The Belly of the Beast

The hole that had opened up was not straight down so they managed to slide the ninety meters to the bottom. The tunnel they landed in was illuminated by a weak orange light. Due to their enhancements the space marines were unaffected by it. The tunnel was supported by steel beams and pipes that leaked steam at odd joints. One neophyte was killed in the fall; he was impaled on a broken rod. As the marines picked themselves up the source of their fall became evident. The beast that Matthew killed had rolled back down the tunnel and landed a few feet in front of them. When it landed it fired its cannon which blew the hole in the ground.
“Hmm, who's slacking now?”
“Don’t be a sore loser Tristan; it could’ve happened for any number of reasons.”
“At any rate, you got us down here brother and we need to get back out.”
“No, we’re down here and we need to do everything we can to bring the light of the Emperor to this place. Form up the squad and let’s move.”
It took no time at all for the space marines and remaining neophytes to regain their senses and because Templars have their weapons chained to their wrists none were lost. The dead neophyte was buried and marked so he could be retrieved later. The squad set off down the tunnel to see what evils they could vanquish.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The main force stopped halfway to the bunker to check their surroundings. They had slowed their retreat in the hopes Matthew would be rejoining them and when it was clear he would not they pressed on. However, they wouldn’t be going anywhere this time. Chaplain Mortimer stormed up to Castellan Reynald,
“Why did you order us to fall back?” he roared, his skull helmet menacing in his fury.
“The odds were not in our favor Chaplain.”
“It matters not; as the Emperor’s finest we never retreat or surrender. We left our brothers back there.”
“We have not left the field Chaplain…”
“You called a retreat before our enemies! You have shamed this company and the Emperor!”
“We have not retreated from the field!” This time Reynald could not hold back his anger. “We are regrouping and planning. We do no service to the Emperor if we are all dead when we could have lived and won.”
“Yes, but…”
“Chaplain,” Reynald stepped in so his breastplate was touching the chaplain’s, his voice dangerously low. “Marshal Tiberius appointed me for a reason, if you are suggesting I am not fit to lead take it up with him. And if you feel ashamed to be part of this company, I’m sure you can be transferred elsewhere.”
“Very well Castellan.” Came the strained reply, he turned and joined his assault troops.
Castellan Reynald let out a sigh and turned to survey the horizon and he was joined by Matthias and Martin.
“Your decision was wise Brother. Do not be angry with young Mortimer, he has much to learn.” Spoke the wizened dreadnought.
“We should return to the palace my lord; no doubt those are where the survivors are.” Suggested Matthias, Reynald nodded and voxed,
“Brothers, we’re going to the city. There we should find the entrance those beasts used to enter the palace.”
The marines jogged off towards the city.
It was a silent march.
Full of thought.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

What was once the Mines of Hadrac had been transformed into a hellish network of tunnels and large chambers. Some of the tunnels were shadowed by a darkness the space marines could not even see into. Some of the chambers were full of furnaces and smithies with unfinished weapons and what appeared to be armor plating. The majority of the mine was illuminated by a dull, orange light. The tunnels were lined with crates, barrels and piles of scrap metal. The squad had been walking for about an hour unmolested when Matthew called a halt. The marines were a few meters from a large, glowing chamber.
“I guess we managed to take all the wrong turns until now.”
“Perhaps Tristan, but now we need to move cautiously. Come with me, brothers follow behind but keep a distance between us.”
The two marines crept forward with their swords drawn and pistols ready. As the pair reached the opening they were horrified at what they saw. The cave was formed like a massive honeycomb with walkways along the many levels. Several cells were being tended by squat creatures on two legs with two arms that ended in three-fingered hands with hooked claws. Their heads were the same as the other monsters, no bottom jaw with sharp teeth surrounding a hole. Many more of these creatures walked along the walkways carrying crude halberds. Some of the cells had a mucus-like covering over their front while others had oblong fleshy sacs in them. The ones that had neither had a squid-like creature suspended in the middle of them. As the marines stared in horrified fascination one of the stumpy creatures carried an ork corpse to a cell with a suspended creature. As it arrived at the cell it was flanked by two of the guards. The creature stirred at the trio’s arrival and as the corpse was laid under it. Before the creature could withdraw from the corpse, the hanging monster attacked the bearer with its tentacles. The two guards beat at it until it let go and reached for the corpse. The tentacles wrapped around its head and began pulling into its mouth. As more of the ork was pulled in the back of the creature’s head expanded to accommodate it. When the last of the corpse had been pulled in, the hanging monster’s tentacles closed together and it dropped to the floor where it began secreting a slimy covering.
“By the Emperor, that’s how they did it and those big cells must be where they grow the big ones. I just wonder how they got so many.”
“I’m certain we’ll find out before we leave here Tristan. I’m sure our answers lay beyond the end of this chamber.”
“Right, so how are we doing this?”
“You and your squad take the two hundred on the left. Use the flamer whenever you deem necessary.”
“What about you?”
Matthew grinned before answering,
“I’ll take the two hundred on the right.” Before Tristan could reply he took up a position behind some crates.
As Tristan’s squad formed up behind him Matthew began formulating his plan. None of the creatures had noticed they were there. They had the element of surprise, now he had to see how best to use it. He found his answer just as a passing guard noticed them, and then three things happened at once.
The guard roared in surprise.
Matthew fired a plasma shot into the highest walkway.
Tristan and his squad charged forward and tore into the guards on the lowest walkway.
Right after he fired, Matthew holstered his pistol and charged forward. His shot hit the support cables for the walkway which allowed the end of it to swung down and smash into the walkway below it. This sent guards and nurse-beasts falling to their deaths. The collapsed walkway managed to tear a portion of the walkway under it loose which crashed into the third highest walkway. Matthew, satisfied with his work, shouted a war cry and charged the enemies that were swarming towards him.
Tristan and his squad were storming the walkways in the left of the cavern. With the exception of two neophytes, which carried flamers, all had holstered their pistols and were fighting with their various weapons. The marines would clear the guards from the walkway while the neophytes flamed the cells. Soon however the charge was stopped as the guards piled in front of and behind them. The crude halberds could do little to damage the power armor of the marines, but the lightly armored neophytes were receiving many cuts and slashes. One marine got sectioned off from the rest and had to fend off ten beasts by himself. Before his brothers could come to his aid he got pushed into a cell with one of the dangling creatures. Before he could grab his pistol it attached to his head and began sucking him in. Despite his struggles it succeeded in swallowing him and dropped to the floor. The guards roared for their small victory but it soon ended as a chainsword tore its way out of the beast. The emerging marine scattered gore and chunks of flesh as he charged the guards with renewed fury.
Matthew was holding his own even as more beasts descended to his walkways. Scores of them lay around him and on the ground where they had fallen. He was chanting litanies of fury as he hacked his enemies down and was making slightly more progress than Tristan’s squad. He had fought his way halfway down the walkway when a low roar came from two walkways above him. He looked up to see the lining of one the large cells being torn open. With a deep growl a huge beast pulled itself halfway through the lining. Without pausing Matthew drew his pistol and shot out three more support cables of the top walkway. It collapsed onto the one below it which tore out of the wall and crashed into the one below it. The walkway, already straining under the previous collapse, gave way. The amount of rock and metal, not to mention panicking guards, began a landslide that none of the other walkways could hope to stop. The sliding mass tore the newly hatched monster from its cell and caused many others to collapse inwardly. Matthew sliced one more guard in half before jumping the guard rail and rolling out of the way. As soon as he got to his feet the whole conglomeration crashed to the ground. He surveyed his work with a grin and turned to see how Tristan was fairing.
They had almost reached the end of their walkway with one neophyte dead and another seriously injured. As they reached the guards at the end Matthew came bounding up and helped them finish them off. As the last beast hit the ground Tristan looked from Matthew to the work he had done.
“You can’t resist showing off can you?”
“Turns out I got two hundred and one. The one decided to birth as my landslide came down.”
“Yeah yeah. Unfortunately we lost a neophyte and I don’t think recruit Hadrian will make it.”
“We will wait here with him. I hate to do it but we will bury them here and retrieve them when this is over.”
While the pair stood talking one of the surviving breeders dropped down and began crawling towards Tristan. The same marine that had been previously swallowed walked up to it and stepped on the end of its body. When it reared back to attack him he rammed his chainsword into its open mouth. Tristan turned to see what was happening as the marine withdrew his weapon.
“Disgusting.” He said simply and rejoined the squad.
The pair chuckled as another marine approached them, this time carrying a neophyte.
“He is dead.”
“I am sorry brother.” Said Matthew putting his hand on the marine’s shoulder.
The neophytes were buried and prayers to the Emperor were said. The marines that had been training them buried them solemnly and said their separate prayers.
“Brothers, we will avenge their deaths later. Now we must press on and continue to bring the Emperor’s wrath to these vile creatures.” Stated Matthew.
The marines and surviving neophytes formed up and fell in behind Matthew and Tristan. The group began their march again down the tunnel into horrors unimaginable. As they walked Matthew turned to Tristan with a smirk,
“So, how many did you get this time?”