Assault On Hortus Iv

Assault on Hortus IV ‘The crisp white clouds over Hortus IV were pierced as the drop pod continued its planetary descent, towards the war torn world. Squad Utar’s mission was simple, cleanse Hortus of it’s primul threat.’ The war on Hortus had started many months before when a distress signal had been recorded coming from the eastern fringes of the Hadex system. Ever since, skirmishes on Hortus’s surface had been tracked by an elite force of armoured giants, the ultramarine space marines. The first distress signal had come from the mighty palace of lord chancellor Gorfemus XIII. The signal had said simply and clearly; Help, Need all the warriors you have, his high lord, Gorefemus XIII.’ Five squads of the Emperors finest warriors had been deployed; Utar, Europus, Quintus, Borus and Tarros. Their missions where simple, find the Primul’s stronghold and destroy it. Squad Utar’s Captain, Perdus, was in his harness looking out of the observation window in the drop pod’s hull. The onboard computers jolted the pod to correct the flight path, outside the window the terrain had changed, from the wide flat expanses of unspoilt crystal clear seawater to a ragged war torn jungle, still burning from the gunfire which must have happened days ago. Perdus checked over his bolter and made sure the clips were full, before pressing the button in his arm rest which locked his armour into place. He looked round at the rest of his squad, Chorine was looking over his plasma gun making sure it was ready for the combat which they would surely become tangled up in. Perdus put on his power helm and switched the auto senses on, the clear colourful world was now a green haze. The pod made it’s usual slowing procedures and came to a rough stop in a large valley. The hatches creaked open and a soft glow fell upon the armour of squad Utar. They disembarked and stood to attention as Perdus re-talked them through the mission, they were to secure the area and use all the force necessary to do it. Perdus ran and crouched behind a fallen sapling, it barely just gave him cover. The rest of squad Utar found cover wherever they could, behind rocks and dead trees, Mertok, the squads apothecary surveyed the area and voxed his

findings to the rest of the squad, “It’s not looking too good, we’re in a densely wooded area, the Primuls could attack from any side”. “Well you take up lookout while we survey the jungle.” Perdus and three other marines searched the area to the east while Chorine and the four remaining marines searched the area to the north. “take cover!!” yelled Mertok over the vox link. After that all hell broke loose, squad Utar took cover behind fallen trees and rocks, the Primuls had spotted them, they were lean black slick bodies that moved through the jungle without a sound. Chorine aimed his plasma gun at a Primul and pulled the trigger, sending a bright blue ball of heat straight into it, with this both squad Utar and the Primuls started firing at each other. The once peaceful valley was now a war zone.