assault on the Haslem line part 3

Operation Nesting Asps
Assault on the Haslem Line part3

Major Verrox of the Liskavian guard regiment tried to ignore the horrific screams emanating from the burning bastion.  Dawns light revealed to him the Stygian force bearing down on his front.  The loss of bastion was serious but the loss of his armored support was at the moment more so.  He barked orders and watched as the tech priests ran into action attempting to fix his armored units even as enemy fire hammered around them.

From above there suddenly came the sound of super sonic engines moving at full throttle.  A guardian stormtalon had somehow made it's way through the Stygian aircraft cordon in order to provide fire support.  Zooming in it went past the line of advancing vehicles towards a Stygian Manticore.  With it's assault cannons blazing it hammered and stunned the stygian artillery piece.

Major Verrox signaled his units to open fire at will.  On the Imperial right flank heavy weapons teams targeted a chimera.  Lascannon and autocannon rounds slammed into the apc's armor hull blowing chunks of it out and setting it ablaze as the squad within frantically raced out.  Chased as it were by the screams of the chimera's burning crew.  A demolisher tank targeted an oncoming devil dog light tank.  it's massive shell missing a direct hit instead blowing apart one of it's tracks forcing it to come to a grinding halt.

On the imperial left flank the Guardian chapter marines under tech marine Vollus saw the flesh hounds bounding for the center of the line.  They opened fire but as they did so a buzz filled their heads and most of the shots went wild.  Tech marine Vollus did not have a buzz in his head rather he heard a voice.
Remember me man thing?  I remember you and your agony.  it was exquisite and before the day is done I will sample it again.
Rage filled Vollus at the humiliating memories the thing dredged up.  The rage grew when he saw that for all their fire only two of the fleshhounds were down.

 Major Verrox then ordered the manticore which had been repaired enough to fire to target around the chaos bastion in order to silence the second manticore and eliminate some of the stygians overwatch fire.  Heavy blasts suddenly sprouted from the Stygian line as the rockets slammed into them.  Major Verrox couldn't see through the fire and smoke how much damage he was inflicting but he silently prayed to the Emperor it would be enough.

special thanks must go out to Chris Edstrom for all his help in creating this battle report.