Night Fight On A Wooded Path

     Being a dramatization of 1000 point Night Firght battle between 451st Cerberusian Armor Company commanded by M. Artemis Klench aka "Klench's Hammers" and a force of Black Templar Space Marines. The Battle was a draw. Each of us having one quarter and disputing two others.
     Heavy weapon fire reached out from the woods off the right of the road. Las beams and plasma jets lit up the night as they slammed in to the side hull of The Wrath of Cerberus. The mighty Demolisher lurched to a stop trailing molten plassteel. The left track assembly was wrecked, clawed fingers of twisted metal hung out the side of the tank. Following this came a missle. Chasing the trail of it's brethren the rocket sailed into the gaping whole. In moments lighting began to flash from within followed by a massive explosion. The ammo and fuel detonated flipping the behemoth forward onto it's back killing all aboard, it's mangled stomach exposed to the night sky.
     The 451st Cerberusian Armored Company halted. Artemis Klench scanned the surrounding area from the turret of the command tank, Steel Omen. Checking communications he barked orders to the rest of the column. The Battle Tank Baptism and the Hellhound Pyros moved into position to his front, keeping the wreck of The Wrath of Cerberus between them and the woods. Hellstorm the Griffon readied to suppress the enemy guarded by the Basilisk Thunderback. Battle Tank Absolution and the second Hellhound Imolus skirted in to woods using it as cover hoping to weed out the attackers with bolter and inferno cannon fire. If the enemy could be made to think the woods were not all that safe maybe they would emerge into to the waiting arms of the main columns ordnance.
     Hellstorm shuddered violently as it launched a shell into the supposed position of the attackers With a deafening whump the impact illuminated the surrounding area. Smoke and dead leaves blew out of the woods. With the light Klench detected a hulking two-legged monstrosity accompanied by a unit of infantry and possible some vehicles, maybe tracked. All units swung their turrets in the direction of the detected units and let fire. The chorus of battle cannons rung in the valley like a massive bell saturating the area with blast after blast. Imolus gunned it's engines and sped toward the target in hopes of getting it's Inferno Cannon in range. Pyros did likewise on it's side of the woods. Thunderback, not to be left out, fired it's EarthShaker cannon into the woods directly ahead of the wrecked Demolisher, hoping to clear some area. It's blast appeared to illuminate another squad of infantry, not a good sign for Pyros, who is now mere meters from them. The results of barrage as observed by Artemis seemed to be a destroyed vehicle, evidenced from the column of smoke rising from the flaming debris.
     Only the sound of tank engines could be heard following the dying echo of ordnance fire. Motors whirred as turrets swiveled and cannons elevated scanning for a target or waiting for retaliation. From the immediate woods came another rocket. Luckily it smashed harmlessly into the front of Baptism causing no damage. But, a gout of plasma erupted from the same spot at Pyros, blowing out the entire left track assembly into molten slag. Pyros thudded into the ground unable to move and get that Inferno Cannon any closer to the woods.
     Hellstorm lobbed another shell far into the woods attempting to weed out even more enemies. The blast silhouetting all infantry in the woods. Thunderback attempted to avenge his brother Pyros by answering the attackers with EarthShaker shells. No casualties were detected. Now Artemis noticed what seemed to be another wave of attackers coming down their side of the woods. Another walking beast escorted by infantry. Baptism and Steel Omen let loose their Battle Cannons at the new attackers, flinging some high into the air while further illuminating the walking monster. Absolution fired into the original target area were some enemy were still detected. The Battle Cannon shell smashed dead center into the enemy walker. It's chassis burst into fire, sparks and explosions forcing it to the ground a smoldering wreck. With this impressive display Absolution got a good look at the attackers. Heretics! It had to be. That very much looked like a dreadnought accompanied by space marines and maybe a tank or two. Artemis took this grim knowledge to heart. If this was Chaos command needed to be notified. This was very unexpected.
     Pyros feebly attempted to take some of it's attackers to the grave with it but to know avail. Rockets and Lascannon beams smashed into it's front armor. It's Inferno Cannon fuel tanks blew the tank in half with fire pouring out of every whole in the chassis. A flaming hand threw open the hatch but quickly disintegrated from the intense heat. The crew didn't have a chance of escaping. The oncoming "dreadnought?" let fire a hail of Lascannon fire and missiles into the front hull of Baptism jamming the drivetrain and shaking and immobilizing the majestic machine. Lascannon fire also claimed the Battle Cannon of Absolution. Imolus was also lost to Lascannon fire, esploding spectacularly into a fountain of flame wreckage.
     In an attempt to protect itself Baptism fired smoke to cloak itself in it's crippled state while Hellstorm and Thunderback fired shells into the oncoming attackers. The second dreadnought fell to the righteous might of the Cerberusian Armor Company, as well as one infantry squad. Mute as it was Absolution managed to mow down an entire squad with it's three heavy bolters leaving the enemy tank and it alone on the far side of the woods.
     Absolution never felt the return fire of the enemy tank. After some time the Steel Omen gunned it's engines along the woods keeping well back of enemy fire in the hopes of spotting any attackers for the artillery. None appeared to remain. Reaching the wreck of one of the dreadnoughts and upon closer inspection it seemed that they had just had a run-in with the Black Templar Space Marines. They were not known to be heretics. Was this a Chaos decoy or a miscommunication that led two loyal force of the Emperor against each other in the dark. Either way this would be a matter for the Inquisition to resolve and Artemis Klench and the 451st Cerberusian Armor Company "Klench's Hammers" felt confident they had done the Emperor's bidding.
End.

Night Fight On A Wooded Path

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