Matt's Hobby & Painting blog : September 2017

So the great podcast Radio Free Isstvan made a contest to try and make rapier teams sound interesting
Think I've managed that
Here's my entry

#radiofreeisstvan

Rapier contest
Matt Grosvenor

The startup sequence was as standard,
The legionnaire reached in to the armored container and with his black power armored fingers pressed the necessary buttons for it to activate.
There was a low hum that started within the container, the flashing lights were reflecting off the metallic walls. One light, two lights and now three green lights. A chime sounded and the hum reached a pitch that he knew too well. The rapier carriage was ready.
The tracked unit whirled to life. Its hydraulics now moving it forward out of the container and down the ramp, out into the low blue light of the cargo bay where it had been stored since returning from its long missions supporting the legion on countless battle fields across the galaxy.

But this time the situation was different……

This time they were under attack…………
They were not positioned in a strategic location, ready to ambush some foul xenos race that would not submit for compliance.
The sounds of gun fire echoed throughout the complex, somewhere, there was fighting in the corridors and the barracks of their home base.

The rapier reached a preset point outside its transport container the black armored legionnaire with a polished white bird symbol on his shoulder pad, hurriedly walked around the unit, completing his pre start up checks. The Lucius pattern Rapier Laser Destroyer was a standard and well tested design. Its service within the legion had been good. But now it would be truly tested.

The low hum of the reactor continued as each legionary who made up the two man crew,looked at each other unsure of what was actually going on, who was attacking them? How could some attack their home? Ravendelve was meant to be a bastion of the Raven Guard and the Imperium. Lord Corax himself had set up this facility, this secret location was going to provide hope for the chapter/

Was this the work of the traitorous war master or another of the fallen legions?
This could all wait they both thought at the same time. They had their order and that was to defend the cargo bay.
Sensing the battle was getting closer, the lead legionary. A veteran of so many conflicts started to take control of the area. A commander’s instinct kicked it,
There was an under strength tactical squad with them. A simple tactical marine squad built up of seven marines who had only just joined the legion, Raptors they called themselves but Adeptus Astartes of the glorious Raven Guard none the less. Their new found skills and training would truly be tested today.

“Defensive formations” he barked,

“Secure the forward bulkhead doors and prepare barricades, they will use this hanger as an escape route” came the second message over the local vox network
The tactical squad span out across the hanger bay, past the lines of aircraft ranging from the mightiest thunderhawks to the smaller more agile attack craft. Each one painted a solid black with raven iconography adorning its blessed hulls.

Seeing his hanger for what it was now, a battle field, within a heartbeat the area was assessed and the best fire points spread among the other marine, the rapier for its sheer brutal killing power would be set up in a concealed position on the second level walk way.
The legionary reached down again to the control unit and inputted the desired location on its computer interface.
The reactor came to life and the tracks started to move the unit to the location, around the back of a storm eagle it went. The second legionnaire following it as the veteran marshaled the younger marines.
Reaching the staircase to the walk way that ran around the length of the hanger, the hydraulics of the unit came to life. Small jacks extended out from the front of the unit and raised the forward end of the carriage up, no more than a foot. But enough so as the tracks whirled back in to the life the unit was able to gain traction and momentum on the stairs.

A hissing noise rang out within the hanger as a door on the other side opened, the sound of the locking bars sliding apart made all the marines, in a flash react and reach for their bolters taking up firing positions, unsure if what was about to come through was friend or foe.

Out from the shadows strode in a glorious sight, the sight of an honored veteran of the chapter, encased it the hull of a contemper dreadnought.
The dreadnoughts assault cannon armed spun to life as it located and assessed all of the marines now in concealed fire positions, a tense standoff occurred.

Sounds of gun fire and explosions were now getting closer as one particular large one shock the hanger bay causing dust to fall from the support beams overhead and some marines to grip their bolters tighter than before.
“Brother, we must defend this hanger bay, it’s a vital access point that the enemy may use. Prepare yourself “affirmatively said the black suited self-appointed commander of this defense force.
A metallic force replied after a few tense seconds “defensive stance noted, this area will not fall”

The dreadnought strode across the hanger bay at speed. All the time its assault cannon was trained on the main door, while the door it came in though was now secured and the control mechanism was smashed with a solid punch from a power armored fist.

The rapier carriage while this was going on was now in position, its speed was not the greatest as it ascended the staircase, but now on the level grating of the walk way it was able to reach speed as it quickly traversed into its position, the reactor was set into firing mode, the power switched from motion to weapons system.
The dreadnought came around the hurriedly prepared barricade the marines had made ready, all the time scanning the area. Its head was about level with the walk way where the rapier sat, ready in its firing position.
A good place, it thought, the enemy will attack through the main doors and be in its firing arc for some time.
All the cover that could be used by the attacking force was removed, just in time as a thud was heard. From the other side of the door. “Melta bomb” shouted one marine
“Standby and prepare yourself” shouted the commander as he ran towards the stairwell previously used by the rapier carriage to get up to the second level.
“Choose targets and count ammunition” the second order came.

The four second delay on a standard legion issued melta bomb seemed like a life time. The dreadnought steadied itself, its assault cannon going through the cycling motion but without firing, its chainfist came to life. Some many aliens have died in front of it during the great crusade, but now marine killing marine, this truly was a time of madness
The twin doors melted with such a heat that it took time for the standard mk4 helmets lenses to react as a piecing white light filled the hanger bay, mixing with the low blue glow that was there before.

Coming though the breach wasn’t the green armor of the Sons of the War master, or the crazed killing machines of the world eaters but their own chapter, through the breach came the black armored Astartes of the raven guard, their bolters raised and now firing on the marines who were set up all along the hanger bay.
The dreadnoughts assault cannon fired, a deafening sound as its barrels rotated at such speed, flames were seen from the end and its arm swung around and levelled on its targets,
The attackers were blown backward towards the walls of the hangers, each one riddled with bullets and red mists of blood and organs coated the wall like a flesh coat of paint.

The five marines all lay dead in piles of unrecognizable mess.
Who were they thought the commander, his gunner didn’t have time to program the rapier to select its target as the honored veteran incased in his holy armor had blown them away before any vox traffic could be passed.

He could hear the twin hearts beats of each of the marines. They pulse through his sensors, he felt the tension in the hanger. A nerve of unease, a nerve of the unknowing.
The dreadnought broke cover and strode out, its auspex continuing scanning the hanger and corridors that lay beyond the ruined doors.

“Heavily armored contacts approaching” his metallic voice blurted out across the vox.
Each marine tensed himself.
The first shot killed a young marine, the shot passing through the eye lenses of his helmet, the second, third and fourth died from the frag missile that flew into the hanger and exploded as they huddled together behind a servo lifter.

The defenders were now shooting back, into the darkness of the corridor that lay beyond the shattered remains of the blast doors, but the only sounds were the bolter casings hitting the cold metallic floor of the hanger and the bullets clattering off the bulkheads, no vox calls or shouts,
Nothing.

The commander stood crouched behind the gunner who was standing on the back of the carriage, all times watching the door. The computer screen showing the systems of the carriage. The green screen reflected off the pointed faced helmet of the gunner.

He drew his bolt pistol and waited…..

More shots rang out across the hanger bay as the attacker, unsure of what lay in wait for them, tried to probe the area. The solid slugs of an autocannon sounded as the shells whizzed into the hanger, smashing into side of a drop pod that had been undergoing some sort of maintenance.

And now more waiting…….

“what are they waiting for” a young marine cried out across the vox.
“They are unaware of our strength brother, they are probing us, testing us. To see if we will react and show them what we have” the commander calmly replied. “Stand your ground and remember the emperor protects”

A chorus of the emperor protects followed his lead across the vox, even the chapter ancient called out the verse.

The sighting scope of the rapier were now fully trained on the entrance to the hanger bay.

The finally assault was the most brutal…

It started with the power being cut to the hanger, it was plunged into darkness but the helmets of the marines were able to react to this, but not in time, as legionnaires again in the black of the raven guard, sprung through the breach, hot plasma flew across the hanger, incinerating one marine before he had chance to raise his bolter. The two remaining ones were cut down as jet pack marines descended from a tactical jump they made, sinking their lighting claws into the torsos and throats of the tactical marine.

The dreadnought was struggling, shot after shot was coming its way, the shield that protected its holy hull was able to absorb most of the fire power but now in greater numbers and urgency the traitors attacked, a metla gun crippled its knee joint that threw up hydraulics fluid covering the area around it,
“brother assist me” it called out across the vox, but nothing

The commander holding his bolt pistol, took aim, and blew out the back of the skull of the gunner sat in front of him. The spray covering the rapier.
Throwing the corpse over the hand rails, the commander was already entering the new firing solution in to the rapiers computer. A light when from red to green and the whole carriage shook.
A bright white light of laser fire impacted on its target, the dreadnought assault cannons magazine exploded sending a hail of bullets spray across the hanger.
Its arm was a stub now, the laser shot had destroyed the assault cannon, its sensors and systems were now in critical, alarms ringing out with in the suit that had protected him since he was cut down on a far flung alien world.
The dreadnought turned, its rage at this act exploded into a roar. This sole purpose now was to kill, it turn and began to run. To charge at full speed towards the rapier.
The commander was readying the machine for a second shot, the kill shot……….

Marines threw themselves in the dreadnoughts path, each one evisarated by its one remaining arm.

The rapier needed time, it needed time to reacted to the moving target and lock on,
Time the commander didn’t have….

The dreadnought reached the gantry before this time.
It reached up with its chain fist as the commander desperately tried in vain to shoot the dreadnought with his bolt pistol.
Bolts harmlessly bouncing off the shell of the dreadnought until the clip was empty.
As the chain fist ripped through the chest of the marine, the rapier chimmed again, but a different sound this time, not a firing sound but a noise indication a function that was to be used in case there was a chance it would fall into enemy hands.
A self-destruct feature.
The blade of the chain fist shredded the body of the marine as he pulled of his helmet in a last act of defiance, looking straight at the dreadnought as the rapier exploded
His last words were “Hydra Dominatus”