Intro Story 5

Taking his armoured hand away from the Storm Troopers shoulder Tas-Jar nodded a silent thank you to the young solider. Thanks for the sacrifice that he and the few troopers were knowingly going to make to allow Tas-Jar the chance to complete his mission. Many of his kind, even some from his now annihilated squad would not have thought much about the deaths of eight humans. Tas-Jar though was a Salamander, and his chapter knew the value of a man and truly did try to protect them as individuals not just a race. This caring attitude however did not mean anything now though, and the black armoured marine turned as he stood and started running away.

Less than a minute later the sounds of combat caught up with him from deeper within the cavern and Tas-Jar knew that soon he would be the only member of the Ordo-Xenos assault force Noah-5 still alive. Inquisitor Noah Janover had led 20 Inquisitorial Storm Troopers and his own coterie to the planet Karelia alongside Tas-Jar’s own Deathwatch Killteam, Daedalus. Almost 30 of the Imperiums best trained warriors with a range of specialities and four of Tas-Jar’s Battle Brothers, Angels of Death. All dead now, or soon, apart from Tas-Jar and he was not free yet.

Almost one more minute had passed as Tas-Jar loped out of the cave network that was now the tomb to all his allies, the screams behind him were not quite over yet, but the clicking of the Techrantulas behind him was getting closer and he still had over one and a half clicks to reach the assault force’s Thunderhawk. Thanking the Emperor for precautionary doctrines that meant the ship was kept on stand-by during exploratory missions such as this had been. Continuing at as fast a pace as his servo-assisted power armour and enhanced body could carry him Tas-Jar focused on his objective, mourning for his lost Brothers and the dead soldiers could come later, once he was off Karelia.

Cresting the ridge near the ready Thunderhawk Tas-Jar slammed his final magazine of rounds into his bolter. Using his armours internal vox functions he commanded the ships machine spirit to open the assault ramp, then turning half around, he started taking measured shots to maximise effect as he began to retreat down the steep slope. Every round he pumped out took down one of the Techrantulas closing in on him, but they kept closing. Tas-Jar reached the now lowered ramp with the metallic creatures only a couple of feet behind, leaping and climbing over each other with their acidic mandibles stretching out towards him. As he slammed a ceramite armoured glove against the ramp close he felt the shudders of the Thunderhawk s engines coming up to full power and shot his last two rounds at the two closest half meter long creatures, the rest were silenced to him by the closing of the ramp.

As the Thunderhawk, Nights Blood lifted from Karelia ‘s rocky surface Tas-Jar retrieved the containment unit from its magclipped place on his thigh. He didn’t know the details of what the unit was encasing, some piece of Xeno technology that Inquisitor Janover had led Daedalus and his own men here for. More Imperial deaths on the bloody hands of the Xeno, Tas-Jar would avenge his Killteam, as soon as he was next sent to fight from the Watch Fortress. But for now he could only wait, the return to Erioch would take over a week in the Immaterium, with no company but for the mindless servitors maintaining Nights Blood.