14 Days of HALO

Halo 1 made its way into the world on November 15th, 2001. I cannot say exactly when I purchased it, but when I did buy it, I did so by purhcasing the limited edition Halo Xbox console! Halo: Combat Evolved made its way into my FPS heart and would stay there through the years.

My love for Halo came from the story, the graphics, the ability to play four players to a console and link four Xbox systems together to allow for 16 players to battle it out! My love for FPS multiplayer was bred from Doom 2, Quake 2 and Golden Eye. With tight bonds to my cousins and siblings we all loved to pile onto the early Nintendo system and play Gauntlet 2, Off Road Racing, M.U.L.E., then Super Nintendo's Bomber man and various other early excursions into the multiplayer realm.

With a terrific background raised in gaming with others, Halo 1 brought everything to the table that appealed to me. I dove into Xbox and Halo well after its release, but never wanted to leave. Each time a new Halo was released I was there at midnight waiting to get my copy. The next day I was calling out sick and playing it all day, once my brother Ben joined me in the ritual!

When Halo 2 came out it was my first experience with a Halo game right at the release. It was exciting waiting in line (one of the few times you'll ever hear that said) outside the Gamestop for the midnight release. My brother and I played together through most of the Campaign since it allowed for Cooperative play. This was another appealing asset of the Halo games. This game was the first Halo to allow play on Xbox live. Another great addition that only added to the greatness of the Halo games and never took away from them! Halo 2 did have a huge cliffhanger at the end and left us wanting more. The only solace I took in the abrupt ending was that there would be a Halo 3. No way they would leave us hanging!

Halo 3 - This game came to me and was bittersweet. I longed to play it the day I finished Halo 2's campaign. The story needed to continue, but also, this was the third game in the trilogy. As the midnight release near I struggled with the realization that this may be the last Halo game to be put out.

September 25, 2007 came, it was after midnight. I'm pretty sure I had to work the next day but this time I was even more prepared than with Halo 2. Instead of calling out sick, I took an entire week of leave to play Halo 3. If this was to be the end of one of my best loved video game series, then I was going to devote a small amount of my paid leave to appreciate it fully! I bought several of those limited edition Halo 3 mountain dew soft drinks and sat down to some well deserved gaming! I still have one of those limited edition Halo 3 cans on display in my house and a 12 pack downstairs. They are definitely expired by now!

Halo 3 walked through my door and right into my console. By now Xbox live was even more commonplace and I could play cooperatively with my brothers and cousins through it without leaving the house. You could still play 4 player coop on one console, but in times where everyone could not gather together, it was nice to be able to just send an invite and go to town! One of the things that always made me appreciate Bungie and Halo, was that they never skimped on the multiplayer portion of the game. Series like NASCAR, Call of Duty, Gears of War, these games did not allow 4 players to a console and 4 consoles wired together. You could do 16 players in Call of Duty, but you better have 16 TVs, 16 games, 16 consoles. Those games took away from my ability to wire all of us up on four TVs, 4 consoles and get 16 people into a match. Halo 3 still allowed us to do that. Bless the guys at Bungie for keeping that awesome part of multiplayer alive.

Halo 3 was great, the ending sad, and the game satisfying. After playing it the online play and quest to reach a high rank waged on, but I hung my head because the story came to an end. While I was saddened I also was intrigued. During the Halo games I took notice of the troopers around me (the Master Chief) and I really got interested in the troopers who were labeled ODST (Orbital Drop Shock Troops). I loved their helmets, I loved the orbital drop theme, I wanted to be one of them! I immediately adopted the ODST helmet for my Halo 3 multiplayer character and dreamed of being one.

So this was the end, the series was over. I lived my days often, then only occasionally, online in Halo 3 multiplayer. I sported my support for ODST with my helmet choice and never considered any other. I never considered another game would be released, or one that would strike so dear to my soul that they might as well have wrote themselves a check for $59.99, signed my name, and took the money from my account. Halo 3: ODST was announced.

Do you SEE THAT!?! That is my helmet! Holy crap you guys are mind readers and are awesome and I don't care that I only get to do one orbital drop, and that the game was kinda short, and some other stuff, but DAMN, ODST! Ahahahahaha!

Ok, so once I remember the world kinda revolved around money, and that the Halo series was $$$ it was not to simple to grasp the idea that Bungie would do another game for the series! I think the fact the story ended with Halo 3 forced a bit of finality into my mind. I didn't think they would touch on another story or part of the game later. It made sense they might, and I knocked myself in the noggin for completely writing off the option of another game. Especially after Halo: Wars was released, but RTS did not appeal to me at the time, but we'll return to that later.

Halo 3: ODST - Wow... Right now I want to let you know anything you read after this is totally bias. I am a Halo 3 ODST fanboy, so keep that in mind as you read. Halo ODST puts you in the shoes of a rookie ODST trooper in the company of a group of seasoned troopers with background together. What I loved was they included Nathan Fillion and Adam Baldwin as two voice actors, these guys played together in Firefly. A terrific series that was short lived because of the ignorance of FOX, but I digress. Two of my favorite actors, from one of my favorite shows, in my favorite game! Who dared to bring such a boon to a video game of mine!

The game played through a mission that the troopers jumped into. The Earth city of New Mombasa was under Covenant attack. A female officer, Dare, attached herself to the mission in order to fulfill some intelligence recon requirement and disregarded the ship hovering over the city. The games graphics were great, the night time helmet friend and foe system was neat to use. I only wished the game expanded out beyond the city and allowed for more combat drops. Only once in the drop pod was too little for me! ODST also added a firefight option, much like Gears of War horde game play where you face waves of enemies alone or with several friends. It was a good game overall, short and some controversy on whether it was a true sequel or expansion, worth $60 or $40. What else was included in the game? A nice little code that allowed you access into the Halo: Reach beta testing! So here we go, Halo: Reach, but before we get there, lets touch on, I'm ashamed to say, one of my less experienced Halo region.

Halo Wars... a game that took the FP out of FPS and threw in an RT instead! Real Time Strategy. Not one of my strong suits. I enjoy the simplicity of pointing, clicking, and dealing out death one frag at a time. Management of resources, multiple units, differing strategy, objectives, and the fact I've never attempted an RTS on a console before, kept me from getting excited about Halo Wars. I regret I did not make it to a midnight release of this game, if they had one. Since I am an avid Halo played, I still did purchase this game after a year.

The game takes place 21 years before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved. You are onboard the Spirit of Fire and fighting against the Covenant as they seek out some ancient technology. The graphics are decent, you get to use many of the equipment seen in the Halo games with additional versions of tanks and vehicles not used in the games. I am enjoying it but am not finished with it yet.

Now we come to the end, of the beginning, of wait... Here we have Halo: Reach! It is the site of the Spartan project. The once home of Master Chief, who boarded the Pillar of Autumn and blind jumped away as Reach was being sieged. We return to the beginning in this game and live the last days of a dying planet. What will we see? Who will we see? Will this be the end? Past experience with Halo: 3 tells me no, but my heart aches thinking that nothing with the name Halo on it will appear on the shelves after this. Who knows where we go from here, but on September 14th, we will remember Reach.

So, after that long winded post, I come to the reason for writing this. In honor of Reach I dedicated the first 14 days of September 2010 to Halo! On September first I dusted off Halo: Combat Evolved, made a character and started the campaign. In 14 days I will navigate through Halo 1 to Halo 3, onto Halo ODST and then Halo Wars. I feel foolish to admit, but starting Halo 1 over and going through the beginning on the bridge gave me chills. I doubt there will be enough time to tackle all the games but I will do my best!

Below are some awesome Live action videos, commercials, spoofs and good fun that Halo helped create! Enjoy!

Halo 3 Live Action videos linked to the Master Chief descending into orbit to Earth - approx 6m

Halo ODST TV Ad

Halo ODST Ad shortened

Halo Reach: Deliver Hope - love this video

Halo Reach: Birth of a Spartan - good video, too many needles for me

Halo ODST Fanboy Spoof - This is hilarious but so TRUE! - don't forget to watch the very end!

Halo Reach: The day before - Where were you?

~Remember Reach

I write like

There is a viral website where you can post a sample of your writing, it does some computer/math stuff, and then spits out what author your writing matches the most. Here is mine, I didn't see this coming, LOL.

I write like
Stephenie Meyer

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Target Bastion A-21 - Planetary Forces repel Attackers Pt. 2 (edited)

Well I managed to read through my last work and do some changes and alteration before moving onward. I'm far from happy with it. Here it is, I figured I would just repost in instead of going back to the post.

Target Bastion A-21 - Planetary Forces repel Attackers Pt. 2 (edited)

Imperial junior officer Stanz Freider ran his grimy hand across the blonde stubble of his high and tight haircut leaving sweat smeared dirt across it. The Raven Guard’s dawn assault was staggering. He was amazed they even managed to survive the battle. The guardsman situated on the ground with a portable vox caster beside him was busily trying to raise wayward defense units separated during the battle. Several squads were scattered in the fighting, but most were dead. The young officer hoped at least someone was left and that they were willing to heed the calls and return to fight.

The chipped handset resting in Freider’s left hand was silent. He tried for the last ten minutes to reach higher headquarters to report. There was only static from the vox inside the bastion. Feeling the comm array might be damaged, he and his command team departed the structure to attempt to raise them on the manpad systems.

“Are we being jammed?” Stanz asked to the trooper manning the vox.

“Negative sir, we can still transmit to platoon level. There is static on the division channel, but no chatter. Headquarters is unable to respond or the short range signal cannot reach.” The man turned back to his system and called out for Alpha squad. Stanz glanced at his mic and keyed the button to open a channel.

“Orion Prime this is bastion Alpha-2-1, respond.” Freider paused a moment, then tried again with the same message.

“Alpha-2-1, this is Orion actual. Freider, is that you?” A voice that came across the handset was a familiar gruff tone that he knew to be Commander Geitner. It was a welcome sound to know they were not alone.

“Orion Actual, this is Officer Freider. We report heavy casualties. Loss of three squads, Leman Russ battle tank disabled as well as two destroyed chimeras. Inquisition forces sustained losses but are still present. Enemy forces are routed. Over.”

“You must have fought a paltry force,” the commander sounded incredulous. Freider held back the urge to strangle the mic in his hand. The force that they confronted was anything but paltry. The voice of Geinter continued, “The entire line of bastions have fallen to the attacking forces. Reinforcements are mobilizing but will not be reinforcing to your position.”

Stanz stared at the handset. Was his hearing fading? The junior officer did not like sacrificing so much for a position only to abandon it. The fact that they would not be sending additional forces to secure the area struck him deeply.

“Freider, you fall under the command chain of the Inquisition now. Maintain contact with the Inquisitorial forces there. “

With a blank expression he responded. “Understood, command.” There was a long pause and the officer thought that the commander finished with his transmission.

“Freider,” the voice called back across the handset sounding very serious. “How did you manage to survive?”

The officer looked from the machine to the brightening sky swirling with red dust and remembered the dark, harrowing hours of dawn.

It was the darkest hours of Orion five. While the sun slept, the planet prepared for war. The permacrete bastion sat at the base of a looming craggy mountain range. The surrounding landscape was flat but riddled with rocky outcroppings. The Inquisitional forces hoped to use the limited avenues of approach to their advantage. Aegis barriers were erected around the bastion forming a single defense line. Barriers formed two other half circles to the front of this line. Here a squad of Freider’s men would dig in and defend.

A makeshift strongpoint was assembled using a natural rock formation and the remaining barriers. Here another squad would be placed as a delaying tactic. Stanz hoped they would provide an obstacle to slow the attackers advance and give the defenders much needed time to acquire firing vectors.

The barrier line closest to the bastion was occupied by two of the Sister squads and one of their heavy tanks, an exorcist is what they called it. The relic of a machine looked more like an organ with grand pipes protruding from the rear than a main battle tank. One of the sister superiors assured Stanz that it was a very deadly piece of weaponry.

An inquisitor along with her retinue also took up battle positions behind the defense line. They were all in possession of deadly plasma weaponry. The sister superior stated the weapons were very effective at destroying power armor and the formidable terminator armor. The officer countered with the unpredictability of the weapons to overheat and explode. The sister agreed and smiled “they should have faith in the Emperor then.”

Two of Freider’s squads were set up at point positions, surrounded by the protective barriers, while two chimera armored carriers secured the flanks. If the marines tried to alter their drop zone the chimeras would harry them long enough to bring more defenders.

Two sisters were positioned inside the bastion monitoring the progress of their reinforcements who were rushing with all speed towards the battlefield. The Palatine of the sisters forces radioed in that they would be starting their decent via jump packs in five minutes. That is when the signal turned to static and the dark night sky began to burn.

Stanz rushed to one of the forward observation slits of the bastion in time to see a huge ball of fire plummeting through the night sky towards him. The flaming inferno looked like a small sun descending from the heavens to destroy him. He turned quickly away from the slit as the entire bastion shook from the tremendous impact. From the feel of the blast the strike missed the bastion but landed somewhere to the left flank.

If the attack from the heavens had hit the bastion itself, Stanz hoped the reinforced permacrete would be enough to protect them. Darting through the bastion to a side view point he saw smoke. The first firestorm barrage from the space marine vessel destroyed the quad gun emplacement. Several sisters were lying on the ground and started to get up, when the sky began to brighten again.

This blast missed the units on the ground and gouged a huge hole into the base of the mountains behind them. Freider’s eyes blurred from the intense light, his night vision having to adjust after each blinding blast. The officer looked out at the aegis emplacements. His men were huddled down behind the barriers, probably praying to the Emperor that the firestorm would be over soon. Stanz moved back to the center of the bastion and scanned the screen of the auspex. His men had the right idea, seek cover and stop gaping like an idiot at the orbital bombardment coming from the heavens.

Several more volleys scoured the battlefield. Stanz could only brace himself inside the fortified structure and await the last of the orbital attacks. There was another close blast that hit behind the bastion, then silence. The officer noticed several red dots appearing on the auspex screen when suddenly the radio cackled to life, “Adeptas Astartes drop pods incoming! All units prepare to repel the attackers!”

Mechanical servos of the bastion’s weapon emplacements began whirring as enemy signals were detected by the bastions defenses. Stanz grabbed a rifle and moved to a firing position to observe the battlefield and give direction to his men. Just as he reached the forward firing point he saw a conical shaped pod roaring towards the ground. It’s retros screamed as they flared to slow the rapid decent, spraying dirt and rock everywhere. Several blasts echoed through the night as the pods doors blew off and black armored figures rushed forward roaring their battle cry and spraying bolter fire at the bastion’s defenses.

The sisters and guardsmen surged forward to the defense lines and opened fire. Below him he could hear the engines of the battle ranks flaring as the tanks pivoted to fire. Further in the distance the air was filled with lasgun fire from his men’s positions as they fought to repel the attackers.

A unit of space marines charged directly forwards, planting melta bombs on the exorcist as they moved. There was an explosion from the sister tank just in front of the bastion. Smoke roiled up from the weapons bay and the crew spilled out to get away from the fire that burned inside.

The second squad of drop marines charged the left defensive position. His men quickly became overwhelmed by the furious assault, those still alive fled. Freider felt his gut wrench as he watched them cut down, but the feeling was quickly replaced by the unmistakable force of a Leman Russ volley. The heavy tank aimed its main gun dangerously close to target the marines who slew their fellow guardsmen. The metal behemoth fired! The blast sent the five man marine squad flying in pieces from a direct hit. Once the dust settled only a single marine was left intact after he threw himself to the ground.

An explosion hit the battle tank and smoke began to creep out of the top hatch. The marine squad destroyed the exorcist tank also was successful in wrecking the Leman Russ. That unit quickly and decisively removed two great threats to the Raven Guard attack.

The Sisters, furious at the destruction of their revered vehicle, responded the fury of their bolters and melta guns. Bolter rounds exploded against ceramite power armor and two marines fell from the close range volley. A third marine was split in half as the melta guns heat ray easily seared the warrior in two. The final two marines roared their battle cry and almost reached the sisters but were stopped by a unit of jump pack equipped sisters. The angelic warriors surged from behind with flamers and bolt pistols, overwhelming and slaying the two Astartes.

Shouts and screams came across his personal vox, the squad in the strong point was overrun. To his right a guard unit was cut down by hulking beasts of men clad in terminator armor. The sisters tried to target the marines but they teleported too close and the sisters would not risk firing upon the guardsmen.

The lascannon mounted on the roof kept firing, as did the bastions heavy bolters. The machine spirit of the structure was guiding the fire in an effort to suppress the invaders. All around him weapon fire blazed through the night air. Ammunition burned through the sky, through armor and flesh.

A unit of marines assaulted from the left flank after disemboweling one of Freiders chimera vehicles. Its guns went silent as it exploded. His stomach sank as the unit that destroyed the vehicle, aided by jump packs, leapt into the air closing the distance to the bastion quickly. The warriors landed and were met with bolter fire and the shouted oaths of a battle sister squad. More fanatical shouts and calls for absolution of a priests filled the air as he accompanied the sisters into combat.

On the horizon light was slowly coming to the land and Freider could see the carnage in all its fury. In the distance a sisters vehicle was burning, nearby a space marine dreadnought was stationary due to a destroyed leg, while another metal behemoth was battling two sisters in bronzed armor!

“By the Emperor!” The words slipped from Stanz’s mouth as the two sisters charged the hulking space marine walker and planted grenades in vulnerable places. One of the sisters was crushed in the massive claw of the dreadnought. A moment later one of the grenades exploded and the bloodied arm hung limp at the machines side. Dust from a new rhino obscured any further view of the last sister. The vehicle charged directly through two lines of aegis barriers in an effort to bring fresh troops quickly to the fight.

The frantic melee between the sisters squad and space marine jump pack unit ended. The turned their melta weapons against the marines, connecting with one and melting him in half. The second marine was throw back up against the mountain as his jump pack detonated. Freider lost sight of the man and turned to the deadly melee in the middle of the field. The drop pods storm bolter was silenced in a tremendous explosion. The vehicle ignited sending flaming scrap metal across the field of battle. A sister with a melta gun ducked quickly back behind cover after connecting with her shot.

The explosion covered the space marines locked in combat with the jump pack mounted sisters. None of the marines or women flinched. Terminators and tactical marines battled fiercely with the Palatine commander of the sisters and two other women. A slash of a power sword meant to strike the Palatine was intercepted by the sergeant of the seraphim jump squad. The woman took the strike full in the chest and fell to the ground. Her sacrifice saved the life of her commander.

The bastion shook from several blasts coming from far off past the strong point.

“Heavy weapons squad targeting the bastion. A mechanical voice sounded across the intercom.

“Chimera Bravo, target that squad and suppress that fire!” Freider commanded through his headset.

“Target acquired,” came the reply. The vehicles bolter and laser cannon opened fire at the target in the distance.

“Sir, more units of Inquisition forces approaching, it appears the space marines are falling back.”

“Try radio command and give them a status report,” shouted Freider over another explosion.

“Negative,” replied the guardsman, “comms to higher are fried in here, the signal won’t reach!”

“Grab the man portable vox, set the antennae up outside, we need to get through!” Freider grabbed a las pistol and followed his personnel guard through the exit.

Outside the gunfire had diminished, the sky was heavy with black smoke from burning vehicles and equipment. More deep red rhinos were barreling into the area and women in dark red power armor were rushing about the field. There was an urgency in all they did, and they moved with unflinching determination when commanded.

Stanz looked to the middle of the field and saw the Sororita commander speaking with a fallen marine. A rhino rushed to her and a robed women leapt out and quickly scanned the woman. After exchanging words the robed woman tended to the space marine on the ground.

As the officer finished describing the battle he fell silent. His eyes cast a careful glance across the smoldering field. Sisters and their vehicles rushed about in a very orderly manner. The sun cast aside the night, the only shadows left the ones cast by the dark red rocks of the field. The absence of weapons firing was oddly calming. Freider knew the storm was far from over, this moment of peace was only the eye. After a time the receiver in his hand began to vibrate angrily.

“Freider, FREIDER!” The handset shouted.

Freider pressed the key to speak. “Sir, it was hell.”

Target Bastion A-21 - Planetary Forces repel Attackers Pt. 2

Part 2 of the story for the first planetstrike game. Didn't read over it yet for errors, my apologies for grammar and spelling errors!

Stanz Frieder ran his hand across the short blonde stubble on his head, smearing dirt and sweat across it. The dawn assault was staggering, he was amazed they even managed to survive. The guardsman situated on the ground beside him was busily trying to raise his men on their squad channels. All of them were scattered in the fighting and most were dead. The young officer hoped at least someone was left.

The chipped handset resting in Frieders left hand was silent. He tried for the last ten minutes to reach higher headquarters to report. There was only static from the vox inside the bastion. Feeling the comm array might be damaged, he and his command team departed the structure to attempt to raise them on the manpad systems.

“Are we being jammed?” he asked to the trooper manning the vox.

“Negative sir, we can still reach platoon level. There is also static on the division channel, just no chatter. They either are unable to respond or the short range signal cannot reach.” The man turned back to his system and called out for squad Alpha again. Stanz looked to his mic and keyed the button to open a channel.

“Orion Prime this is bastion Alpha-2-1, respond.” Freider waited for a response and then tried again with the same message.

“Alpha-2-1, this is Orion actual. Freider, is that you?” The voice that came across the handset was a familiar gruff tone that he knew to be Commander Geitner. It was a welcome sound.

“Orion Actual, this is Officer Freider. We report heavy casualties. Loss of three squads, Leman Russ disabled as well as two Chimeras. Inquisition forces sustained losses but are still present. Enemy forces are routed. Over.”

“You must have fought a light force,” the commander sounded incredulous. “The entire line of bastions around you have fallen to the attacking forces. Reinforcements are mobilizing but will not be reinforcing your position.”

Stanz stared at the communication system. The junior officer did not like fighting so hard for a position only to abandon it. The fact that they would not be sending additional forces struck him inside.

“Freider, you fall under the command chain of the Inquisition now. Maintain contact with the Inquisitorial forces there. “

The man keyed the mic, “Understood command.”

“Freider,” the voice came back. “How did you manage to hold?”

The officer looked to the dust swirling brightening sky and remembered to harrowing hours earlier.

It started in the darkest hours of Orion five. The small bastion sat at the base of a large mountain. The surrounding area was stricken with rocky outcroppings that the Inquisitional forces hoped to use to their advantage. Aegis barriers were erected around the bastion, forming a hasty, yet formidable defense line. A makeshift strongpoint was assembled using a natural rock formation and barriers further from the bastion. Stanz hoped they would provide an obstacle to slow the attackers.

The barriers closest to the bastion were occupied by two of the Sister squads and one of their heavy tanks, an exorcist is what they called it. The relic of a machine looked more like an organ with grand pipes protruding from the rear than a main battle tank. One of the sister superiors assured him that it was a very deadly piece of weaponry.

An inquisitor along with her retinue also took up battle positions. They all appeared to be wielding plasma weaponry. The sister superior assured Stanz they were very effective at destroying power armor and the formidable terminator armor. The officer countered with the unpredictability of the weapons to overheat. The sister just nodded and stated “they should have faith in the Emperor then.”

Two of Freider’s squads were set up at point positions, two chimera’s protected the weaker flanks incase the marines tried to alter their drop zone. Two sisters were set up inside the bastion monitoring the progress of their reinforcements who were flying with all speed towards the would be battlefield. The Palatine of the sisters forces had just radioed in that they would be starting their decent via jump packs in five minutes. That is when the signal turned to static and the dark of night was burned away.

Stanz climbed the ladder and swung open the hatch at the top of the bastion in time to see a huge ball of fire barreling through the night sky towards him. The flaming inferno looked like a small sun descending from the heavens to destroy him. He ducked back into the hatch and the entire bastion shook from the tremendous impact. If the attack from the heavens had hit the bastion itself, Stanz would probably be dead. Scrambling through the hatch he saw smoke coming from the left side and leaned over. The first firestorm from the space marine vessel destroy the quad gun emplacement. Several sisters were lying on the ground and started to get up. The sky began to brighten again.

This blast missed the units on the ground and gouged a huge hole into the base of the mountains behind them. Frieder’s eyes went black again, his night vision having to adjust after each blinding blast. The officer blinked and looked out at the aegis emplacements. His men were huddled down behind the barriers, probably praying to the Emperor that the firestorm would be over soon. Stanz hurried to his feet and ducked back down through the hatch, his men had the right idea, seek cover and stop gaping like an idiot at the fiery death coming from the heavens.

Several more volleys were directed at the battlefield. Stanz could only brace himself inside the fortified structure and await the last of the orbital attacks. Suddenly the radio came alive, “Adeptas Astartes drop pods incoming! All units prepare to repel the attackers!”

Mechanical servos began whirling as enemy signals were detected by the bastions defenses. Stanz moved to the roof to better observe the battlefield and give direction to his men. Just as he breached the roof hatch he saw a conical shaped pod slam into the ground, spraying dirt and rock everywhere. Several blasts echoed through the night as the pods doors blew off and black armored figures rushed forward roaring their battle cry and spraying bolter fire at the defenses.

The sisters surged forward and his men opened fire. He could not see past the defenses just below him but he could see the heavy lasgun fire of his men’s positions as they targeted units in the blackness.

Suddenly there was an explosion from the sister vehicle just in front of the bastion. Smoke roiled up from the weapons bay and the crew spilled out to get away from the fire. A unit of space marines charged directly forwards, claiming the exorcist with melta bombs as they moved. The second squad of marines charged his mens left position. His men quickly became overwhelmed by the furious assault and fled or were killed.

Frieder felt his gut wrench as they died, but it was quickly by another gut wrenching feeling, the unmistakable force and power of a leman russ volley. The heavy tank aimed its main gun dangerously close to target the marines taking the guard position, it fired! The blast sent the five man marine squad flying from a direct hit. Once the dust settled only a single marine was left after he threw himself to the ground.

Suddenly the leman russ suffered an explosion and smoke began to rise as that same marine squad assaulted and destroyed its systems. Sisters responded with their bolters and melta guns, claiming several of the attacking marines before a unit of jump pack equipped sisters surged from behind with flamers and slew the remaining men.

Shouts and screams came across his personal vox caster, the squad in the strong point was being overrun. To his right his men were cut down by hulking beasts of men shrouded in terminator armor. The sisters tried to target the marines but they teleported too close to his men and the sisters would not risk firing upon the guardsmen.

The lascannon mounted on the roof was busy adjusting its aim and firing, as were the bastions heavy bolters. The machine spirit of the structure was guiding the fire in an effort to suppress the invaders. All around him weapon fire was ringing out in the night air. Ammunition burned through the sky, through armor and flesh.

A unit of marines assaulted from the left flank after disemboweling one of Freiders chimera vehicles. Its guns went silent as it exploded. His stomach sank as the unit that destroyed the vehicle leapt into the air and landed closer to the bastion. It was met with bolter fire and the screams of an Adeptas Sororita squad. The fanatical shouts and calls for absolution of a priests filled the air and accompanied the sisters into combat.

Light was slowly coming to the land and Freider could see the carnage in all its fury. Further off a sisters vehicle armed with flamers was burning, a space marine dreadnought was immobile from losing a leg, while another was battling a two sisters in bronzed armor!

“By the Emperor!” The words slipped from his mouth as the two sisters charged the hulking space marine walker and planted grenades in vulnerable places. One of the sisters was crushed just as the dreadnoughts combat claw blew right off the main body. Dust from a new rhino obscured his view of the melee. It charged directly through two lines of aegis barriers in an effort to bring fresh troops to the fight.

The melee between the sisters squad and space marine jump pack unit ended, the sisters somehow broke from combat and turned their melta weapons against the marines, connecting with one and melting him in half. The second marine was throw back up against the mountain as his pack detonated. Freider assumed the man was lost and turned to the swirling melee in the middle of the field just as the drop pods storm bolter was silenced in a tremendous explosion. The vehicle ignited sending flaming scrap metal across the field of battle.

The explosion covered the space marines locked in combat with jump pack mounted sisters. None of the marines or women flinched, the combat continued. Terminators and tactical marines battled fiercely with the Palatine commander of the sisters and two other women. A slash of a power sword meant to strike the Palatine was intercepted by the sergeant of the seraphim. Unfortunately the woman took the strike in the chest and fell to the ground, but she managed to give her life to save her superior.

The bastion was rocked with several blasts coming from far off past the strong point.

“Heavy weapons squad targeting the bastion. A mechanical voice sounded across the intercom.

“Chimera Bravo, target that squad and suppress that fire!” Freider commanded through his headset.

“Target acquired,” came the reply. The vehicles bolter and laser cannon opened fire at the target in the distance.

“Sir, more units of Inquisition forces approaching, it appears the space marines are falling back.”

“Try radio command and give them a status report,” shouted Freider over another explosion.

“Negative,” replied the guardsman, “the comms are fried in here, the signal won’t reach!”

“Grab the man portable vox, set the antennae up outside, we need to get through!” Freider grabbed a las pistol and followed his personnel guard through the exit.

Outside the gunfire had diminished, the sky was heavy with black smoke from burning vehicles and equipment. More deep red rhinos were barreling into the area and women in dark red power armor were rushing about the field. There was an urgency in all they did, and they moved with unflinching resolve when commanded by their superiors.

Stanz looked to the middle of the field and saw the Sororita commander speaking with a fallen marine. A rhino rushed to her and a robed women leapt out and quickly scanned the woman. After exchanging words the robed woman tended to the space marine on the ground.

The handset shouted, “Freider, FREIDER!”

Freider pressed the key to speak. “Sir, it was hell.”

Target Bastion A-21 - Planetary Forces repel Attackers Pt. 1

Caterina surveyed the carnage that was laid out before her. The star of this dusty reddish world was starting its trip across the sky, barely rising in time to behold the vicious onslaught that was about to unfold. The battlefield of bastion A-21 was riddled with craters caused by powerful explosions, smoldering hulks of armored vehicles, and pools of the Emperor’s faithful servant’s blood. It was a dismal scene, but the day was won.

Past the array of fortified aegis barriers, the Imperial officer that was sent to aid the Palatine and her forces was working with his vox-man to raise any elements of his men that might be lost on the battlefield. Several squads were committed to the front line defense of the bastion. They braved the night and the fire that scorched the sky and earth around them.

The men of the Planetary Defense Force stood bravely against the planet assault of the Adeptas Astartes. Despite their best efforts, nothing could prepare them for the ferocity of battling the Raven Guard. Some of the scattered men may return, but she knew they would find just as many dead, just as she would find many of her sisters.

The palatine turned her head to a groan that came from the ground, one of the space marines stirred. She was not at all surprised he was still alive; she only severed his hand, arm and destroyed the front of his armor with her blade, devastating his abdomen. He was a space marine after all, most of the wound would heal itself immediately, bleeding would stop, the power armor and gene-seed of the Emperor made these men almost impossible to fell for even several of her sisters. He was too wounded to fight, but with aid would return to the battlefield in a matter of days.

Her head turned to face a large crater full of burning metal, a piece showed the white Raven like emblem of the chapter across it. A well placed melta shot detonated the drop pod as she and her seraphim battled for their lives with space marine terminators and a squad that charged to help. Now along with the burning pieces of the drop pod, bodies of seraphim lay strewn across the ground with large hulking marines in black armor. Her seraphim were sisters with jump packs, they plummeted to the ground in mid battle to give much needed support and surprise the enemy. She was the last of the ten to be standing.

Quickly Caterina jerked her head to the patch of rocks further away. Three large rocks were packed close together, the gaps protected by more Imperial Guard Aegis defense fortifications. She scanned the area for a black figure that appeared earlier on the battlefield. At the pile of bodies she watched the terminator space marine sergeant fell her last seraphim, Caterina watched as he blade deflected pathetically off the personal shield that the special armor gave the marine. He turned to face Caterina for the final show down. Their blue lighting wreathed blades met, but she was forced on the defensive early as her blade deflected once again from the marine’s personal shield. He made no sound as he pressed the attack, Caterina having no such protection was forced to parry blow after blow away or lose her life.

Suddenly a black blur caught her eyesight in a flash, but was gone. She worried it was a fellow marine but it moved too quickly. The sergeant she was battling missed it entirely, and that proved fatal. Standing behind the eight foot tall marine was a woman sheathed in a protective skin tight suit, a shimmering blade held in her left hand. The assassin danced in behind the man and slashed her sword across the power source of his terminator armor severing several leads and the man’s spine. His face turned into a painful grimace and Caterina gaped as the assassin delivered two more blows before the marine hit the ground. The shield never had a chance at stopping that blade, the blade of the C’tan, a definite call-sign of the Callidus temple. Those blades were nothing short of the power of a star-diety melded into the fixings of a sword. It allowed the blade to pass through any armor and shield regardless of thickness or power.

The assassin was present on the battlefield, but as fast as the night began to turn to day, she was gone. The dust storm was quickly approaching and there was no time to waste. Caterina knelt on the ground beside the wounded marine and took his arm.

“My brother, this field is lost to you today. It would be an affront to the Emperor himself to let anymore of his faithful bleed to death on this rock. Contact your brothers, advise them we will be caring for your wounded and sending a Hospitaller rhino to the drop zone with whatever survivors we can find. On this I swear to the holy Emperor himself.”

The marine laid there a moment, digesting the words the fellow warrior standing over him. “As you wish it…” the marine’s metallic voice echoed deeply from his helmet.

“Palatine Caterina, of the Sisters of the Burning Blade,” she added.

“Palatine.” The marine nodded and began to signal through their internal communications to command.

A deep red rhino barreled quickly up beside Caterina, kicking up more sand and dust everywhere. She shielded her eyes and most of the debris clung to her blood coated armor.

“Mistress!” a younger woman dressed in white and red robes shouted as she leapt wildly from the vehicle before its magnetic brakes finished engaging. “Are you injured!?” The young woman wore a small panel and computer on her wrist that she immediately activated and began waving in front of Caterina. The woman was barely in her twenties, her hair covered by a white head dress and a white shawl hung at the side of her face.

The woman was a Sister Hospitaller; the image of a blade with a single drop of blood shown on her chest piece signified she was part of the order of the Sacred Wound. These sisters we masters of mercy and could keep even the more grievously wounded soldiers alive to fight for the Emperor once more. Likewise their skills of healing are of great value to Inquisitors who need to extract valuable information by way of pain and torture. The sisters Hospitaller despise the heretic and the witch and few are often found alongside an Inquisitor acting as a chirugeon, to aid in extracting information.

“Persephone!” Caterina grasped the younger woman’s arm tightly to cease the arm waving scan. The girl jumped, taken aback by the commanding voice of the Palatine. Even though the tone was stern it was not harsh, she stopped scanning as her fears diminished, seeing no wounds upon her charge.

“I’m sorry my lady, forgive me,” the robed women said as she bowed her head reverently.

“No need,” Caterina took her by the hand again and led her to the fallen space marine. “Aid him and any others in this area with the rest of your order here. I will have the rhino take you to the drop zone where you will leave the Astartes in the best condition you can for retrieval. Understand?”

The woman nodded her head solemnly and knelt down to begin administering to the marine’s wounds. Caterina turned from them and strode to the rhino via the side access hatch. A sister in red power armor was manning a vox and turned to regard the Palatine as she approached.

“Your will, Palatine?”

“Open a channel to our forces. We have little time to prepare.”

Planet Strike - Part 2

The Hive city of Zelris looked like a the blade of black jagged knife jutting from the ground. From several kilometers away it appeared to be wreathed in a permanent blood mist of black. Staining the air where it pierced the depleted soil of Orion 5.

Stanz Freider sprinted across the motorpool as the base sirens blared their angry cry. Troopers of the Orion Planetary Defense Force scrambled to their designated positions. The warning of the sirens signaled an alert. When an alert was issued every trooper was to prepare to repel invaders, which meant vehicles needed to be checks, weapons issued, orders received and support equipment stowed.

Sergeants shouted ordered to manage the chaos and channel the sudden surge of energy created by this hostile sound. Stanz hoped it was a drill, but there was something in his stomach that told him the winds were blowing ill will their way. This was his first assignment after becoming an officer in the Imperial Guard. He was a line trooper that was lifted to momentary greatness when held an outpost against an Eldar assault.

It was a lightning fast attack, break in and capture slaves and escape. Better to die then let them take you alive, he thought to himself. He managed to rally the soldiers after suffering heavy losses and direct fire and disable several craft. The depraved Eldar fled before the guns of the Guard could render all their flyers disabled.

His men fell upon the depraved xenos with all the fury of a Inquisitor would upon a heretic. Without their crafts to maneuver around the defenses the foul beings were at a loss. Stanz ended up capturing an Eldar being that interested certain dark hooded figures of the Inquisition. After the attack he found orders promoting him to junior officer and sending him to his duty station on Orion 5.

The world appeared before him in the form of a thick permacrete wall and a heavy plasteel door that lead to the command center. Behind him in the yard tanks roared to life and a promethium laden truck hastily fueled the remaining vehicles. Stanz entered his passcode into the small consol and laid the palm of his hand against the screen. The door whooshed upward and allowed him into the small foyer only ten by ten.

A storm trooper stepped forward in carapace armor with a hand scanner. Stanz noted the serious look covering the man’s face, some of these glory boys took themselves way too seriously. The man scanned Stanz’s datacard and awaited the appropriate clearence to populate his handheld. The two gun slits flanking the door ahead were empty, but the officer knew there were two troopers behind him ready to fry any intruder attempting to gain access to the command center.

“Green, sir.” The gruff man stepped away to the corner and waited for the next person to come through. Stanz turned from him and the door opened revealing a room crammed with computer consoles, screens with planetary maps and war tables. The room was crammed with equipment and officers, but all these men were huddled around one single holo-table at the far end of the room. A single vox trooper was issuing orders across the planetary net and another was receiving incoming reports from various outposts.

The junior officer avoided the mass at the tables and walked toward the vox troops.

“What is the report.” He asked to either of them. The trooper sending orders regarded him but finished his transmission before replying.

“Mobilization to repel planetary attack, sir!”

Stanz’s eyes widened but the vox transmissions kept flowing and the trooper barely missed a beat between his reply and returning to his job.

“Stanz, get your no good ass over here before I put the torch to it!” The voice was that of the base commanding officer, Senior Officer Geitner. The rest of the officers turned to offer their stares of dark eyes full of resentment and disapproval. The entirety of these men were born and raised on this planet and came from prominent families. These positions allowed their children a “distinguished” position in their world’s military. Apparently these men believed they were bred for command, and Stanz was bred for slinging chow. Even their neatly trimmed black hair seemed to scorn his lighter off blonde color. Stanz was the outsider in more ways than one.

The blonde haired, blue eyed man approached the table and the uniform sea dark haired officers parted as if to avoid the volley of ordnance Geitner was about to launch at tardy junior officer.

“Well, well,” touted Geitner. “Maybe you can tell us what these are.”

The black glass tabletop showed several red space vessels and their designations as they approached the fifth planet of the Orion system.

“Sir, those are Adeptas Astartes codes.” He resisted the urge to explain any gutter rat worth his salt as an officer would be able to tell that from Imperium Naval vessels. There was a twinge as he felt his brain working to understand but he fought the urge to voice his next thought, How can the Astartes already be responding to the alert?

“Smart off-worlder. They even teach their miscreants the basics.” Muttered Geitner. The older man was thickly built and his dark hair seemed to only turn blacker with age instead of graying like other humans. His uniform was crisply decorated with few Imperium medals and extensively with Orion military decorations. Stanz doubted there was any room for the Emperor on that uniform.

“This is the situation men.” Geitner turned his ire from Stanz and to the situation before them. “This is a planetary invasion alert. Adeptas battle cruisers and frigates entering Orion space are designated at enemy contacts the moment the appeared from warp space. According to our orders these ships will attempt to make planet fall and we are to deny them with every last man, lasgun and Russ.” This information caused a murmur to spread across the officers like wild fire.

“Are these Chaos marines?” asked a broad shouldered man across the table.

“According to our information these Astartes are designated the Ravenguard.” Added Geitner. “This chapter is not designated as traitors.”

“Why are they here, what have we done to them?!” Another officer asked with hysteria in his voice. The man was right to be worried. Fighting aside an Astartes would be an experience one would never forget. Fighting against them would be an experience one might hope to live to forget.

“Their mission is unknown, but they are considered hostile. This information comes from Inquisitor Gastone located at Hive city Zelris. We are to deploy to defend key planetary defense guns and to resist planetfall!”

A questioning glance was exchanged among the officers.

“Regardless of who they are!! They want to come to our planet and bring fire, then they will be met with fire! Now hop-to-it!! Get your orders and deploy your men!” roared Geitner.

The junior officers knew their place in the food chain and scrambled as if the warp incarnate was chasing them. As the last of the lieutenants passed through the door Stanz just shook his head and calmly headed toward the exit. His mind was afire with questions and requirements needed to mobilize to his designated coordinates. Suddenly a gruff voice rumbled from directly behind him causing him to snap out of his haze.

“Not you, Freider!” Commander Gietner was behind him now, glowering menacingly over him.

“Sir, I have to get my men together and depart in less than…”

“Your present orders have been rescinded,” the superior officer cut him off in mid sentence. “This was sent for you.” The older man handed him a folder with a set of papers inside. Stanz took the papers and glanced over them cautiously. The Imperial signet of the Inquisition was stamped directly at the beginning of the page. Stanz wanted to cringe at the symbol but his past experience with the Inquisition gave him the smallest bit of courage. This wasn’t to inform him he would be tried as a witch, they wouldn’t be so formal as to send him notice, the young officer knew that much.

Freiders commanding officer puffed out his chest and appeared to be waiting for the man to finish reading.

“This says I am to take three squads with heavy weapons teams, two chimeras and a Russ and depart for these coordinates to support the Sisters of the Burning Blade in their defense of Bastion A-21.” Stanz looked up at his superior and could only imagine the infuriation he must feel at the sudden acquisition of men and equipment under his command by an outside force. Geitner stepped over to a terminal and began punching several keys.

“I’ve sent word to the motor pool. Take the vehicles, but man them with your own men. Take your own squads and get there without hesitation. I’d much sooner fire a plasma rifle on full auto for three minutes straight than face an unpleased Inquisitor.” Geitner turned and shouted at the stunned Freider, “Get out of here! Before you get us both kill for keeping the Emperors people waiting!”

Freider was out the door, all questions and queries leaving his mind. He was already behind schedule.

-battle results to follow with pictures-