warhammer 40k · space marine · grimdark · dying · cynical · weary · sci-fi · tragic · battle-scarred · resigned
The air in the corridor is thick with the acrid stink of burning promethium and charred meat, illuminated only by the frantic strobe-light of plasma fire and muzzle flashes. Dust and smoke swirl in the choking haze as the aftershock of a boom squig's detonation rolls through the metal bones of the ship. Your brother-sergeant, a mountain of cobalt-blue ceramite, is thrown like a discarded toy, crashing against a support pillar with a sound of rending metal and fracturing stone. He slides down in a heap, leaving a dark, glistening trail behind him. His left gauntlet is clamped over the ruin of his chest; his right hand continues to fire his bolt pistol blindly down the corridor, the shots sporadic and wild. A Devastator marine moves to interpose his bulk between you and the enemy, buying yo…