# Catachan Story #1



## Talonmaster Raptoris (Jul 5, 2008)

Enjoy,,,, hopefully and give crtiscism!!!!!


The drop pod launched from the bay with a pneumatic hiss, hurling the small craft from the launch rails and into the void. It drifted for a split second before igniting it’s thrusters in a plume burning fuel. It accelerated into the planets outer atmosphere, becoming a comet of burning gasses as it blazed into the stratosphere. The turbulence battered at it’s hull, questing for an opening to exploit and bring death to the brave men inside. It pulled into the cloud line, still white hot with the heat of re-entry. With a shriek of wind, it descended into the forest below.

Hadrian Villneauve squinted in the pale red light of the pod, staring up at the roof in expectancy. Right on time, a toggle icon flashed in the darkness accompanied by a low klaxon alarm, flashing the mandatory “BRACE FOR IMPACT”. He pulled his head down in the standard brace procedure, just as they landed. It careened into the ground with colossal force wrenching his neck to the side with an unpleasant pop. He winced as he re-aligned the tendon, cracking it to one side via brutal snap. He grabbed his lascrabine, loaded it, and filled out with the rest of the squad,

A myriad of sounds assaulted him as he stepped out into the lush foliage. Jungle birds called and chirped in a symphony of disarrayed noise. Insects induced a low humming that blended in with various forest ambiances, mingling into a orchestration of overlapping sound.
A low humid mist clung to his ankles as he walked towards Sergeant Dalman.
He noticed him stretching his neck.
“Nasty drop eh” he chuckled.
“For sure sarge” he nodded. As if to concede the point, his neck popped again.
Private Larson jogged up to him, face red.
“Area secure sergeant” he said with a half-hearted salute.
“Good, let’s move out”! He shouted to the rest of the squad. “Ten meter spread, we are in hostile territory, minimal vocal contact, no sound, and try not to alert every xenos within a hundred miles”!! Cries of protest sprang from the soldiers, but they began their trek none-the-less.

Hadrian took up his usual position on the far left flank, muzzle pointed a couple feet in front of his boots, ready to bring it up if need be. The assault team moved like ghosts flitting between trees making not a sound. They continued for a mile before the vox clicked on.
“Alright ladies, we’ll stop for the night”
They all converged under a massive tree setting up camp and making sentry schedules, foolishly unaware of the intelligent eyes watching from afar.


----------



## Alwook (Jul 30, 2008)

Well I can say I enjoyed it, look forward to reading more. Nothing like a good bit of Imp Guard Fluff!


----------



## Talonmaster Raptoris (Jul 5, 2008)

*Catachan Story #2*

This part 2 folks!!!!



Hadrian awoke with a gasp. In a reflexive blur, he drew his lacarbine and jammed it into the throat of his awakener. The unsuspecting Guardsman’s eyes bugged out of their sockets in horrified surprise.
“Well that’ll wake you up for sure”

A round of laughter ensued from the rest of the squad. Hadrian managed a thin smile and apologized to the shaken Guardsman, and prepared himself for the day long hike. Silhouettes of smoke spiraled from the dying embers of the cooking fire, coals still hot from the blaze. He stuffed all of his belongings haphazardly into his rucksack, slung it over his shoulder and filed out with the rest of the squad.

Assuming his regular placement on the far left, He clambered over a fallen log boot sinking into the rotted wood as he trekked through the forest floor. It was early by Hadrian’s estimation, not past nine a.m.. Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy like silt, the air humid and thick as water. A film of dew covered every fern in the forest, a reminiscence of previous rainfall making it seem even damper. Arboreal ambiances echoed through the exotic timber of the jungle of Ulphisar VII.

Their mission was simple, but it was the simplicity that made it crucial. Scans from orbit had revealed a small isolated command post in this vicinity. Their job was to retake it from the Tau and give the communication data to the commanders in space. He reviewed the battle plan through his mind, or tried to. Memories of dreams flitted across his mentality, echoes of the nightmare fresh in his brain. He racked his head for the meaning to these non-sensical images, his pursuits futility frustrating.

About to give up, an abrupt scream tore into his senses. He gripped his weapon tighter and scanned the underbrush with his muzzle. Following the noise, he leapt through the trees. He stopped when he found the source of the scream gruesomely. One of his comrades lay back down in a bed of moss a steady halo of blood pumping from major cuts on his face. His jaw was missing tongue hanging from a strand of gristle on the roof of his mouth. This however was not the thing that held him in cols skinned rapture.

Carved with razor precision into the chest of the catachan was a message:

WELCOME BACK HADRIAN VILLNEAVE.


----------



## Sniper (Mar 9, 2008)

Sounds good so far, keep it up

Sniper


----------

