Deathwatch killteam Ermenrich.

"Brothers hold the line" Sergeant Ermenrichs' voice rang across the vox.

His squad were holding what seemed to be a corner between two corridors, however onboard the Tyranid ship it could well be an intersection of veins or air tubes for all the sergeant knew.

He was no ordo-biologis thrall, he was Astartes of the Mentors chapter, currently in service to the Deathwatch. Around him his squad brothers laid down fire with their Bolt Rifle's into another swarm of Hormogaunts.

"Easier said then done Sergeant" Bretheren-Ceallach of the Red Templars replied, "here they come again".

"They outnumber us fifteen-to-one, good odds for any Astartes" Brother-Varius of the Minotaurs sang out, the battle fever upon him.

"True, but a son of Ithaka can best a son of Daedelos at these odds" Klepiades of the Iron Snakes called.

"Stop the chatter" the Sergeants rebuke sounded, "Gustav, check on the Techmarine and see what's taking so long".

"Aye sergeant" was the only reply of. The enigmatic Black Shield before he turned and sprinted away.

The area the squad was holding was the entry point into one of the main chambers said to control the hive ships living functions. Destroying it was said to be equivalent to destroying a creatures heart and brain in one go.

The Ordos Xenos had wasted no time in capitalising on the information annd launched the Deathwatch into action as soon as was practicable.

 Klepiades swung his rifle up as he realised, blasting a leaping gaunt from the air, it's blood misting before splattering on the others charging onwards.

For every one they took down there seemed to be another three to replace it.

"Is there no end to them?" He asked.

"Odds too much for you Snake?" Brother-Varius asked, the smirk on his face audible in his voice.

"Varius down now!" Klepiades bellowed and blasted away at the area Varius had stooped from. As much as they were rivals they were battle-brothers and looked out for each other. 

Sergeant Ermenrich watched with satisfaction that his squad was becoming a well knitted unit. He was fighting side by side with Bretheren-Ceallach, the Red Templar. Only his red shoulder pad bearing the white fleur-de-lis betrayed his originating chapter. The glossy black armour and solid silver shoulder pad of the Deathwatch stood in stark contrast.

"Gustav, what is the delay?" He voxed.

"The Techmarine is working sergeant, the devices spirit was offended by the rough treatment it expirienced upon arrival, he estimates thirty seconds" Gustav replied.

"Squad, form on me and retreat to extraction point alpha, Ermenrich to Sanctus Hope, prepare for emergency extraction teleport" he ordered and as one the marines swung to cover each other as they retreated a few steps at a time down the corridor.

Before them was a pulsing, writhing mass of Xenos, each creature desperate to rip and tear their way through the interlopers on their living ship.

Bodies, claws and chitin fragments flew through the air covered in the ichor of exploded Tyranids.

The squad came into view of Black Shield Gustav and the Techmarine.

"It is done Brother Sergeant, the device will detonate..." The Techmarines' vox relay cut off abruptly as scything claws dug through his chest plate.

"Damn you" Ermenrich cursed, "Brothers we have more to fight than Hormogaunts. Warrior beast's approaching".

Bretheren-Ceallach and Gustav fired greandes from their underslung launchers at the larger beasts, but the Techmarines corpse absorbed most of the blast.

"Ermenrich to Sanctus Hope, Initiate Teleport!" The Sergeant ordered.

He hoped that the Techmarine was correct and that the device would detonate as the world turned white with the teleporter flare.

++++

On the bridge of the Sanctus Hope, Inquisitor Delayth turned to one of the Ordos crew.

"Well? Report" she ordered.

"Auspex shows that the device detonated with sufficient force to vapourise one third of the forward section ma'am, the calculations were correct"

"Carry on" and she turned with a sweep of her cloak to greet her returning Deathwatch Killteam.

*****

A few weeks ago, I posted a work in progress picture of some Deathwatch Intercessors I had been working on.

Finally they are finished:

Nothing much to report, they've been painted in the scheme my friend used on his Titans. 

Namely:

Abaddon black basecoat.

Drybrush of Incubi Darkness.

Lighter drybrush of Thunderhawk Blue.

I wanted to go "Old School" with the red weapon casings to make them stand out from the black armour.

Likewise the silver shoulder pads were looking a little drab compared, so they got a further highlight drybrush of Stormhost Silver ontop of the Leadbelcher/Earthshade base.

Finally, the part where I was trying to push my freehanding skills a little.

The chapter shoulder pads:

(Everyone do the conga!).

From Left to Right:

Mentors Sergeant Ermenrich.

Minotaurs Brother-Varius.

Red Templars Bretheren-Ceallach.

Iron Snake Klepiades.

Black Shield Gustav.

I was originally going to include a Mantis Warrior and a Wolfspear marine, but try as I might, I couldn't get the symbols to look right.

So off came those shoulder pads, fresh ones were glued on and an Iron Snake appeared.

The Black Shield is kind of a get-out as I couldn't think of a good second founding chapter to go for and wanted the squad done and off the desk.

I'm not sure whether or not I'll add to these, they were just a fun painting diversion pulled from a job-lot I picked up off everybody's favourite auction website.

A 'Unit of 2+ models' box has been filled in, I didn't want to use this squad for the "Any model" box for this squad:

At least the dearth of post's is now complete and the grid has been started!

Until next time...

 - Lewis