Warhammer 40K in a box

Chapter 490 Fierce Battle with Orcs

As the Thunderhawk transport plane suddenly dipped in altitude, its reverse thrust engines roared deafeningly, and the scorching plasma flow instantly melted the rocks below into a glassy state.

The Thunderhawk transport plane jolted violently, and its heavy landing gear landed precisely within the marked landing zone, kicking up a cloud of reddish-brown dust.

The hatch slid open to both sides with a loud crash amidst violent vibrations and a piercing hydraulic hiss.

Instantly, the scorching, dry air, thick with dust, gunpowder smoke, rotting organic matter, blood, and the primal, savage stench unique to orcs, slammed in like a burning fist.

The tsunami-like noise, having lost its last barrier, completely engulfed the cabin.

The scene on the landing zone became clearer. Soldiers of the 17th Rostov Regiment were firing tenaciously from makeshift bunkers. Laser beams and the flashes of explosives intertwined at the entrance to the canyon, and explosions continued to erupt.

Several corpses of Asgardian soldiers torn apart by heavy weapons and remnants of green-skinned soldiers lay scattered on the scorched earth.

Nearby, the doors of other Thunderhawk transport planes had also slid open, and more Ash Knights clad in black and white armor were leaping into the battlefield, rushing toward their respective mission areas.

Mikhail caught a glimpse of the equally imposing figure of Sergeant Ivanov, the commander of Team B, waving for his squad to assemble in the distance, the battle group insignia on his breastplate appearing and disappearing in the dust.

"Rostov 17th Regiment calling Ash Knights! Pressure on the landing site is increasing rapidly, and Greenskins are pouring out of the tunnels! Requesting immediate support to clear the entrance threat!" A voice with a heavy local accent and an urgent tone cut into the Ash Knights' communication channel, with dense gunfire and orc howls in the background.

"Attention all units! Landing zone clearance is a priority!" A more composed and authoritative voice rang out on the general command channel. It was the combat group adjutant deployed with the ship: "Team A, Team B! Assist the Astral Army in clearing the Greenskins gushing out of the landing zone tunnels! Sergeant Vasily, Sergeant Ivanov, execute!"

The commands are clear and direct.

Vasily and Ivanov responded almost simultaneously:

"Team A, sir! Target: landing zone entrance! Suppress fire, eliminate the threat!" Vasily's voice rang out in Team A's channel.

"Team B received! Establish temporary firing positions to cover the tunnel area!" Ivanov's voice followed immediately.

The two Astartes squads, which were originally planning to head straight for the canyon entrance, immediately changed course.

Ivanov's B team quickly deployed at the edge of the landing zone like a rock. The muffled roar of the heavy-explosive guns rang out first, and the accurate long bursts and short volleys swept down the orc lads who had just emerged from the tunnel and were trying to charge the Astronauts' defenses.

The bombs exploded on the makeshift tunnel bunkers, sending rubble and twisted metal flying everywhere, effectively suppressing the Greenskins' surge.

At the same time, Vasily's Team A, like a drawn blade, plunged straight into the densest group of orcs at the tunnel entrance.

Their movements were faster than ordinary people could imagine.

The heavy power armor moved at high speed across the gravel-strewn ground, kicking up clouds of dust.

The shotgun fired with a crisp, deadly sound, with almost no wasted ammunition.

Each burst of fire precisely brought down a charging orc boy, the green figure either collapsing from the impact of the explosives or rendered incapacitated by the blasts.

The chainsaw sword hummed briefly before quickly fading away, as the nearby green-skinned creature was cleanly and efficiently dealt with by the power-driven saw teeth. Mikhail followed closely beside Vasily.

On the helmet visors, red skull markers, representing threat, flashed wildly in the tunnel entrance area, but as Team A advanced, these markers were fading at an alarming rate.

He saw an orc carrying a crude rocket launcher emerge from the tunnel, only halfway out. Vasily's specially made explosive gun fired softly, and the orc's head, along with the rocket launcher's barrel, exploded in a burst of fire and smoke.

Another orc leader, wielding a massive cleaver, charged forward, only to be instantly targeted by a crossfire from two members of Team A. A barrage of explosive shells slammed into its rudimentary armor plates, the immense impact sending it staggering backward before it was finally finished off by a precise bomb.

The fighting was efficient and ruthless, with almost no real grappling involved.

The pressure on the Astronauts was visibly relieved, allowing them to catch their breath, reorganize their defenses, and redirect their firepower toward the more distant canyon entrance.

"Landing site threat cleared! Rostov 17th Regiment thanks you for your support!" The Astral Army commander's voice rang out again, this time filled with relief and heartfelt awe.

"Roger that. Team B! As planned, target Eagle's Nest Rock! Establish a fire suppression point immediately! Open a path for Team A!" Sergeant Ivanov's rough shout once again drowned out the battlefield noise.

His squad quickly disengaged from the temporary firing position and moved toward the designated high ground.

"Team A! Target: entrance to the Anvil Road! Move out!" Vasily's voice remained unwavering as he clearly issued the order in Team A's channel.

He was the first to turn, his movements fluid and swift. He shouldered his explosive pistol again and took down an orc gun-wielding kid who was peeking out from behind the entrance cover.

Mikhail and his brothers followed closely behind, their heavy power armor boots treading on the solid but cratered ground of the landing zone.

The MK10's power surged into my limbs.

The tactical display on the helmet visor refreshed instantly, and a dense array of rough red skull markers surged out again like a swarm of boiling ants from the shadows and cracks in the ruins at the canyon entrance.

The orc boys were tall, with oily green skin and bulging muscles. They charged haphazardly, brandishing crude machetes, bang-bang guns, and even rocket launchers cobbled together from scrap metal and pipes, roaring furious battle cries.

This scene was far more savage, chaotic, and brimming with primal vitality than the holographic projection on the training ground, but the swift clearing of the landing area gave Mikhail a sense of calm and confidence.

"Fire! Suppress the green tide surging up from the left flank! Clear a path for Team A!" The recruits of Team B roared in response to Ivanov's command. The salvo of explosive and heavy explosive guns sounded like a storm, and the dense explosions created chaos among the charging orcs, temporarily curbing their frenzied momentum.

Mikhail raised his gun and helped clear out a few scattered Orks trying to flank Team A. A high-explosive shell accurately hit the chest of an Orc boy wielding a huge iron hammer who was charging at the front, and the high-explosive warhead knocked him down.

"Team A! Target: canyon entrance bunker complex ahead! Clear obstacles! Chainsword ready! Charge!" Vasily's voice rang out again in Team A's channel. At the same time, the power sword in his hand activated with a "hum," and the blade was instantly enveloped by a disintegration field, emitting a high-frequency vibration and a cold blue light.

Like a silver-gray lightning bolt, he charged first toward the makeshift bunkers made of scrap metal and rocks at the canyon entrance, where fierce gunfire was erupting.

Mikhail suppressed the momentary shock of facing such a ferocious scene for the first time, activated his power armor, followed closely on the sergeant's flank, and charged into the gaping maw of Ironjaw Canyon, braving the orcs' barrage of crude ammunition.

The real test has only just begun.

(End of this chapter)