As the Thunderhawk Transport sharply dipped, its retro-thrusters roared deafeningly, and the scorching plasma stream instantly melted the rocks below into a glassy state.
The Thunderhawk Transport jolted violently, its heavy landing gear precisely touching down within the marked landing zone, kicking up a cloud of reddish-brown dust.
The ramp slid open with a violent shudder and a screech of hydraulics, revealing the chaos outside.
Instantly, the hot, dry air, thick with dust, gunpowder, decaying organic matter, the scent of blood, and the unique primal stench of Orks, slammed into the interior like a scorching fist.
The tsunami-like noise lost its last barrier, completely engulfing the aircraft's cabin.
The scene on the landing zone became clearer: soldiers of the Rostov 17th Regiment were stubbornly firing from behind makeshift cover, laser beams and Bolter fire crisscrossed at the canyon entrance, and explosions were incessant.
Several bodies of Astra Militarum soldiers, torn apart by heavy weapons, and green-skinned remnants were scattered across the scorched earth.
Nearby, the ramps of other Thunderhawk Transports had also opened, and more Ash Knights, clad in black and white Power Armor, were leaping into the fray, heading towards their respective mission areas.
Mikhail glimpsed Sergeant Ivanov, Commander of B Team, a similarly bulky figure, waving his squad to rally, his Chapter insignia on his chest plate faintly visible through the smoke and dust.
"Rostov 17th Regiment calling Ash Knights! Landing zone pressure is critical, green-skins are pouring out of the tunnels! Request immediate support to clear the entrance threat!" A voice with a thick local accent and an urgent tone cut into the Ash Knights' comms channel, with a backdrop of intense gunfire and Ork howls.
"All units, attention! Landing zone clear-out is priority!" A calmer, more authoritative voice resonated on the general command channel; it was the Chapter's adjutant, deployed with the ship: "A Team, B Team! Assist the Astra Militarum in clearing the green-skins emerging from the landing zone tunnels! Vasily, Ivanov, execute!"
The orders were clear and direct.
Vasily and Ivanov responded almost simultaneously:
"A Team understood! Target: landing zone tunnel entrance! Suppressive fire, eliminate threat!" Vasily's voice rang out on the A Team channel.
"B Team acknowledged! Establish temporary firing points, cover the tunnel area!" Ivanov's voice followed closely.
The two Astartes squads, originally poised to charge directly into the canyon entrance, instantly adjusted their direction.
Ivanov's B Team rapidly deployed like a bulwark on the edge of the landing zone, the dull roar of their heavy Bolter leading the charge. Precise long bursts and short, synchronized volleys swept down swathes of Ork Boyz who had just poked their heads out of the tunnel entrances, attempting to assault the Astra Militarum's defensive lines, like an iron broom.
Bolts exploded on the crude tunnel fortifications, sending shrapnel and twisted metal flying, effectively suppressing the green-skin surge.
Simultaneously, Vasily's A Team, like a drawn blade, plunged directly into the densest concentration of Orks at the tunnel entrance.
Their movements were swifter than any mortal could imagine.
Heavy Power Armor moved at high speed over the rocky ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
The Bolter fire was crisp and lethal, with almost no wasted ammunition.
Each burst precisely brought down a charging Ork Boy, the green figure collapsing or being incapacitated by the Bolter's impact.
The hum of Chainsword briefly rose then quickly subsided, signifying the clean and efficient dispatch of close-quarters green-skins by the power-driven teeth.
Mikhail followed closely beside Vasily.
On his helmet's optical display, red skull markers indicating threats flickered wildly in the tunnel entrance area, but as A Team advanced, these markers were extinguished at an astonishing rate.
He saw an Ork, shouldering a crude rocket launcher, just poking half its body out of the tunnel when Vasily's specially modified Bolter gave a soft pop, and the Ork's head, along with the rocket launcher's barrel, erupted in a flash of fire and smoke.
Another Ork Nob, wielding a massive choppa and charging forward, was instantly focused by the crossfire of two A Team brothers. A barrage of Bolts slammed into its crude armor plates, the immense impact force driving it back repeatedly, until a precise Bolt finally ended it.
The combat was efficient, ruthless, and hardly devolved into true close-quarters entanglement.
The pressure on the Astra Militarum soldiers visibly eased. They were able to catch their breath, reorganize their defenses, and redirect their firepower towards the more distant canyon entrance.
"Landing zone threat cleared! Rostov 17th Regiment thanks you for your support!" The Astra Militarum Commander's voice rang out again, this time filled with relief and genuine awe.
"Received. B Team! As per original plan, objective Eagle's Nest Rock! Immediately establish fire suppression point! Open a path for A Team!" Sergeant Ivanov's rough roar once again cut through the battlefield noise.
His squad quickly disengaged from their temporary firing point and moved towards the designated high ground.
"A Team! Objective Iron Jaw Canyon entrance! Move!" Vasily's voice showed no waver, clearly issuing the command on the A Team channel.
He was the first to turn, his movements fluid and swift, his Bolter once again shouldered, dispatching an Ork Shoota Boy peeking out from behind an entrance cover with a single shot.
Mikhail and his brothers followed closely, their heavy Power Armor boots treading on the solid but rubble-strewn and cratered ground of the landing zone.
The immense power of the MK10 surged into his limbs.
The tactical display on his helmet's optical screen instantly refreshed, and dense clusters of crude red skull markers once again poured out like a boiling ant swarm from the shadows of the canyon entrance and the crevices of ruins.
The Ork Boyz were massive, with oily green skin and bulging muscles. They charged chaotically, brandishing crude choppas, Sluggas, and even rocket launchers cobbled together from scrap metal and pipes, letting out savage warcries.
This sight was far more brutal, chaotic, and filled with raw vitality than any holographic projection in a training ground, but the rapid clear-out at the landing zone had instilled a calm confidence in Mikhail.
"Open fire! Suppress the green tide surging from the left flank! Clear a path for A Team!" The new recruits of B Team roared their response under Ivanov's command, and the synchronized fire of their Bolter and heavy Bolter erupted like a storm, dense explosions ripping through the charging Ork horde, temporarily curbing their insane momentum.
Mikhail raised his weapon, helping to clear out a few scattered green-skins attempting to flank A Team. A Bolt accurately struck the chest of an Ork Boy wielding a massive hammer and charging at the front, the high-explosive warhead blasting him to the ground.
"A Team! Target: the cluster of cover at the canyon entrance ahead! Clear obstacles! Chainsword ready! Charge!" Vasily's voice rang out again on the A Team channel, and simultaneously, the power sword in his hand activated with a hum, its blade instantly enveloped in a disruption field, emitting a high-frequency tremor and a chilling blue glow.
He moved like a silver-grey lightning bolt, charging first towards the crude cluster of cover made of scrap metal and rocks at the canyon entrance, which was spewing intense Slugga fire.
Mikhail suppressed the momentary trepidation brought on by facing such a savage sight for the first time, propelled his Power Armor, and followed closely on the Sergeant's flank, charging into the maw of Iron Jaw Canyon, facing the crude ammunition unleashed by the Orks.
The true tempering had only just begun.
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