Fighting With Faith- Thirty-Seventh Entry

What Benlian thought of safety and security under the embracing shadow of the Titan high above them was proven otherwise as palm-sized spore mines fell out of the sky, producing hissing and sucking sounds as they struck home onto armour, flesh and bones. All around him, people started doubling over, their biological systems already beginning to be mutated by the extremely acidic toxins and bacteria being injected into their body systems.

A soldier beside him threw up blood before falling to the ground, thrashing about wildly as though being prodded cruelly by electrocuting rods. Benlian could see a gross spore mine clutching tightly onto his torso. All around, more and more were claim victims to this surprise spore mine attack, screaming in agony and dying in pain.

“Board your transports, NOW!” Benlian roared over the sickening scene and sound of a level of carnage he had never witnessed before. He felt so helpless, even the medics around seemed at a loss at such a sudden number of critical condition patients in their care, with hell’s shit still raining down upon them.

This is definitely not how things should have begun, Benlian thought.

Somewhere off, Benlian could hear a low, booming klaxon, signaling their advance to the warehouse walls. Several loud thumping sounds could be heard, throwing up great gusts of dust and sand around them, which Benlian soon realised were the huge leg pistons that the Titan was moving, raising its left arm at the same time, revealing it’s charging stance in all its powerful and awe inspiring glory. It brought its weapon to bear on the distant walls of the warehouse, no more than five hundred metres away from its current position.

Benlian was no more than five paces away from his Chimera transport, its tight confines and gloomy interior never seemed more inviting. It was already scoured in many places by spore damage; however the vehicle would be strong enough to carry them across the field to their objective. Above the turret hatch, their transport gunner was urging and waving them on, flailing his arms frantically as he watched Bel Company sprinting the last few metres to safety.

Benlian clambered onboard, followed by fourteen other Guardsmen that crashed into the gloom after him. They all were panting heavily; sweat visibly flowing down their faces. They looked around, uncertainly.

“Where’s Kennil- and Joil? Lent too!” Marcum gasped out, eyes still wild and wide as he looked around the transport. Some had their faces cast down; others had their eyes closed in fervent prayer. Others glanced inquisitively back at Benlian, expecting a sort of command from him.

None came.

Deep in his mind, Benlian knew that to go back out into that hell storm would be fatal, both to his company and the advance as a whole. All companies were required for this crucial yet risky part of the mission.

“We wait.” Benlian said. He looked out of the exit hatch, still seeing hurried figures and silhouettes amid the hail of spore mines. Several transports were already leaving the scene, heading into a spearhead formation that led towards the warehouse.

Many dead bodies were already on the floor, some Benlian wished he had not seen. Unknown alien organisms crept out of the corpses, some still wriggling out of dying victims, causing their prey to scream ever more desperately and wildly as their company captains knew better than to place the mission over their men, leaving them to their own grisly fate.

After two agonising minutes, Benlian was about to give the call to advance as a soldier within the transport, nearer to the rear exit gave out a shout.

“There they are! Three- no four of’em!” He exclaimed as he reached out.

Joil and Kennil were running as fast as they could, supporting a limping Lent in between them. A frantic looking Shralk was following behind them, hastily applying bandages and salves onto Lent’s leg wound.

The rest of the company urged them on, beckoning them to be faster.

Soon, they were in the safe embrace of their fellow Guardsmen and Chimera transport, which Kennil express his gratitude by giving Benlian a wink. Benlian entered the cockpit, gesturing the driver to join the advance. He then headed back into the passenger hold, counting the number who made it.

One was missing, and all Benlian needed to know was a grim nod from Shralk to know what had happened.

They were in a more composed state now. Shralk went from person to person, tending and prescribing salves, bandages and medicines to the people who needed it. He soon approached Benlian, who Benlian dismissed with a gesture.

When he was done with the rest, he went back to Lent, in the corner of the hold, prescribing him painkillers and further cleaning his wound.

“Ok listen up, that wasn’t in the plan however worse shit is coming.” We’re currently traveling our last five hundred metres to the walls, where within this period Titan Azrael would be giving us heavy support by blasting a hole in it.” Benlian shouted over the roar of the engines. “Anymo-”

Boom, a loud explosion could be heard. Eyebrows were raised and everyone made their way to the side windows to see what was happening.

Benlian thought that was the Titan doing its work, but the cursings and shock exclamations given off by his soldiers made him think otherwise. Benlian immediately made his way to the nearest window, elbowing and nudging people aside as he peered out of it.

At first, he couldn’t make out the large amounts of sand that was being churned up by the many Chimera tracks around his, momentarily obscuring his view. However, Benlian soon recoiled in horror. The sand around him was actually thrown up by the impact of a Chimera transport blowing up.

Soon, multiple detonations began landing around them, some hitting home on Chimera transports, blowing vehicles and its passengers within it to oblivion, some managing to cripple them. Their transport was rocked wildly from side to side, sometimes leaping clear off the ground as a bomb exploded beside them.

“Holy shit…” Stratile muttered under his breath.