Fanfiction: Blood and Iron
Created | Updated Jan 22, 2003
The Imperial world of Salhia, a harsh and polluted industrial world. Rebellion swept over this world, and its people denounced the Emperor as their god.
Dragonheart couldn't blame them. He'd often said how stupid it was to worship some retarded corpse just because he was plugged into some ancient throne. Last time he said that, he'd had to kill Commissar Yelii. Dragonheart smiled at the memory. He'd thought Yelii was Ork s**t from day one.
Still they were Guard now. Evadian 1st. Sworn defenders of the Imperium. Some giant empire that spanned the stars, and they needed the Evadians to look after them. No suprise there. Most Gretchin had more balls than these Imperial burecrats. How could an empire this big be run by Priests and Politicians and yet survive?
The roar of artillary awoke him from his thoughts. Nothing in his life had prepared him for this. The noise, the gunfire, the sheer power of war in the Imperium. He knew well enough about the power of Cannons and Mortars, and they were deadly when they didn't misfire, but their cannons were something else! their Leman Russ battle tanks could annihilate entire regiments, and the Basilisk Artillary could turn seemingly impenetrable forces into rubble. Maybe they weren't so useless after all...
With a final, defening bang, the city wall was breached. The Kyran 8th watched the Evadians charge, accompanied by a few Kyran Hellhounds and Armoured Fist units. The Evadians had wanted to be first into the city, but Colonel Dollard wondered if they realised just what they were in for. He watched as they stormed from their hiding places, and into the urban hell beyond...
Fletcher and Simpson moves low through the rubble. Fletcher had his lasgun slung over his back, and his longsword in a sheath on his belt. All the Evadians had a sword. Most were longswords, about 4' long and made of Evadian Steel. Lightweight and strong, Evadian Steel made excellent weapons. Some preferred smaller blades, especially those armed with Halberds, Greatswords or Pikes. Fletcher dived behind a broken tram and glanced around the corner. He spotted one of the rebels, a renegade Militia soldier, moving out of a burned out butcher's shop. He raised his crossbow and fired. The arrow slammed through the man's eyehole, killing him instantly. Fletcher smiled. They could keep their Lasguns, Evadian was always best.
Simpson was further back. He had been part of the Nuln Engineer's Guild, and had joined the 19th Riflemen. When he joined, they put him in the Sniper division, and he excelled at it. He blew away three Militia troopers with hits to the torso, and decapitated a renegade Guardsman who had popped up out of a wreaked Chimera.
Then he saw the Chimera wasn't a wreak after all.
"Nuln protect! Enemy Tank! Duck and Cover!"
Simpson ran towards a book store that had some how survived, despite both buildings next to it being blown apart. Fletcher followed, as did three others who spotted the armoured troop carrier. A young man named Doran was blasted to ribbons as the multilaser opened up. The building's front was shredded by the barrage, and the Evadians struggled to hide from the torrent of laser fire. Fennel managed to unpack his rocket launcher, a simple one-shot weapon, and took aim. The tank blew out the top of his head, but Fletcher recovered the gun and fired. The missile blew off the front tread, and destroyed the turret gun. The three surviving Evadians snuck around the tank's side, and pounced on the fleeing crew, tearing them apart with practised ease. They ran back to the safety of the buildings, and surveyed the street. There were many more buildings to take, and all of them potential firebases. Fletcher smiled, this would be fun.
Gryphon slammed his sword into the first enemy soldier so hard it impaled him to the wall. He punched a second trooper in the face, slamming him back into two more Militia, who were gutted by the Evadians before they could get up. Gryphon recovered his sword and looked around the building. He and four other men had killed close to twenty men in a series of brutal stormings with no losses of their own. These guys looked tough in their black, leather-like Flak jackets and shiny black Lasguns, but when it came to a real fight, they were Whiteshields, and the so-called 'Guard' weren't much better.
Gryphon looked out of the window. Three enemy vehicles, converted trucks with pintle mounted guns, came rolling up the street. Gryphon looked around at his men, and noticed the Heavy Bolter against the far wall.
"Armitage! Get that gun over here! We've got tanks to kill!"
The soldier grabbed the weapon, and balanced it on the window. One of the trucks spotted him, but before the gunner could react, he was blasted apart by Heavy Bolter fire. A few seconds later, a round punched through the engine casing, blowing shrapnel into the driver's compartment. The vehicle swerved and tipped over, preventing the second truck from bringing its Heavy Stubber to bear. Gryphon continued to feed for Armitage as he strifed the third truck, and blew it apart when its fuel tank was hit. A Kryan Hellhound cooked the second tank until it exploded, and Lionheart's squad advanced to check for survivors.
