# Just a quick short story



## Mindlessness (Dec 22, 2009)

Just something I cooked up tonight. A quick short story about Sphess Mahreens.
CnC welcome! :victory:

It was dark; the cold metallic smell filled the sensors of Dannik’s grey helmet. The pod was presented before him. It was as wide as three men abreast and as tall as two; the belt feeds clacking as fresh ammo was slid into the three pintle mounted hurricane bolters attached to the large middle pillar. Five empty harnesses were laid out around the middle spire; servitors moving around them, checking and rechecking the systems; everything had to be perfect. Dannik walked over the ominous grey of the docking bay over to his squad; four of his most trusted friends, brothers in arms; they would die for him with but a minutes’ notice, and he for them. Dannik hoped the emperor would protect. Brother Martell saluted him, tapping twice on the broad Aquila seal on his chest hefting his heavy bolter up and looking down the sights, adjusting and calibrating. His mask was the visage of a grinning skull, the last thing you will ever see. His Astartes pattern heavy bolter was fitted with retro fittings and gyro-stabilisers, allowing him to fire on the move. He continued to walk amongst his squad, Larren the hotshot; eager to prove himself upon recently being inducted into first company sternguard , he smiled at Dannik; modest in his ambition. His mask was not yet personalised, to be a true Sternguard was to have a personalised mask. Gathah was next, the squad’s finest sniper, he had been raised on a planet firmly enriched by the teachings of the Apdeptus Mechanicus. His mask was more of a mystery, one side having sharks teeth up the side painted in the original snarl. The second showing a crying clown. This proved just how mentally unstable the sniper was becoming. His eye had been replaced by a bionic substitute; stronger and more powerful than even the superhuman optics of the space marines. Along with his thermal night scope, nothing hid from his gaze. Last was Archan, the squad’s resident demolitions expert. His helmet painted like the ancient mimes of Terra, he rarely spoke preferring actions to words. It reflected him well. Melta, Krak and Frag grenades were strapped in bandoliers over his armour, as well as five tube charges strapped to his waist. He had the strength of a grox, his trow was hard, his aim, perfect. Dannik sat besides his squad, loading his Durplus X ‘readymags’; two bolter sickle mags taped to each other. Checking the hammer was free of debris and oiled, cleaning his self made 12x optic scope; inserting his magazine and cocking it. Dannik loved the sound of a fresh round sliding into the chamber and grinned to himself, his childish grin hid by his cold expressionless mask, besides the obvious Glasgow smile fashioned there. His amusement was cut short by klaxons wailing, red light pouring over the confines of the docking bay.


Dannik’s men rose, shouldering their weapons and making final checks on their kits.
“Time to move out lads!” Dannik shouted, his men letting out a hearty roar of approval, following him into the Drop pod and strapping themselves into the harness. Dannik sat opposite Martell, his brothers heavy weapon was holstered next to his seat for easy access. Martell’s mask even made Dannik a little nervous from time to time, he would hate to be in the xenos shoes. Their natural affinity to the supernatural playing with their mind. The doors to the pod slowly closed as the insides were decompressed. As the door shut, a yellow light flooded the chamber, flashing at regular intervals. The pod slid towards the exit, Dannik looked at his men, his brothers. He prayed to the emperor that all them made this back in one piece, and tapped his chest to each one.


The noise from the drop was astonishingly loud, the sound of burning ceremite and plasteel was deafening. Despite the temperatures outside, the inside of the Drop pod was relatively cool. Dannik checked his weapons one last time and whispered a prayer to his brothers over the vox link.
“Brothers, today we do the emperors work. Today we fight for the freedom of mankind, for the freedom of the segmentem solar. It is every man and women’s right to be free in this galaxy, and we, the apdeptus astarties are here to grant this freedom. The Tau Empire seeks to destroy our beliefs and our freedom. Will you let this stand brothers? Will you let them defile the Emperors work?
Dannik was greeted with a hearty roar. His men loading and making final checks on their weapons.
“Drop imminent” the metal voice screeched out of the vox-grill.
“Brothers, the time is now, it’s time we strike” Dannik roared as the pod slammed into the ground. Body parts and dirt disgorged themselves from the earth. The xenos poured fire onto the steel behemoth, yet nothing could breach its hull. As the doors swung down a large hiss was heard as the outside decompressed. The crack of bolter fire followed, killed several xenos. Dannik lead his men into the fray, they were here to do the emperors work.


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## Ambush Beast (Oct 31, 2010)

*not bad*

Not bad for the start of something much bigger. The story has a nice flow for thew most part.

Something that you could do to make it better is space the paragraphs better. The huge section at the beginning was hard to read because of the lack of spacing. Also capitalise Emperor and Space Marines.

I look forward to reading more. :grin:


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