Ramides Cluster Crusade, Installment 3 – Tanky goodness!
Aaaaand here’s the next part of the Ramides Cluster Crusade book. Be gentle with me on this one – it’s my first scene involving armoured fighting vehicles (or tanks as some people call ‘em), and I’m a li’l bit dubious….
Gerhanna Mountains, west of Ceredes.
The stink of promethium, and the grind of steel tracks. The two things Major Lara ‘Torch ‘em’ Terner loved best in the galaxy. And she had both in ample supply right now as her armoured column grounds it’s way through the foothills of the Gerhanna mountain range flushing out Kroot survivors, and leaving nothing more of them than scorched, greasy smears on the stony ground. Looking about her from the turret hatch of her command Hellhound Pax Incedrius, she was willing to admit that calling the collection of fighting vehicles a ‘column’ was a bit of a liberty. The dozen tanks currently engaged in the foothills represented a little under half of the 3rd’s armoured strength, all that hadn’t been snaffled up before the regiment had even left Basic and Prep. She spat over deep red hull of Pax Incendrius, and dropped down into her command seat inside the turret.
As commander of the 3rd’s armour, she’d had what she assumed was the full story from Grove when she was appointed to the post. She knew all about some brass bastard stealing her tanks before she’d even seen them. Probably doled out to some no-hoper hive ganger from the arse-end of the galaxy who’d drive them off a cliff first time he was out alone. She wanted to spit again, but settled for a disgusted growl and adjusted her headset mic.
“All units, report status” she barked. As the reports filtered in, she cranked her turret to and fro, her scope showing nothing but the pyres marking the destruction of more of the beaked xenos. She flicked a strand of lank blonde hair from her eyes. Getting long again. Gotta get it cut she thought to herself for the fiftieth time today, and promptly forgot it, for the fiftieth time today. Her Hellhound flame tank was immaculate, lovingly cleaned and maintained after every use, but she tended to forget about taking care of her own appearance.
As the last report concluded, she briefly checked the map of the area provided by command, and transmitted the next series of waypoints.
“Proceed to the next waypoints, as before. Remember boys, try and keep yourselves between the enemy and the mountains.” She broadcast “We’ve got some good drivers, but even they can’t drive us up mountains”. A chorus of acknowledgements and laughs came back, and she switched her headset to the internal link. “Let’s roll Jensen”
“On our way ma’am” came the reply from her driver, nestled below and forward of her position, next to the young gunner Kettering. Sure enough, the tank lurched as Jensen gunned the engines and swung them around to head on towards the next waypoint. Keeping one eye on the small display of her turret scope, she checked the fuel and promethium levels before calling down to Kettering.
“Kett, how’re you doing for ammo?” She asked. Although the turret mounted Inferno cannon was the main armament of any Hellhound, they also had a hull mounted Heavy Bolter for a little bit of ranged defence. And Kettering had been a little too trigger happy in that last engagement. She understood that he was still green, being fresh in to her little armoured division, but even so, she needed him watching his ammo.
“I’ve got plenty left ma’am.” He replied without looking up from his own scope. Lara grunted.
“Uh-huh, and I’m Saint Ophelia reborn, kid” she said, resuming her own scanning through her scope. “Take it a li’l easier on the trigger. We –“ the rest of her words died away as a transmission came loud in her headset.
“Leader, sixteen. I’m under heavy fire up here” crackled the voice over the vox.
“Sixteen, leader. Care to elaborate?” she asked, already plotting a course from where they were to sixteen’s last reported position.
“I can confirm – Throne of terra, shoot it you idiot! – repeat, I can confirm at least four Emperor-damned Krootox” came the terse reply
“Received sixteen. We’re on our way Terri”
“Appreciated leader. We’re taking a beating up here. Sixteen out” replied Terri Eckol, commander of Mud Rat, one of the regiments Chimera APC’s. Laa switched back to the internal channel.
“You heard the man Jensen. Half a klick upslope. Move it!” she barked down at her driver. The man made no response, as usual when he was concentrating on driving, but Lara had to brace herself against a bulkhead as the Hellhound slewed and roared off towards the flashed of gunfire illuminating the side of mountain now cast in shadow by the setting sun.
Gunfire hammered against the armoured hull of Mud Rat and Terri Eckol swung his turret around searching for the source. A huddle of the beak-faced Kroot were firing from behind a jutting rock, and there beside them partially obscured by the boulders it was using as cover stood the Krootox, it’s grey skin mottled with scorch marks from las-rifle fire. Sighting on the hulking creature, Eckol squeezed the main trigger and Mud Rat’s multilaser burst into life, unleashing a punishing hail of las-bolts into it. The thing roared and reared up. Eckol kept his finger pressed down hard, and the line of crimson bolts stitched across the beasts relatively soft underside, punching dead into it’s alien body. It screeched, and toppled backwards, crushing it’s rider, and the huge gun strapped to it’s back as it died. The fire coming from the aft of the Chimera shifted from the dead beast to the sheltering Kroot as the Guardsmen being carried moved onto the next target. He could hear cheers and shouts coming from the transport compartment, but he had precious little time to celebrate the death of the Krootox.
A trio of heavy blasts from the opposite side rocked the whole vehicle on it’s disabled tracks and finally proved too much for the abused turret. A shower of sparks erupted from the traverse ring, and Eckol heard the clatter of metal dropping to the floor of the transport below him. Slamming the traverse controls to seek out this new threat produced a shrieking howl of tortured metal. The turret began to move, but slow and haltingly, accompanied the whole time by the grind of the damaged traverse mechanism. Below him, the Heavy Bolter thundered sporadically, the Krootox and their supporting Kroot warriors keeping out of it’s limited firing arc. Eckol cursed loudly. More heavy shots slammed into the same side of the transport, this time at the transport compartment. At least one punched through the armour, as the curses and shouts were punctuated by screams of more than one man.
“Emperor help us, if they don’t get here soon we’ll be Xeno food…” He muttered, and slammed the traverse control again.
Lara tightened her seat restraint as Pax Incendrius bounced violently over another ridge of grey stone, and still ended up bouncing her head off of the turret hatch. She gritted her teeth and held on as best as she could, trying to make sense of the bouncing, jittery monochrome image on her small screen as they closed on Mud Rat’s position. Although she’d directed other units to assist as well, she was the closest, and she preyed they’d make it in time. From the amount of fire up there, Eckol and his tub wouldn’t last long unsupported. The Hellhound lurched again, and landed on relatively flat ground. Peering at the pict viewer she could see Mud Rat at the centre of a hail of fire, rocking on it’s shattered tracks at every volley of heavy Krootox fire. It’s turret seemed to be stuck. Either that or Terri was hurt and not in full control of it.
“Frag it Jensen, I meant FAST!” she yelled at the driver, knowing he was driving damn fast, but needing something to vent at.
“Get ready with your flames ma’am!” he yelled back. Looking back at the pict screen, Lara grinned darkly, and grasped her firing controls, opening the firing valves to full…
Sparks and shrapnel flew from the front of Mud Rat, peppering the crew compartment. Eckol’s gunner cried out as the storm of fire and metal enveloped him, and then fell silent. A glance told the tank commander that he’d need to look for a new gunner if he ever made it out of here alive. Which wasn’t very likely. He squeezed off a burst of fire at a scurrying group of Kroot, then yanked at the traverse control to track them, but the damaged mechanism finally gave up, seizing fast with a scream of tortured gears.
“No damn you! Don’t you fragging well dare!” he yelled at the controls. Moments later the traverse mechanism exploded, releasing the pent-up pressure, and launching cogwheels and gears into the commanders compartment. Pain blossomed in a dozen or more places, and his head swam, his vision in one eye vanishing. More heavy fire rocked the hull, and Eckol prepared to make his peace and meet the Emperor for divine judgement…
Flames washed out the image through his scope, and he slipped into darkness.
Pax Incendrius practically leapt over the last ridge of shattered stone, crushing a handful of shooting Kroot beneath its armoured bulk. Moments later it unleashed Hell on the main Kroot firing line, burning promethium engulfing them to the last. Ammunition detonated, blasting apart melting flesh, and the two hulking Krootox caught in the wash of flame shrieked as they were reduced to nothing more than burning piles of alien flesh. The cannon atop one of them detonated, showering flames and burning Kroot flesh all around.
Lara traversed the turret, and vented another stream of burning death into the filthy aliens as Jensen ploughed them forward, blocking the remaining Kroot and their beasts from firing upon the beleaguered Chimera APC. Even as they stopped, Multilaser fire lanced into the back of the remaining aliens as the first of the other armoured units arrived. Kettering joined in the slaughter, opening up with the heavy thud-thud of his Heavy Bolter. The aliens came apart under the barrage.
Behind Pax Incendrius the battered APC sat motionless except for the smoke that was leaking from its shattered Heavy Bolter sponson. Its deep red armour was barely visible beneath the scorch and blast marks from the attack it had weathered. Of its crew and passengers, there was no sign.
Excerpt from Forgotten Crusades of M40, by …..
“Under the assault of the Arcadian 3rd regiment, the scattered Kroot forces fell back towards the Gerhanna mountain range, travelling from across the planet to seek refuge in the caves and valleys of the barren mountains, apparently hoping to use their stealth and animal cunning to harry any Imperial forces sent into the mountains to flush them out. A ring of firepower surrounded the tall yet relatively small mountain range as the Arcadians prepared for a long, costly clearing action…”
