Operation Terminus - The Movie

February 25 , 2005

1500points, Mission: Bunker Assault.

This was a suprise attack by a small movie (see White Dwarf 300 for full details on that list) Space Marine army on Goobaz mekshop.

On the bridge of Imperial battle barge Gulliman’s Lament, in high orbit over the planet Cerbous. Ultramarine Captain Aromatix smashed his fist against the view screen. “Damn those orks! They’ve not only shot the shuttle Zerberon, and probably killed the crew, but now they repelled and crushed the Imperial Guard recon in force that was sent out in response!”

Aromatix turned to face a holographic projection of the distant planet. The projection shimmered slightly in flux with the power, a defect that the techpriests were unable to resolve with their chants. The image in the projection showed a large structure, half ruined, surrounded by a variety of armored vehicles. All were Imperial in origin, and most disturbingly, all were covered with what his trained eye saw to be the smaller orkoids, or gretchin.

Aromatix stared at the image for a moment, and than looked across to the power armored soldiers standing in front of him. “You, Brother-Sergeant Jeremy, take your squad down to Cerberos and destroy this workshop. Most importantly though, destroy those vehicles. With the rife incompetence of the Imperial Guard so glaringly obvious, if the orks get those tanks running again, they will run over everything on the planet. That cannot be allowed. Leave no survivors.”

“As you command, Brother-Captain. For the Emperor!” With a salute, the hulking sergeant and his squad left the bridge to prepare themselves for battle.

Planetside...

Right on time, the bombardment hit the ork base, and Sergeant Jeremy watched in satisfaction as ferroconcrete and debris were blown into the air. Huge clouds of dust and smoke rose around the structure, and his enhanced hearing could pick up the sounds of screaming orks.

Speaking softly into his vox communicator, Jeremy ordered his marines forward to finish the job.

They advanced in a line abreast, their MkIII Rhino transport covering their left flank. Surprisingly Jeremy’s sensors picked up life forms, and lots of them, from the ork base, apparently the bombardment was less effective than he had hoped. “They know we’re here now, Brothers. Weapons clear and may the Emperor guide your aim.”

Sounding much like a giant sized zipper, the storm bolters on the rhino were the first to fire, tearing apart sandbags on the side of the main building, and Jeremy could see parts of the smaller orks thrown into the air. The other marines fired their bolters as well, each spitting out four shots that tore apart a mob of greenskins occupying the building top. Wielding what looked frighteningly like Imperial Autocannons, those orks were a high target priority. Their faith guided their aim though, and Jeremy could see more orks fall from their perch.

Still out of range of his own bolt pistol, Jeremy looked over at Brother Missicus, as he fired his two missiles, only to see both fly harmlessly over the building.

“Brother Missicus, it would appear that more time on the weapon range would be in order.”

“Yes Brother-Sergeant. I will recluse myself there upon our return.”

Having been shocked by the hail of fire, the orks were slow to respond. Large caliber bullets flew out at the marines, bouncing harmlessly off of their ceramite armor. Were he in different circumstances, Jeremy would have laughed as one ork, firing the identical missile launcher as Brother Missicus, had better luck. The missile left the launcher in frightening speed, only to bury itself three meters later into the back of another ork!

Jeremy watched in utmost concern as Brother Marine Brad Pitticus, whom the other marines called “Hero”, was crushed to the ground by what appeared to be a mortar shell, and his display indicated that Pitticus was wounded. Still lying on the ground from the blast compression, Pitticus was at least moving, so the Sergeant turned back to the battle at hand.

The marines advanced and again fired in unison, bolter fire completely wiping out the orks manning the top of the structure. The rhino added its fury, shredding more of the diminutive greenskins behind the sand bags. Brother Missicus once again felt the wraith of his sergeant as his two missiles once again failed to find their mark.

With justifiable concern, Jeremy glanced at the new threat signals showing on his screens. Sensors indicated one of the busted Imperial Guard transports was moving, headed behind a ridge line on the right flank. Sacrilege up sacrilege, it was followed by no less than an identical Rhino of their very own!

The marine had no time to curse the xenos, however, as his sensors picked up an even greater threat – another 20 life signs were detected in the back of the ork structure, no doubt the sound of fire and explosions were attracting them like the dogs they were.

The fire from the structure continued to hammer the marines harmlessly, the few shells that hit unable to penetrate the armor. A loud whoosing sound saw three ork missiles reach out towards the rhino, two of them missing completely. The third skipped off the top of the transport, ripping off the pintal mounted storm bolter that was in it's path. Stunned by this unexpected assault, the rhino immediately backed behind a close clump of trees while its crew assessed damages.

The marines continued their advance behind a wall of fire, totally clearing the top of the building of orks. Again, the sensors in Jeremy’s helmet went haywire, as he picked up the signal of three of the ork obscene attempts at creating mini dreadnoughts.

The walkers moved onto the battlefield, firing their weapons at the rhino. Rokkit and shoota fire raked the vehicle, but was unable to get past the armor and the Emperor’s blessing. The walkers charged forward and slammed into the side of the transport, rocking it but their clumsy weapons unable to damage it.

Perhaps more upsetting was the realization that another dormant vehicle had sprung to life, this one a very potent Leman Russ Demolisher! The massive battle tank swung it’s cannon around and the earth shook, as the shell landed square upon a brother marine. Again the Emperor’s blessing was upon the marine as besides being scorched, his power armor had saved him from any lasting damage.

On the other flank the Chimera moved up to bring its heavy flamers to bear. As it emerged from the ridge line, focused bolter fire from Brother Woolenious shredded the front armor, destroying a flamer and ultimately the whole vehicle.

The rhino backed away from the menacing ork walkers, it’s single storm bolter lashing out with a hail of lead. Two of them exploded in balls of fire, and the third seized in position, weaponless.

Surprisingly, a larger ork whipped a hoard of the smaller ones into action; Jeremy watched helplessly as they scrambled over the sandbags and totally swamped Brother Pedrus. The mighty warrior staggered and fell under a pile of green bodies.

“Croxious, support Pedrus” barked Jeremy into his vox unit.

“Affirmative” was the only reply, as the marine veered off, and swung into the melee. Jeremy was rewarded by seeing the fallen brother rise, and the two of them beat off the amazingly determined smaller xenos.

Jeremy and the rest of the marines advanced towards the building. Brother Missicus stepped up, and fired two missiles towards the demolisher. Chanting a prayer to the Emperor, the marine held his aim steady against the advancing tank. Two missiles fired on long smoke trails, and both struck home, detonating the ammo load and destroying it.

Behind the destroyed Chimera, Jeremy could see the ork driven rhino reversing direction, and than suddenly halting in place. The bolter on the rhino fired, but with orks behind the triggers, there was no damage to the attacking marines.

Steadily the marines advanced, until Brother Feuericus was close enough to apply the Emporer's cleansing flame to the foul Xenos.

As close as the marines were to the building, a number of orks vaulted the walls and landed before them .

Brother-Sargeant Jeremy and his squad paused – not only were the orks as big as a power armored marine but two of them were even larger. The smaller of the two had a mechanical fist on one arm, and the other, a giant of a creature, packed a spiked club the size of large child.

With a deafening roar, the orks charged the marines. The marines braced themselves, and with bolters swinging three greenskins died with their heads caved in as they charged. These weren’t the smaller orkoids though, and Jeremy watched in horror as Brother Cleftus fell to the giant ork, its massive club completely crushing his head though his helmet.

Behind him, Brother Missicus changed targets, lining up on the ork driven rhino that was grinding its gears horribly. His missiles launched, and ripped the rhino to pieces. Sadly its passengers had already unloaded, but the vehicle was defiantly no longer a threat.

The combined efforts of the marines was enough to take down the giant ork, and Jeremy could swear that despite the lack of functional limbs, the eye of the beast was still watching him

With the giant down, the remainder of the orks fell quickly to the marines. Jeremy himself dispatched the few living orks left in the structure.

The Brother-Sargeant called in the rhino, and supervised the placement of melta charges though out the facility.

Gathering up the fallen Brother Cleftus, the marines pulled back a safe distance

And than detonated the charges, destroying the structure, and more importantly, the captured imperial vehicles.

“Squad White reporting Brother Captain. Threat neutralized.”

“Affirmative Brother-Sergeant. Return to pre-set map coordinate Bravo for extraction.”

Sergeant Jeremy sat back against the side of the rhino as it bounced across the wastes. His eyes lingered on the fallen marine, and for a moment considered the mission’s cost.

Regardless, it was the Emperor’s will, and indeed, the xenos threat was neutralized....

Some distance away, strange whirr-click sound was barely audible above the continual explosions from the buidling. A metal hook siezed the top of a rocky outcrop, and a very singed and blackened form pulled itself up onto the ridge line.

The figure stared for a moment at the burning structure, its one natural eye reflecting the fire enough to match the strange red glow of its other bionic construction. Gooba da Mek turned, and started to walk away, acompanied by the whirr-click of his damaged mechanical limbs.

Gooba grumbled to himself a bit, but than the thought of all those nice bitz started to cheer him up. "Bitz bitz bitz," Gooba sang to himself, "bitz bitz, bitziti ,bitz. Bitz fer me, Bitz as far as da eye kan see..."

If you have the time, be sure to review the Making of the Movie Opeation Terminus. Its chock full of production shots, so be prepared for a long download!

'ere is dem nasty legal bits:

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