders to the top of a pipeline-turned-general store. Here Liam spotted figures entering Central Street from both ends - five members of the 7th Ash Waste Rifles at the south, and five crusaders of Nex Manus Imperator at the north. These new arrivals were quickly noticed by the horde, as dozens of hungry moans filled the air. However, much to this reporter's surprise, a handful of figures called out from atop other buildings and old equipment.
From the rooftop, our guides pointed out what appeared to be several mercenaries stranded in the dead town: A bounty hunter with a towering black and white coif, standing atop a two-story building on the west edge of town; a Ratskin waving his rifle on an outcropping of concrete (barely a half-dozen meters from our position); a stoic figure with a long-las and bush hat at the south end of the street; and a gas-masked man in Guard fatigues with a slung hell-gun, standing atop several storage tanks, just barley beyond the reach of the mindless zombies below him. Each called to their would-be rescuers, promising rewards in return for their survival. All had spent any ammunition long ago and they were all out of food and water.
Against all odds, it seemed as if the Rifles and NMI gangs had called for a truce. This reporter has been quite unable to determine what reasons were behind this alliance, nor how long it might last, but it is quite feasible that following their mutual losses to the Voodoo Posse and in the face of more than twenty plague zombies, each gang's leader had realized how beneficial such an agreement could be. Orion's and Benedictus's voiced echoed back and forth across the field, assuring each other of a cease-fire between their groups and a focus on eliminating the undead. Despite their truce, the task set before them would not be easy.
The battle began with the rapid birth and death of a miniature star; a full-powered plasma blast issuing forth from Orion's pistol and harmlessly melting a patch of dirt and rock into a glassy sheet on the ground, the Van Saar's aim spoiled by a nasty gust of wind. The remainder of the Rifles spread out, watching carefully for targets.
To the North, NMI's kill-team began shouting prayers of purity and cleansing, and took aim at their undead adversaries. Callixtus's flamer rasped and belched as a spear of burning fuel engulfed two zombies, sending one tumbling to the ground on fire; the other black and smoldering but largely unharmed. Benedictus sent a bolt round rocketing towards the scorched survivor, the mass-reactive round punching a huge hole in the carrier's ribcage but failing to bring it down. Nearby, Urbanus's autopistol stuttered as another plague victim was riddled with rounds, but this creature was just as resilient at the last, groaning in protest but shuffling on unhindered. Caius and Adrian both leveled their shotguns at the carrier and two manstopper rounds tore huge chunks of flesh and bone from the decomposing frame, calling out in frustration as they too failed to re-kill the abomination.
With a chilling growl, the scorched zombie reached out to grab Benedictus, who quickly pulled his knife from its scabbard. The Cawdor leader jabbed the glinting blade into the zombie's torso, punching through the rotting ribs and forcing it backwards. Benedictus's bolt pistol roared as a round exploded the carrier's head. After pulling his knife free from the corpse, the Cawdor leader leveled his pistol and purged the flamed zombie from the hive with a shouted prayer punctuated by bolter fire.
Urbanus found himself in a similar situation as the carrier he had targeted lurched forward, arms outstretched and teeth snapping. Despite his disbelief at the creature's resilience, Urbanus reached out to grab the zombie by the throat, and stuck the barrel of his pistol directly between it's dead eyes. A quick burst of fire obliterated the slack face, and Urbanus cast the body to the floor as he would any other refuse.
At the South end, Vasili swiftly climbed a ladder to a platform, aimed and fired his lasgun at an undead target. The shot passed cleanly through the torso, punching a cauterized hole in the shoulder without taking the zombie down. Heavy Zeke brought out his autogun and loosed a quick burst at another carrier, but missed altogether as a gust of wind spoiled his aim. Suddenly another plasma blast lit the streets like day-lamps. Tex, standing atop a tower platform over the street, had managed to incinerate a carrier's leg with a large plasma gun (perhaps a reward for his bravery in The Breach), and the now-lopsided figure toppled helplessly over the edge of the catwalk.
Hearing the curses of his men at their failed shooting, Orion quickly drew his chainsword and brought it roaring to life, yelling for Lazarus to support his charge. The two Van Saars rushed the decaying creature that Orion had earlier targeted but as we watched from our perch, Orion's powerful swing brought him off balance. The Zombie grabbed hold of Orion's shoulders, and bent its neck to feed. Lazarus pulled the creature's head back quickly, and shot it through the neck, crippling it instantly. The creature dropped, but as it did, it's claw-like fingers and broken teeth scraped Orion's face, drawing blood. The Van Saar leader began to move, but began to sway on his feet and soon slumped to the ground, the plague affecting his body with surprising speed.
The NMI continued to advance, with Caius and Adrian moving to flank a zombie near the base of a hab-unit. The creature had not spotted them yet, and so the gangers both aimed and fired manstopper rounds at the unwitting undead. Neither man accomplished anything, save announcing their presence to the zombie, and both swore colorfully, cursing the wind and their weapons. Benedictus managed to hit his target, but as before, the bolt shell only removed a large crater's worth of the carrier's dead flesh without ending it's existence. Urbanus stood braced against the wind, and during a lull in the gusts, managed to blast a zombie off its feet with a burst to the torso. The creature still squirmed, growling, on the ground, but it would be simple work to finish it off.
Meanwhile down the street, Vasili shot the knees out of the zombie on the catwalk, and it plummeted over the edge and tackled another walking corpse to the ground. Both of them flailed in confusion, still "alive" but not a threat for the moment. Nearby, Zeke slung his auto, seemingly frustrated at it's light weight in the wind as he brought his heavy stub gun to bear. The huge gun shuddered as the Rifles heavy fired a long burst at his target, but in spite of the improved stability and rate of fire the zombie was not hit even once. Not once in the span of a long career has this reporter heard quite so complex a string of profanity, dear readers. Orion staggered to his feet, grimacing in pain, and growled an order to Lazarus. The ganger fired his bolt pistol at an advancing corpse, and as expected, opened up a horrific wound which did not stop his target.
Father Benedictus dashed forward, revved his chainsword and with a brutal thrust, severed the head of the zombie laying at his feet. Wary of this group's resilience thus far, the Cawdor aimed his bolt pistol and shot the head between the eyes for good measure. At the hab-unit, Adrian loaded a new shell into his shotgun and blasted the zombie with a load of scatter-shot. The scatter-shot shredded the flesh of the carrier's legs but once again failed to bring it down. Caius loaded a scatter-shell as well, and unloaded the pellets into the chest and neck of the zombie, knocking it back and blasting away one of its shoulder blades, but still the thing lived, stumbling toward Caius with one arm hanging limp. Urbanus, in a desperate attempt to defend his brethren, fired his autopistol, hitting the carrier with several shots, to no avail. NMI heavy Callixtus had switched to his shotgun and blasted off a manstopper round. The heavy slug streaked by the zombie and tore a rather large hole in the hab wall.
The zombie finally reached Caius, dead fingers taking hold of the ganger's red cloak. Caius struggled to reach his knife, but before he could pull it from its sheath, the zombie had bitten his arm and ripped open a deep wound. The shotgun clattered to the ground as Caius tried to shove the carrier away, but the jaws closed again, this time at Caius's throat. Blood soaked the crimson robes, and the NMI ganger fell to the floor, dead. His limbs began to twitch as the zombie turned its attention to Adrian.
Orion's earlier wound seemed to be little hindrance as he took up his chainsword and charged towards another carrier. The growling blade swept up and across, sweeping through a reaching arm and continuing across the scalp of the targeted zombie. The plague victim fell in a heap, and Orion shouted an order to secure the area. Vasili reached the stranded sniper, who appeared to have suffered a badly wrenched ankle, and required assistance to walk. Vasili took aim and shot an approaching carrier as it stepped around from behind the tower, toppling it to the floor, before helping the sniper to his feet. With a snarl of frustration, Zeke leveled his stubber and opened fire once more. This time the volley found its mark and the zombie fell with a cavernous wound in its forehead. Tex fired his new plasma rifle, but the searing full-power blast only succeeded in burning the arm off another advancing zombie.
As the corpse that had killed Caius reached Adrian, the ganger snarled a foul curse and attempted to bash in its head with the butt of his autogun. The corpse's cold hands caught the weapon and held it fast, and a lethal tug-of-war began. Meanwhile, Callixtus holstered his shotgun and climbed to the roof of a nearby building. At the top he advanced with flamer in hand, ready to cleanse any plague zombie that appeared. Meanwhile, Caius had begun to stir and as he clambered to his feet, a deluge of flame engulfed him and the carrier grappling with Adrian. Urbanus's risky shot paid off, as the zombified Caius fell back to the floor and Adrian's opponent staggered back only to catch a skull-crushing blow from the ganger's autogun. Attempting to grant peace to his former crusader, Benedictus fired a bolt round at the former Brother Caius, but the shot was hastily aimed and bounced away into the shadows of an alley.
As yet more carrier closed on the Van Saar kill-team, Vasili slung his lasgun and hustled his wounded charge towards the relative safety of the Southern entrance to Dark Bluff. Like blockers in a game of tackle-ball, Orion and Lazarus met two approaching zombies head-on, screening their comrade. Zeke's autogun fired again, and another zombie fell to the ground where it crazily twitched about in the dirt. Lazarus blasted his opponent at point-blank range, but the bolt shells failed to activate properly; instead of exploding within the carrier, they punched clean through and blew holes in the door of a ratburger stand across the street. Orion's skill with a chainsword proved effective once again, and with another carefull-aimed blow, the head of his undead counterpart was cut free and rolled to a stop at the foot of a refuse bin.
As the reanimated corpse of Caius attempted to regain its footing again, Adrian reached down, pulling back the ganger's smoldering hood, and stabbed his former brother through the eye socket. Caius stopped moving and crumpled lifeless to the ground, his torment ended. Finally, Benedictus was able to reach the Ratskin atop the makeshift watch tower; the tracker was unhurt, and clambered down the ladder. As he reached the ground, a carrier lurched forward from behind the edge of a air-processor unit, and Callixtus's flamer rasped. The sheeting flames engulfed the carrier, and it stumbled around for a few seconds before collpasing. It did not move again.
With that, more than half of the zombies had been eliminated or at the very least rendered immobile by their wounds. Both kill teams quickly departed the street, securing heavy barricade doors behind them. Only Father Benedictus paused, taking a moment to offer a prayer for Caius's soul before using his compact hand flamer to immolate the body.Then the streets were quiet, save for the moans of the remaining carriers. Liam, Cillian, and Ugly Sean methodically fired at any visible zombies, either killing them or crippling legs or feet to prevent their escape, then we too departed the field, seeking the survivors of the undead siege of Dark Bluff.
-Yurik out.
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