<strong><span class="bbc_u"><em>Space Marines</em></span></strong><br/><br/><strong>Crixus</strong><br/><br/><br/>The Wraithlord moved with a speed and fluidity that no machine had any right to possess, before Crixus's blow could be landed the machine's own blade was in the way. Blocking Crixus's swing it's inorganic might allowing it to block the attack before Crixus's arm was even half way through the motion. As it did this the Wraithlord's free hand struck out, it's fist wreathed in the same energy as any power weapon would be, delivering a solid open palm strike to Crixus's stormshield. Using the  gap it had created between where it's blade held Crixus's hammer and where it's fist and his stormshield met the Wraithlord delivered a vicious kick to Crixus's chest. Something that would have been impossible for any Imperial machine of similar size. With all of it's power and weight behind it's kick the Wraithlord was able to drive Crixus to the ground. Moving fast it drove it's foot into his chest plate again pinning him to the ground with it's immense weight. Both of it's arms were raised high, holding it's blade with both hands in an inverted grip. The war machine obviously intended to deliver a killing blow as it drove it's blade downward at the marine with all it's might.<br/><br/><strong>Nicodemus</strong><br/><br/>"Fool!" the Harlequin cried out, her helm making her voice shrill and cold. Still moving with the same contemptuous ease with which she had slaughtered Nicodemus's brothers she easily leaped over his charge. She allowed him pass under her as she turned a flip in midair landing smoothly on her feet facing the assault marine. Her strange pistol held in his direction, she opened fire. A series of bright orange spheres blasting from the weapon as she charged at Nicodemus, a single orange sphere striking his left hip burning through his power armor and digging a wound that would have crippled a mortal man into him. A split second later she was on him, her blade moving so fast it seemed to make the air itself sing as it struck out towards Nicodemus's injured side.<br/><br/><br/><strong>Killian Calhoun/Brother Vindicca</strong><br/><br/><br/>The Falcon began to whine softly as it's systems took more and more damage, each bolt round and plasma blast taking its toll on the vehicle as a whole. The craft's pilot was obviously no fool and realized his craft was not going to survive this battle. In one last desperate act he changed course ceasing to pull back and instead charging forward towards 3rd Squad's position hoping to ram through and destroy their cover so that it would be of no use to them against the other elements of the Eldar war host. A single plasma blast struck the cockpit dead on, burning through the already damaged view screen and the pilot strapped in behind it. With it's turret gunner still firing away the now pilot-less craft slewed to the right, crashing against the burnt out troop carrier that 3rd Squad had been covering behind. In an ironic twist of fate the ruined Falcon would now be able to provide the Marines with even more cover against the Dark Reapers who were managing to reform and prep to begin firing once again. "3rd Squad shift targets!" he called out "Target the enemy infantry!" he roared as he pointed to the Dark Reapers. To the left and right of his squad the sub chapter's other two tactical squads, 2nd and 4th Squads formed up behind the now larger cover and began to lay their own firepower into the Dark Reapers.<br/><br/><br/><strong><span class="bbc_u"><em>Imperial Guard</em></span></strong><br/><br/>The sniper fire continued unabated, the Eldar were hidden well and they knew it, unafraid of the guardsmen who were for the most part firing blind they continued to use their advantage of surprise to it's fullest effect. Until a single guardsman's voice rang out "I see 'em!" he shouted, pointing in the direction of one of the larger artillery guns. "Look! by the base of the gun. Jenkins looked where the guardsman was pointing and sure enough they were there! Granted he couldn't actually SEE the Eldar themselves, they were wearing some sort of camouflage but he could see their outlines. The camo was good but not perfect if he squinted and looked hard he could make out a slight shimmering that was most likely what ever material the Eldar were wearing. "He's right!" Jenkins shouted "The air shimmers where they're standing!!! OPEN FIRE!" With that he drew a bead on one of the Eldar snipers and began squeeze the trigger of his lasgun.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>The guardsman whom Commissar Darius had pulled to work the vox was already dialing up the correct frequency, a map that he'd grabbed from the previous vox operator in his hands. "Field command, come in" he shouted "We need armor support at the following co-ordinates!" As the guardsman read off the co-ordinates sniper rounds impacted around Commissar Darius, the snipers obviously knew they had been spotted and were now focusing on dishing out suppressive fire rather than perfect accuracy.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>The other guardsmen moved up to join Crassius behind his cover, their training kicking in and telling them that being behind cover was better than not. As the sharp-eyed guardsman called out his advice, the men around Crassisus listened up and too noticed the shimmering shapes of humanoid bodies hiding at the base of one of the silent artillery guns. Moments later a loud SNAP could be heard as an Eldar round struck the front of Crassius's helmet the impact strong enough to break the chinstrap and send the thing flying off his head. Two more such sounds and a single wet THUD could be heard as three of the guardsmen hunkering down with Crassisus took rounds of their own. They were not so lucky... one was dead instantly, his flak helmet not as strong as Crassisus's, and his brains paying the price, the second fell back with a hole in the center of his chest plate, and the third was on his knees grasping at his now bleeding throat.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>The shot was silent and without warning, one moment Alexi's sniping position was still except for his own movements and the next a razor sharp shard of shuriken was flying through it, traveling with a speed and accuracy that shouldn't have even been possible for a hand held weapon the Eldar round struck him in his shoulder, digging through his armor, into then out of him, and finally burying itself into the wall behind him. It had passed through him missing bones and arteries by millimeters. At the base of the artillery guns the infantry were trying to capture the round's firer was already reloading for another shot. Hidden behind his camouflage but still visible if one squinted hard.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><br/>As Brian fired away with his grenade launcher he succeed only in drawing attention to himself, within moment's he'd drawn the wrath of one of the Eldar snipers upon himself. The xeno was quick in it's movements and took scant seconds to aim and begin firing, Three shots in rapid succession were silently launched at Brian each one finding it's mark and striking his carapace armor, denting and damaging it but not blowing a hole in his chest plate. Even though his armor held the force was more than enough to knock the wind out of anyone and take them off their feet.<br/><br/><hr/><br/><br/>The torrent of fire unleashed by the Stormtroopers was enough to kill anything small enough to fit in the room they had just breached, as well as kick up a large amount of smoke as the blazing hot lasblasts tore into the walls. As the smoke cleared Alonzo, Markus, and the rest of the Stormtroopers were met by a true surprise....nothing....the room was empty, there were no bodies, no blood stains, no sign of who ever might have been in the room. But before Alonzo could even give his men their next order, all hell broke loose on the Stormtroopers. A faint sound similar to an electrical discharge could be heard for a split second, and without warning the Stormtroopers were suddenly under fire. From the rear!<br/><br/>"Warp Spiders!" one of the men called out. "Take cover!" shouted Alonzo "Hold the doorway!" as he snapped out his orders he took cover behind the door frame firing his own hotshot laspistol out the doorway. The sound of another discharge could be heard and the Warp Spyders who had been behind them a moment ago were gone. Leaving two Stormtroopers on the floor their armor and bodies ruined. "Keep an eye out!" Alonzo warned "they'll hit us again!"<br/><br/>As if waiting for this very phrase the Warp Spiders appeared a second time, once again heralded by the faint discharging sound. This  time they were attacking from the left flank of the doorway firing inside the room at an angle, the monofilament blasts of their weapons tearing appart a stormtrooper who had been hiding behind the doorway.<br/><br/><br/><strong><span class="bbc_u"><em>Sisters of Battle</em></span></strong><br/><br/>As Sister Amandine, let loose with her flamer the other sisters of her 5 woman squad opened fire as well, adding their own heavy weapons fire to hers. The roar of heavy bolters was near deafining in the small space as a second Retributor took up a firing position several feet to the right of Amandine's. Firing on her target location from a second angle. From behind them, the six spears which had impaled the Repentia suddenly dislodged themselves from their victims, flying backwards to the location from where they had came. It was at this point that many of the sisters realized that 'spear' wasn't the best word to describe these Eldar weapons. The best word to describe them would be 'glaves' as both ends of each weapon possessed a blade. In another instant three members of Amandine's squad were dead, one sister losing her head as the glave passed through her neck. The sister next to Amandine suffering a spear passing straight through her chest, and the third sister having both of her arms severed by two glaves. A single glave grazed past Amandine, cutting a groove in the shoulder pad of her armor before flying past. As soon as the last glave had disappeared into the shadows six Eldar stepped forward, each one carrying one of the weapons. To the shock of several of the sisters the fire they had been pouring onto the Eldar seemed to have no effect. Each warrior was holding up one of their hands making a stopping motion with their open palms. Obviously using their psychic abilities to stop the incoming fire before it struck them. "This will be your tomb Mon-kegh!" one of the Eldar shouted.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>The head of the Striking Scorpion under Mynra's foot disappeared as the bolt detonated inside it's skull but the sister had no time to savor her victory. All around her, the fellow Seraphim were fighting tooth and nail against the other Striking Scorpions, doing their best to keep the Eldar melee warriors from attacking their fellow sisters who were less equipped to handle such a foe. To Mynra's right one sister was cut down by a green chainblade, in front of her another fell on her back, her hands grasping at her face which had been turned to a ruined mess an Eldar mandiblaster. All around the shrikes and shouts of desperate melee combat could be heard.  Two of the Striking Scorpions struck out at Mynra, one swinging high with it's chainsword aiming for her neck. The other spinning in the air striking out for her body from her right side with it's leg.<br/><br/><strong><span class="bbc_u"><em>Inquisition</em></span></strong><br/><br/>"I am attempting to do just that Inquisitor" responded Capetian Batiatus as he continued to duel with Irulan. "But so far the witch has proven to be quite the warrior." As soon as Pallas and his retinue entered the cave the sounds of the battle outside seemed to instantly die away. There was no roar of weapons, no war cries, not even any vox chatter...only stillness. The map that Pallas had taken with him showed that the room holding his objective was straight down the tunnel he was in, followed by a right turn then a left. The caves walls were bare rock, unfinished and simply there. The mechanicus had wasted no resources in  'prettying up' their secret lab.<br/><br/>"Inquisitor" the Callidus Assassin whispered "This could very easily be a xenos trap....." her weapons were already drawn and her muscles were obviously tense, something didn't feel right to her about this situation....something deep down... "I suggest that if we do continue along this course we attempt to move as quickly and silently as possible"<br/>