Chunks of masonry the size of their ground car's wheels rained from above, crunching into the pavement on in a cacophony of noise that merely served as a backdrop to the droning sound of cries and the rat-at-at of gunfire. Debris and dust swallowed the square in an apocalyptic swirl of despair. A wave of roaring triumph echoed from somewhere to their north, Zeb unable to comprehend more than that to his shocked sensibilities. His body was hanging by his car straps, ears ringing and the coppery taste of blood on his tongue. He wanted nothing more than to fall into nerveless oblivion, but he was too stubborn for that. As reality came rushing back, he started to cough violently, his lungs filled with smoke and soot. Blindly he groped for his strap's lock, undoing it after a moment and falling heavily onto the pavement. 

He saw the Commissar just getting her bearings, firing her bolt pistol as her long blonde hair billowed even as it was covered in tiny debris from the explosion. Had she been anyone else, he would have barked at her to stop shooting. As far as he knew, no arbites within a hundred meters was alive to aid them and her bolt pistol drew attention to their isolated position in an ever increasing sea of enemies. But with a will he quelled that act of cowardice and insubordination, grabbing his lasgun and rolling into the cover of the fallen car. In his position on his back, he saw a final chunk of masonry falling rapidly toward them. He kicked out at Katiya on instinct, shoving her to the left of the car as the debris hit the ground between them like a cannon ball from an industrial world. It was near the size of one too. 

"Ma'am," he croaked to her in acknowledgement. He groaned and got to his feet as quickly as he could, looking down the sights of his weapon from behind the fallen car. He half expected her to execute him for daring to shove her, but when he heard her bolt pistol discharging and he wasn't dead, he thanked the Emperor. Along his lasgun's barrel, a rebel ran screaming out of the dust with a live grenade. Zeb didn't hesitate, his Triplex Pattern Lasgun making a 'crack' as it superheated the air and sent the focalized laser into the rebel's screaming face, punching a clean hole through the heretic's skull even as it cauterized the wound. The body fell heavily and the grenade rolled out of his dead hand, blowing up the next man to run out in almost comical timing. Zeb didn't have time to appreciate the hilarity as autogun fire began to riddle their position, a round hitting Zeb in the upper chest and driving him on his ass. Groping for the hole, he was relieved to realize his flak jacket had kept it from reaching him. A small group of rebels assailed their position from the right, hiding behind the remnants of a large stone fountain. 

Suddenly wind hit Zeb and Katiya in the back as another concussive force reached them, the roaring sound following suit not a second later. Zeb hit his jaw on the door of the ground car, cursing ferociously. The guardsman turned and saw another plume of smoke rising from behind them. Flames leaped into the air, and for a moment he was afraid the rebels had bombed the capital itself. It was when one lone Chimera roamed into view from the smoke did Zeb realize they had attempted to block off any reinforcements from the capital. Luckily a Hellhound had made it past before their bomb had detonated, the massive vehicle's treds rolling loudly as it neared their position, its two autocannons swiveling and unleashing a torrent of slugs at the crowd of rebels sweeping into the square, but it's main weapon didn't fire until it rolled very close to them. A stream of liquid prometheum launched out of its inferno-gun cannon, melting the rebels behind the fountain within two agonizing heartbeats. Zeb could feel the heat from twenty meters away as if he was five feet from an open flame. 

A missile streaked out of the crowd, leaving a trail of smoke as it whirled past the chimera harmlessly. The autocannons roared in response, and Zeb knew even if the Chimera didn't get destroyed, the crowd was about to fling whatever explosive they had at it, and at them. 

"Orders ma'am!? We need to reposition!" He yelled over the chaotic tumult, switching to burst fire and discharging into the crowd at anyone who got close.
[@Penny]