"Vichis."
Charlie murmured the name as he looked at the fallen Space Marine's body, his gaze lingering for a moment on the ruined armor.
The brother who had been charging at the very front just seconds ago, trying to open a path to survival for them, now bore no recognizable trace of his identity.
All that remained on the ground was a charred outline and a slowly spreading pool of dark red.
Charlie tightened his grip on his Plasma Pistol. Without another glance at the body, he raised his eyes again, looking past the open door and sweeping the battlefield beyond, which was swarming with enemies.
Those dark figures were gradually tightening their encirclement, like a closing fist.
He turned his head slightly toward Nur beside him.
"Are you ready to die, son of the Eleventh Legion?" Charlie asked.
Nur raised his Bolter and took shelter behind cover.
He quickly checked his magazine, then reset the bolt.
He raised his head, meeting Charlie's gaze for a moment through his helmet's visor.
"It is my honor to die as a loyal son," Nur replied.
The battle began with Charlie's attack.
The instant Charlie leaned out of cover, the Sniper Bolters mounted on the augmented bodies of the Iron Hands Legion warriors fired automatically.
Those sniper weapons no longer needed their wielders to aim them. Linked to their masters' nervous systems, they automatically acquired targets through Fire-Control Chips implanted in their spines, locking onto Charlie's last position with mechanical precision.
The triggers pulled.
Bang!
A Bolt grazed Charlie's pauldron. In that instant, scorching air tore at his armor plates as the Bolt passed, followed by the sound of armor ripping apart.
The alloy surface of his pauldron split like paper, leaving a deep gouge that exposed a severed cable and sparking circuitry