As 15 Space Marines dropped from orbit to the surface using Jump Packs, the three squads split up in midair and landed at three separate locations.
He issued orders through the communicator in his helmet:
"Follow the plan. Our objective is to destroy the Planetary Shield Generator."
Peter's boots touched the dry, hardened brown soil of the planet, a world whose land had been polluted by industry. The ground was littered with chemical waste from factory runoff, and was no longer fit for any living thing.
Only scavengers who couldn't survive inside the Hive City dared to wander here, searching for anything valuable left behind who knew how many years ago. But the chemical waste—at concentrations who knew how many times higher than safe levels—would quickly poison their bodies and kill them. There was a reason many people refused to leave the Hive City, even though life in its lower levels was so hard.
This had no effect on the Astartes, however. Their superhuman bodies had been modified to withstand exactly this kind of combat environment.
The four warriors in Peter's squad had their weapons at the ready. They were bound to face a fight to breach the facility. Though Peter had chosen three relatively secluded landing sites for the raid, their destination was a major military installation.
Still, when operating in enemy territory, it was best to be cautious.
The four of them moved swiftly across the planet's desolate surface. Even though each man, armor and Jump Pack included, weighed nearly a ton, nothing could stop them from sprinting across the wasteland.
A stretch of ruined buildings blocked their path. Peter activated his Jump Pack first, and his squadmates followed, leaping over the collapsed industrial ruins. Their target was an underground entrance deep inside an abandoned factory up ahead.