Assassin - Part 1

Fire belched from the molten seams of the ordnance cannon as its recoil shook the entire station. The tech marine manning the targeting array watched silently as the blast imploded miles away decimating enemy infantry. "Reload." came the command. Servitors bustled about in the heat radiating from the immense barrel cracking open the rear arming hatch. Clouds of blackened smoke and soot poured out coating them in a shroud of death. A track lowered down towards the opening mounting the glistening threaded grooves. A large servitor more machine than human grasped at the clutch pulling it down with all its might. The next red missile slipped into place then the smaller servitors worked the hatch shut again.

The tech marine noticed a silent alarm bleating at the exterior of his vid display. It indicated an intruder was present but looking about quickly he saw no sign of the enemy. Silencing the alarm he returned to the task of re-aligning the ordnance for the next barrage. One of the servitors then crashed to the ground, a huge rent torn across its armored chest, oily bile spilled from the tear. Activating his servo arm the tech marine swept the immediate area in infrared searching for any unique heat signature but there was none to be found.

"Alpha Prime activate." he ordered bringing a huge battle class servitor online. Its buzz saws began to whine as they spun up turning at blinding speed. Another servitor also crashed to the iron battle mat, its head ripped from the shoulders. "Search and destroy ." the tech marine ordered Alpha Prime. A whisper sounded gently through the din and a gaping hole appeared in the forehead of the huge servitor then it fell to its knees and toppled over, the buzz saws grinding to a sudden halt.

The tech marine could just make out the trace of a ghost splayed up towards the enclosed ceiling then it vanished. The remaining servitors started to panic abandoning their tasks. "Return to your duty now." ordered the tech marine. "One more blast should stave off the enemy advance for good." He heard the whisper again and this time at a staccato clip. One by one each the servitors fell, heads and limbs shorn free. He fired his bolter aimlessly into the ceiling stitching the air with random blasts of bolter fire. "Show yourself."

The heated air before him shimmered as the silhouette of a well muscled body took shape. The combatant wore a black body glove and a leering skull mask. The assassin's eyes shone through the sockets staring straight at him. A blade came up swiftly beheading the tech marine with one well measured blow. The assassin kicked the helmet aside then leapt over towards the cannon. Quickly placing one small micro melta grenade after another clamping them along the length of the exposed long barrel the assassin armed the last one then stole away.

Several minutes later came a huge explosion sounding into the night as the ordnance station blew apart. Several miles away the vanguard of the Raven Guard armored division continued its advance towards the Iron Warriors camp.