Sea King Seven Operation
D-Day
The Drop Pod shook violently as it lurched through the Atmosphere. The piercing scrape of its metal hull sounded like a beast's roar, penetrating the thick armour and boring into every soldier's Helmet. The lights inside flickered, casting shifting patterns across helmets and Power Armour painted in Colchis colours.
The air reeked of fuel, metal, and sweat, charged with the peculiar, adrenaline-spiking tension that came before a great battle.
"Warriors of the Colchis Auxiliary Army!" The Master Chief's voice thundered through the cramped Drop Pod, drowning out the engines and the shuddering hull.
He stood beside the hatch, gripping an overhead handhold to steady himself. His other hand pointed toward the hatch as his gaze swept over the rows of soldiers ready for deployment.
"Today, we will liberate this planet! We will raise the banner of the mighty Word Bearers! Let those feudal Slave Masters cowering behind their fortresses see the wrath of the Imperium!"
A deep cheer rose from the soldiers, echoing through the sealed compartment and mingling with the roar of the engines.
Johnny sat near the rear, clad in a brand-new suit of Cissel-pattern Power Armour.
It was heavier than any model he had worn before. A matte protective coating covered its dark grey metal plates, and a vivid red cross was emblazoned on its chest.
Golden vine patterns extended from the ends of the cross, gleaming faintly in the dim light.
Short passages of Imperial scripture were engraved on the pauldrons, their lettering neat and clear. The accompanying chaplain had carved them overnight before departure.
A Triple-Barrel Rotary Cannon was mounted on his right arm. Its thick barrels shone with a cold metallic gleam beneath the lights, while an ammunition belt ran from its rear to the ammunition box on his