‘Shas’O, we have multiple intruder alerts, repeat, the Io’Tar has been boarded.’
‘Contain and destroy them, Shas’el.’
‘Affirmative, Shas’O.’
The comms link terminated abruptly, replacing the squall of background static with the ferocious din of battle.
O’Vash strode down the shuttle’s ramp and ducked back into the chamber. Weapons fire strobed through the lightless corridors of AX-118, the air filled with small arms ricochets and the occasion crump of grenades against the drifting hulks bulkheads, all adding to the cacophony of war that was fast becoming a vision of hell.
The Breacher Teams covering the doorways of the loading bay were engaged in a fierce firefight with the Orks massing in the passageways beyond. Soon they would have enough numbers to force the battle onto their terms, rushing the isolated pocket of fire warriors desperately trying to hold them at bay. O’Vash turned to the Fio Engineer kneeling beside the Ionic Displacement Charge brought in with the boarding party.
‘How much Longer, Fio?’ he shouted over the roar of weapons fire.
The sturdy Engineer continue making fine adjustments inside the casing of the torpedo sized weapon, briefly interrupting his task to reply. ‘The weapon did not appreciate the rough ride to get here I’m afraid Shas’O. If the Initiation circuit is not properly realigned, the charge will fail to detonate.’
‘Hurry, Fio.’
O’Vash looked up to scan the room, suddenly aware of an increase in the rate of pulse fire at the south doorway. Baying and snarling reverberated down the narrow corridor, signaling the Orks intention to charge. He moved to meet the alien threat, unslinging his pulse carbine and slapping in a fresh clip as he did.
A massive Ork, clearly some form of leader amongst the greenskins, barreled through the access hatch and cleaved a Breacher in half with its mechanical claw. O’Vash stepped forward, ducking under another swing of the Ork’s claw, unclipping a small disc from his belt and throwing it into the beasts face. An explosion of light threw the foe off guard, allowing O’Vash to bring the carbine up and unload a well placed burst at short range. The creatures head exploded into a wet mass of globules, spraying the bulkhead behind him, before the body tumbled to the floor with a crash, the oversized claw twitching fitfully.
O’Vash leapt forward into the corridor to engage the lesser Orks behind, spraying the hallway with pulse rounds. There was little time for aim, but the confines of the passageway made the weapons rounds hideously effective. Heads and chests exploded, as limbs flew apart. The remaining Breachers rallied and added their fire, and in seconds the corridor was filled with twitching corpses, the floor slick with green blood.
‘The charge is set, Shas’O! Three Rai’kor before detonation!’ The Fio called, already running up the ramp of the shuttle.
O’Vash opened the channel to the remaining defenders. ‘Fall back to the shuttle, covering fire pattern Delta!’
O,Vash followed the Fio up the ramp, as the last of the fire warriors converged on the shuttle, their pulse blasters combining with photon grenades to hold the Orks a bay long enough to effect their retreat. As the last of the troops entered the shuttle hold, O’Vash moved into the cockpit and addressed the pilot directly. ‘Now, Kor’vre, get us out of here!’
The Kor’s hands flashed over the controls as the engines whine increased exponentially. As the vessel began to slowly rise away from the landing pad, a large impact jolted the craft and occupants alike, followed by the rapid cycling down of engines. A plethora of red lights and alarms spread across the pilots display, as the shuttle slammed back down onto the pad with a nauseating metal screech.
O’Vash instinctively grabbing the pull bar behind the pilots seat to ride out the impact, but still found himself slammed against the bulkhead by the force of the collision. As he righted himself, the Kor turned in his seat to face O’Vash, a look of panic creeping over his face.
‘Shas’O, we appear to be stuck on something.’
Languor Management 