Explosions ripped through the air.

A dull, monotonous crump noise filled the air as artillery pounded the walls of the fortress. Imperial Guard platoons stood to attention as they witness the mass bombardment; hoping that there wouldnt be much left of the fortress for them to fight. To the right stood more platoons however where the others wore carapace armour these wore simple flak board armour with a white X painted on the front and back. There were several thousand Penal soldiers, they were the worst scum of the Imperium; thieves, rapists, defectors and murders. All would repent their sins to the Emperor in death.

Shall we launch the attack now? the fat, overdressed General asked.

No the figure laughed, We havent even worked out their fields of fire, it would be ill advised to attack now.

But the artillery, there will be nothing left of them! the General argued.

We wait came a stern reply.

Perturabo raised his hand up as the General tried to argue more.

Send in the first Penal Legion Perturabo ordered.

The fortress they were attacking was built into a mountain. It consisted of several layers of rockcrete walls in a horse shoe shape. Each layer of the fortress was higher than the former. Towers rose like daggers into the sky, troops and gun-turrets littered each wall. Perturabo was in no doubt that there were many more troops hidden inside its vast armoured walls and that there would be artillery pits too. He expected a long and protracted siege; he would win however he was sure of that.

Foul scum, traitors of the Imperium, betrayers of the God-Emperor! the

stern Commissar roared, prepare to advance and regain your honour in the eyes of the Emperor through a glorifying death!.

The choir of destruction that was the Imperial artillery bombardment had ceased now. The bunkers that had existed at the base of the foremost wall were now reduced to rubble. There were two breaches in the wall; barely big enough for a dozen or so men to squeeze through; the Penal legionnaires wouldnt reach that far. Ten thousand men spread out, mimicking the shape of the fortress walls. Then their advance began. Slowly at first across the barren waste land.

The slow walk each Penal soldier was undertaking slowly turned in to a full paced run. Screams of profanities and praise towards the Emperor filled the air. Then the first explosion ripped through the air. More explosions followed as the mine field started to do its purpose. Some of the mines were so closely packed that just setting one off would start a chain reaction. Blood and body parts flew up in the air as the remains of the Penal soldiers fell about. The screams of the still living added to the sound of carnage, the groans of the dying playing their part in the cacophony of war.

Even as the first mortar shell exploded in a heap of dirt and viscera Perturabo smiled. He knew that the first shell was for the purpose of working out range, even if it meant the deaths of a few soldiers.

The siege would begin shortly.