A fair fight.
Thundering down on a turbulent current the Stormraven gunship made a speedy descent into the atmosphere of the icy planet Krellik IV. The snowstorm was severe and to any human pilots the mission would have been called off until fairer weather. But the occupants were shadows of their former human selves. Superhuman, genetically enhanced Primaris Space Marines of the Emperors Dragons legion prepared their weapons for combat in smooth well practiced motions, heedless to the gut-wrenching churning of tortured metals as they made their way to the surface. Using the cover of the storm the engines of the ship would be impossible to hear. The attack run would come as a complete surprise.
A backwater planet of no real significance, it was home to a colony of humans under the watch of the last legion. Used as an outpost to observe the stars it was supposed to be a stop off point for supplies as they ran their routes to protect the Emperors realm.
However, wherever humanity went the dark shadowy hand of chaos inevitably tried to take root and without the constant watch of any true ecclesiarch, the populace had fallen into the hands of the most hated of foes and had taken the Emperors Dragons supplies and weapon caches for their own and turned them against their previous masters.
After failed attempts to get in touch with the outpost when making their scheduled patrol, the company librarian had felt the stink of chaos coming from the planet and has immediately advised the company commander of his findings.
The gunship never fully touched down. Making a slow turn some thirty feet above ground, the Primaris leapt from the rear ramp and quickly deployed themselves. The gunship was gone within twenty seconds.
Sprinting at full speed the marines ate up the ten kilometres they had deployed from the town with ease. Shock and initiative were key. A single squad against over two thousand heretics. A fair fight.
Upon reaching the outskirts of the first few buildings the marines could see ramshackle barriers had been assembled where paths should be open, and a crude fort had been formed. From four hundred metres and closing the primaris assessed the patrols on the towers and walls, allocated targets and at three hundred metres opened fire, still at full sprint. The first three marines fired ahead of their brothers, by the time they had emptied their magazines, the next three were already firing. A perfect layer of unfaltering fire withered all on the walls ahead providing cover as the tenth marine sprinted through, shoulder charging the barricade, it blew apart from his bulk and immediately opened up on the heretics running in panic inside the complex.
Moving rapidly into the complex behind their brother, the primaris marines made short work of any resistance. They had to move quickly before weight of numbers could bare down of them and halt any progress. The objective was the town hall. A place of prayer, it was the most likely place for the centre of whatever blasphemous power was causing the outpost to fall to chaos. It was the most common of failings; the leader of what was thought holy turned to chaos and through them, turning the populace away from the light of the Emperor.
A quick buzz over the intercoms and the marines were off again. The outpost centre was not far, some two hundred metres. Sparing no time, the primaris moved in staggered formation covering every angle. Small pockets of heretics were finally rousing and firing back but it was disorganised, panicked and quickly put down but the precision fire of the Space Marines.
Bursting through the door of the town hall, the sergeant of the squad took point and they fanned out into the room. It was dark and the windows had been shuttered. What drew attention was impossible to miss. In the centre was a glowing red pentagram and within it stood the so called priest, chanting a incoherent stream of filth. Raising his pistol, the sergeant blew his head off.
“burn it, burn it all.”
Stepping forward the special weapon’s member of the squad opened up his flame weapon and started burning all before him.
With the spell of the fallen priest broken, the remaining populace of the outpost quickly surrendered to the mercy of the marines.
Calling over the mic, the sergeant contacted the storm raven for a message to be passed to company command.
“outpost secure, awaiting orders.”