War Eternal (Warhammer 40k RP/IC)

[Vogega]

Calaris Secundus
Soon, the sensor suite of the tomb world and the command room was fully operational. Overlord Ahtaten was in the command room issuing orders to the various small squads of warriors on the surface of the planet. Now, having emerged from the tomb, they were silently walking around the planet's surface. Not to investigate, but merely to attempt to lure the ancient enemy of the Necrons, the Eldar, into an ill advised attack. After all, the Eldar while tough, were no match for Necrons, especially when massively outnumbered.

Back in the command room, the Overlord responded to the newest threat to the tomb world by activating the Mace Core. From alcoves in the deep depths of the tomb, Destroyers came. Each glowing green with Necron power and hover bases engaged, they would have one mission: Kill everything non-necron on the planet when directed to do so. However, the other major component of the Mace Core was still to come. The Tomb Blades, stored in massive racks hundreds deep and hundreds wide began to awaken. As they awoke, more destroyers, this time heavy ones, came behind them before finally, the annihilation barges. Then later still, the Destroyer Lord Harsionakht. As before, the lord stopped before the Overlord after entering the command room.
The orders were simple, hold position inside the tomb. Tomb blades would scour the surface for the threat with orders not to engage.

The surface of Calaris Secundus was soon being covered in Tomb Blades scouting with two main areas being focused on. The one where the Webway had opened, and the other a massive immaterium presence. While the entire planet would soon be explored with the best locations for bases soon to be discovered, the Tomb Blades that approached the Oathbound had a more dangerous assignment. Massive Chaos Star Ships began to descend to the planet's surface. It was doubtful that the entire crew had fully oxygenated and pressurized suits, so a single breach could prove fatal to a whole host of enemies. Unfortunately, Tomb Blades didn't have the power to punch through the ship's voidshields, but the awakening Necron ships in orbit would be able to. However, the men patrolling the walls soon saw the distinctive Tomb Blades approaching. They scrambled to man heavy weapons on the walls while others shot lasguns at the blades. They Tomb Blades quickly veered around to make them harder and once enough data had been collected, turned tail and retreated. One of the blades took a massive amount of firepower and crashed, skidding across the ground before disappearing; returned to the tomb to be repaired.
The other main contingent of Tom Blades took one look at the Eldar warhost analyzing numbers and weapons, before fleeing to avoid being seen although that fact would remain unconfirmed.

[Cruxa]

Calaris Prime
Hive Lamar

The bolt of energy slammed into the hull of the Azrael, causing a massively impressive explosion. Ever so slowly, the ship began to sink out of the sky. The interior of the ship was in pandemonium; Captain Gregorius shouted her orders to the bridge crew, the sirens blared, the crew rushed to escape pods, the Marines boarded their battle-barges, and another explosion was triggered by the munitions in the bottom levels of the ships. Nose-first, the Azrael slammed into the ground immediately outside the Hive, sending up a dust cloud for miles.

Deployment site of Company Cassius and Knight Lucius Greyback

The Rhino transports slammed into the ground at high speed, and the doors opened slowly. A cry came from the Marines- "FOR THE EMPEROR! KILL THE XENOS!"- and the Astartes sprung out and opened fire on the cultists. Casings flew out of their boltguns, and the heavy-weapons Marines fired their autocannons and lascannons incessantly into the horde. The Knight fired his battle cannon at the hords of infantry, destroying them instantly and raining the Astartes with limbs. Chapter Master Andromedus watched with Captain Gregorius from the darkened bridge , and tried as best he could to remain in contact with the sergeants in charge of the units. Very few units were wounded into the crash due to a swift evacuation, but most of the crew had indeed perished. However, the Chapter Master had a feeling deep inside that the Emperor would lead him to victory.

On the bridge of the Vilius

The Vilius watched its fellow ship sink to the ground, and immediately began to bombard the guns which had shot upon it. Meanwhile, the Marines in this ship immediately deployed to assist their brethren, not knowing how many of them had been wounded in the crash. The Vilius' captain also tried to communicate with the Imperium Governor on the world, but failed to reach him. But soon, this insurrection would be quelled- for better or worse.

[Prevnina]

PDF & Police Armoury,
Hive Urilles, Calaris Prime

Trooper 974-12856-Ule looked out the small, shattered window to the street below, it was hard to see anything through the thick smoke and flames, but he knew that they were still out there. Survivors from a few Krieg units, local PDF men, armed police and a few dozen civilians were all crammed into the old armoury in the center of the hive, attempting to hold out against the tide of heretics, blasphemers and traitors who had taken over most of the city (as far as the trooper knew, they were the last holdout), and the enemies were giving no signs of giving up any time soon.

Trooper 974-14532-Kreiker was next to him, they were the only survivors of their squad, the rest had been massacred in an ambush in the sewers. "Can you see anything?" 974-14532 asked and 974-12856 shook his head, the last attack had been beaten back thanks to heavy use of a few of the Kriegers flamers, but now most of the buildings around the armoury were burning down. Hopefully this would mean the next waves of apostates had to wait until the flames died down before attacking, giving the Imperials more time to prepare.

Behind the two Krieg troops were a handful of PDF men and armed civilians, they were terrified as far as 974-12856 could tell, some of them had never even touched a weapon before today. "The Emperor Protects... The Emperor Protects..." one kept mumbling, over and over, as if trying to convince himself. So far only a few of the armouries defenders had been killed or injured, either hit while firing out the windows, or by the few heretics with heavy weapons managing to fire through the walls.

"What's taking so long? Have we killed them all?" a female in the uniform of the hive's police asked, but her hopes were dashed by a horrible, gurgling scream coming from somewhere outside, half pain-half rage, and soon joined by other warped voices. The Kriegers hurried to get up to the windowsill, where the 'projectile proof' glass had failed to live up to it's name, and aimed their weapons at the smoke.

"The Emperor Protects!" the PDF man squeaked, the gibbering cries were getting louder and it sounded like there were more heretics in this wave than any of the earlier ones. "Wait until you can see the whites of their eyes!" a Watchmaster shouted from a barricaded door on the other side of the room, and another Krieg trooper readied his flamer, for a moment Trooper 974-12856 wished he had a flamer, but any weapon that killed purged traitors was holy in the eyes of the Emperor.

"Our Father who waits upon the Golden Thone, hear our plea!" a civilian in bloody, tattered priestly garb cried out, he was the only survivor of the apostates raid on the Shrine, "Grant us the strength to defy your foes, grant us the will to ignore their blandishments, grant us the courage to stand before them, with your grace, we shall know no fear!", by the time he was finished the dark outlines of the first of the heretics were visible in the smoke.

"FIRE!" somebody yelled and at once the Emperors children began pouring laser blasts, projectiles and promethium out into the blasphemer-filled smoke. Trooper 974-12856 saw one of the dark shapes fall after he fired, but two more took it's place, these weren't the regular cultists they had been fighting all day, he could feel something in the air, something was going on, they were faster, seemed to take more two or even three hits to bring down, as they got closer some were visibly mutated, with horns, discoloration, a few looked unnaturally beautiful, something had changed.

Suddenly they broke through the smoke only twenty or so meters from the building, there were hundreds of them, "The Emperor Protects!" the PDF man was sounding more and more concerned, they were firing as fast as they could, somebody through a couple grenades into the crowd of traitors but despite the explosions and flying body parts there seemed to be no dent in their numbers.

"FRAK! We're out of promethium!" one of the flamer crews shouted, while the Watchmaster called for the Kriegers to fix bayonets, the bastards were getting closer and nothing seemed to stop them. They were still screaming, not in any language the Trooper could understand but undoubtedly in some foul daemonic tongue, "Burn the Heretic! Kill the Mutant! Purge the Unclean!" the priest shouted from somewhere in the room.

The Kriegers fixed their bayonets, while the PDF and armed civilians continued firing out the window, the bastards were close enough now to see their hideous mutations in vivid detail. "THE EMPEROR PROTECTS!" the PDF man screamed, projectiles and the odd laser was slamming into the walls all around the window, flying around their heads, one of the men was hit in the face by some sort of shotgun and fell backwards to the ground, his head vaporised.

"BY THE EMPEROR! A TRAITOR MARINE!" the Watchmaster on the other side of the room shouted, and the Trooper looked over for a second to see a mound of spiky, blasphemous metal ten feet tall literally kick the barricades aside, sending the troops flying. There was nothing he could do, because now the cultists were at the window, scrambling to climb up and into the room.

"THE EMPEROR PROTECTS!" the PDF man was crying now, the traitor marine was slaughtering the troops one after another and heretics were swarming in through the doorway he had opened. The first of the cultists climbed up to the ledge and the Trooper slammed his bayonet into the heretic and firing at the next, the other Krieger was also defending the window but their local allies firing foolishly at the Chaos Marine.

"There is only the Emperor, and he is our Shield and Protector!" the priest before the traitor marine bisected him with his chainsword. "FRAK, FRAK, FRAK!" somebody was screaming, and the cowering civilians were overrun by the cultists, "THE EMPEROR PROTECTS! the PDF men charged at the swarm of cultists, but didn't last long. The Trooper stabbed another heretic as it tried to enter the building, but there were too many of them.

Forced to retreat from the window by the mass of cultists, there was nowhere they could go but towards another lot of the heretics. With bayonets ready they charged the apostates, the Trooper stabbed one, two, shot another, bashed ones disgusting skull in with the butt of his lasgun, as he saw his partner dragged down by the overwhelming numbers, an unbelievably deep laugh thundered from the Traitor Marine, "Where is your Emperor now!"

The last thing the Trooper saw was a chainsword swinging at his face, too fast to dodge. The last defender of Hive Urilles had fallen.

[Ferak]

Hive Urilles

"No! Please! Please Emperor no!"

The Duchess screamed as cultists dragged her from the mansion, the latest victim in a long strain of looting. She had made the mistake of remaining loyal, swearing off the decadence of the upper classes and praying every night for an Imperial victory. She would pay the price for her virtue.

As the cultists were restraining her, they brought out the Duke - despite the title, a small-time noble that only owned a small segment of the upper hive. To the hivers, though, this alone was more wealth than they had seen their whole lives.

The ecstasy of the looting had frenzied the cultists, and the gang leader simply brought out an auto-pistol and shot him, rather than preforming an arcane ritual. The whole street was on fire, the unlucky residents at the complete mercy of the Cult. The Duke's body was not even disposed of, but his clothes and valuables were robbed of him, leaving him as just another corpse in the street, like all the other peasants that had died for years before.

Once the mansion had been thoroughly ransacked, the gang leaders remembered their ultimate prize.

"Hahaha. Ya got a lot 'a makeup doncha? How much that costcha? Bet dat was bout a month's pay for me."

The hive ganger cocked his stubgun.

"Youz quite pretty. Bet Zathoth would like ya fo himself. Aight boyz, take er downstairs. On to the next 'un!"

The Duchess screamed as she was dragged down to the underhives.

---

Hive Urilles had fallen. The Imperial regiments had retreated, and the PDF had either done the same or defected. Within the Hive itself, home to billions, the Cult was now unopposed. Upon realization nothing stood in their way, the cultists lost it. They saw this as divine proof that the False Emperor was indeed a fake myth, and the Imperial statues were soon repurposed to be statues of their faithful patron, the shrines desecrated and holy artifacts abused in the most unholy acts. While a few fortunate souls flew off on transport ships or hidden escape pathways, the Cults eventually took control of the AA guns and began to shoot down any aircraft leaving, and began to shell any train or vehicle driving off. The loyalists were now trapped.

Figuring they deserved the reward, Zathoth awarded the cults 2 full days of constant, unrestrained looting. The upper hives were completely pilfered, the denizens subject to unimaginable horrors. Even the Chaos Marines themselves partook in the pleasures offered, commandeering the mansions as their own so they would live a life of luxury even during war.

Daemonettes now danced through streets, putting on shows for the Marines and the cultists. Seekers roamed the plains outside the hive proper, eviscerating scavengers, refugees, and farmers. Warp portals were opened up across the hive, paid for with the blood of captives, and daemonic spirits were recklessly unleashed across the hive, twisting the land and rapidly changing the physiology of its residents even faster than before. The corruption was no long a subtle, insidious force, but an open perversion, actively tainting the land and the people that lived on it.

Zathoth, recognizing the worry that the hive would just be blasted from orbit, preformed arcane rituals on the AA guns and Orbital Defense Platforms, letting daemons possess the guns and fire with incredibly accuracy. However, they could not fire in a large distance, and while they could blast away ships right above them, they could not prevent reinforcements from landing elsewhere, even somewhat close to the hive.

With defenses prepared, and the hive under his full control, Zathoth pondered chasing the fleeing Imperial forces...but the Daemonettes called for his attention, and instead, he figured he and his children could afford a few days of....entertainment. As long as some loyalists remained in the hive, fun was to be had. He ordered the unveiling of his Warp tainted wine for the Cult at large, as celebration, and extended the reign of looting another 2 days.

Though his cult would love his revelry, this gave the Imperial time to regroup. An action Zathoth would sorely regret.

[Prevnina]

Hive Anaxes, Calaris Prime

Regimental-General Capelari entered the room, reports in hand, already present were the Governor Lord Ramiel Virian, several of his councilors, a few high ranking nobles, police and PDF commanders and one or two Imperial Guard Generals. "My report on the Urilles situation." he said briefly, handing the dossier to the Governor. In it was all they knew about the battle, the Krieger's fortifications and entrenchments around the hive after it's fall, and the chaos that was presumably going on inside the walls.

"How could this happen!" the Governor shouted at the Krieg commander, perhaps foolishly attempting to intimidate him. "The whole hive lost! Millions dead at least, who knows how many daemons and heretics on the lose!" the man with a toothbrush moustache ranted, the other men in the room looked used to it, but still frightened of the powerful nobleman.

"Sometimes the good must perish so that the rest survive." General Capelari paraphrased a well known proverb, "Urban warfare is a notorious drain on manpower, and we don't exactly have an infinite supply Governor.", one of the nobles asked how many men they had, "I lost almost a full detachment in Urilles, but the large majority of my forces remain, add to them the PDF, other Guard regiments, possibly some militias or armed police, we can stop the heretics, but not if we throw them stupidly into death traps like Urilles."

"What would you recommend then, General?" the Governor asked, his temper calmed down enough to listen to reason.

"I'm deploying my first and third battalions to besiege and/or retake Urilles, further reinforcements would be very much appreciated, the second battalion will stay as is, garrisoning Anaxes and other important hives. What you do with your men is up to you, but I would recommend keeping them ready, from the riots, bombings and disappearances we've been seeing in the underhives, this heresy could very well spread."

"Very well General, your opinion is noted. Dismissed!" General Capelari could only hope they made the right choice, a single mistake in a situation like this could see the entire world falling to Chaos, and there weren't enough navy vessels currently in the system to perform exterminatus.

[Parcia]

Shrine world
Lucyan Valera

The faint distress signal had been received, as well as the confirmation of the repaired on Lucian's older ship, the Farebanti, an aging Lunar class ship that had been in dry dock above the Shrine world for some time. As he sat aboard the bridge, the 200 troopers and 200 sisters sat in the ship's belly, awaiting orders to deploy.

Their plan, one conceived by the Inquisitor, the Cannoness Commander, and the trooper Commander, was simple, yet graceful.

The Lunar class ship would join what looked to be the Space Marine forces in orbit and assist them in their operations, while a strike force of Sisters, backed up by Harkonis, would drop in on the main shrine, take it and, should the Emperor will it, hold the line long enough for the Kreigers to take it.

Lunar class cruiser Farebanti
High Orbit, singular dry dock

The old ship creaked ever so lightly with the sudden lurch from her recently reactivated Plasma drives. Her crew was at 2/3rds its full compliment, the bare minimum needed to run her as there was a shortage of skilled crew among the local populace, none the less, it would have to do.
The warp jump to the Hive world was short, as most in system jumps were. The ever closing Hive fleet was sending pings of worry through the Inquisitor's mind.

He ordered the Jump to take place as soon as possible, and it did so...but it ended vary differently. As the ship came out of the short range jump, it found it self staring at a blue marble world, not the brown clotted world, but the Holly Terra like state of an Agri world.
"Report!"

The deck hand spoke up with fear in his voice "Sir, drive malfunction, jump was nearly half its length, we are over the Agri world of the system, planed designation "Bebanok." He was cut off by the alarm of the communications officer. "my lord, local PDF frequencies reports combat with a...blue skinned Xenos race..." "Sir, scanners are picking up multiple signatures in system, Xenos origin." The Inquisitor grimaced, if this Xenos were who he though they were. "Sir, scanners picking up traces of ION energy pulses!"

He cursed. "Bloody fucking hell...Bring us around, give them our bow and be ready to fire as many torpedoes as possible, have the sisters be ready to launch and the Harkonis ready to drop on m command."

The Tau had made the ballsy move to push in to the system, they had yet to see the might of the Inquisition.

[Korhal IVV]

Calaris Secundus
Soon, the sensor suite of the tomb world and the command room was fully operational. Overlord Ahtaten was in the command room issuing orders to the various small squads of warriors on the surface of the planet. Now, having emerged from the tomb, they were silently walking around the planet's surface. Not to investigate, but merely to attempt to lure the ancient enemy of the Necrons, the Eldar, into an ill advised attack. After all, the Eldar while tough, were no match for Necrons, especially when massively outnumbered.

Back in the command room, the Overlord responded to the newest threat to the tomb world by activating the Mace Core. From alcoves in the deep depths of the tomb, Destroyers came. Each glowing green with Necron power and hover bases engaged, they would have one mission: Kill everything non-necron on the planet when directed to do so. However, the other major component of the Mace Core was still to come. The Tomb Blades, stored in massive racks hundreds deep and hundreds wide began to awaken. As they awoke, more destroyers, this time heavy ones, came behind them before finally, the annihilation barges. Then later still, the Destroyer Lord Harsionakht. As before, the lord stopped before the Overlord after entering the command room.
The orders were simple, hold position inside the tomb. Tomb blades would scour the surface for the threat with orders not to engage.

The surface of Calaris Secundus was soon being covered in Tomb Blades scouting with two main areas being focused on. The one where the Webway had opened, and the other a massive immaterium presence. While the entire planet would soon be explored with the best locations for bases soon to be discovered, the Tomb Blades that approached the Oathbound had a more dangerous assignment. Massive Chaos Star Ships began to descend to the planet's surface. It was doubtful that the entire crew had fully oxygenated and pressurized suits, so a single breach could prove fatal to a whole host of enemies. Unfortunately, Tomb Blades didn't have the power to punch through the ship's voidshields, but the awakening Necron ships in orbit would be able to. However, the men patrolling the walls soon saw the distinctive Tomb Blades approaching. They scrambled to man heavy weapons on the walls while others shot lasguns at the blades. They Tomb Blades quickly veered around to make them harder and once enough data had been collected, turned tail and retreated. One of the blades took a massive amount of firepower and crashed, skidding across the ground before disappearing; returned to the tomb to be repaired.
The other main contingent of Tom Blades took one look at the Eldar warhost analyzing numbers and weapons, before fleeing to avoid being seen although that fact would remain unconfirmed.

Unfortunately, the Tomb Blades did not go unnoticed. In fact, when they were less than a few kilometers away from the Eldar base of operation, squadrons of Nightshade Interceptors, Darkstar Fighters and a quartet of Hemlock Wraithfighters came screaming from the skies above, plastering bolts of psychic flame and rending several Tomb Blades before retreating in a speed faster than the eye can see. The Tomb Blades might return fire, but the Eldar already knew from experience how to deal with such mechanical abominations. The Wraithfighters's D-Scythes launched bolts of solid death at the Tomb Blades, forcefully scrambling their electrical engrams and rendering several dysfunctional. Then, the Nightshades and Hellebores pounded them at an attempt to rend the machines to pieces, a testament to the Eldar's wrath. It won't be long before more Eldar forces cross the Webway towards Secundus, knowing that the Necrons might be too numerous for the initial force to face alone in this barren wasteland of a world.

Space

Meanwhile, more Webway portals opened. This time... a single Eldar Void Stalker battleship came forth, alongside a couple of Shadow Class Cruisers and 10 Hellebore Escorts. These are the reinforcements from the two Craftworlds, Etherias and Malantor. They have indeed heeded the Farseers's warnings... Only time will tell if these are sufficient.

"Autarch Kalos... We await your orders..."

"Land our forces to reinforce Ulthwe's warhost on the surface of the Tomb World... Here..."

"Understood..."

Calaris Secnundus

Near the base of the warhost, another webway portal opened, and yet another Eldar contingent came out of it, thereby strengthening the Eldar forces currently present. But this isn't over yet...

Somewhere else, a Falcon tank and a squad of Shadow Spectres is chasing a squad of Necron warriors... But they know that they shouldn't stray too far from the base. Or else...

[Vahltunskhja]

++ACCESSING DATA-LOOM XCIV-Σ
++ESTABLISHING LINK...

Admiral Ulvra Amarok - - - Message to the Fleet

Upon our arrival at Calaris Prime, I expect all ratings and officers to conduct themselves in a manner befitting servants of the Emperor and men of the Imperial Navy. While you have all earned a short stretch of rest, remember that the enemies of Man do not sleep. This may be a peaceful system by the standards of our great and unwavering Imperium, but such regions turn a voidsman soft and erode his sense for danger. Remain vigilant. Even in the brightest corners of the Imperium lie shadows and treachery waiting for a lapse in watchfulness. Enjoy this brief respite from our journey and give thanks to the Emperor for safe passage. Trust in Him, for He is the light that guides Mankind.

+++ Thought for the Day: "The Navy is the Imperium's Shield, as well as its Messenger. The Emperor speaks through our guns." +++

- - -

Oh Eternal God-Emperor, preserve us from the perils of the Warp.

Massive blast doors grinded as they lowered over the viewports, purple tinging the darkness of the void without before shadow settled over the interior of the ship. All was silent except for the distant roar of plasma drives, the blinking of cogitators, and the scrap of metal against metal as techpriests silently went about their work. Marcus raised the small aquila he wore around his neck to his forehead, rising to his feet and meeting the multiple glowing green eyes of the Chief Engineer, who clicked irritatingly at him in his spider-like manner.

"Captain Anacletus." The man's voice was artificially deep and garbled, his vocal chords long ago replaced by Emperor-knows what short of circuitry and electrics. "All systems are operating sufficiently, Omnissiah be praised. Awaiting your order sir." A mass of tubes and cables poured fourth from the tech-priest's throat and hung over a pale, slackened jaw, unused for centuries. Anacletus nodded at the twisted mass of humanity before him and swept his eyes around the bridge, his scarred face lit by monitors and displays. "All hands, brace for Warp Jump. Helmsman - ease us in."

"Aye Captain!"

The whine of the ancient Warp Drives aboard the Triumph of Adralkis reached the bridge, Marcus Anacletus closing his eyes as he wrapped his hands around a railing and prayed to the Emperor. The Navigator's three eyes rolled back into his head as, with a lurch, the Imperial Navy cruiser and its two escort ships slipped into a realm of madness. Reality cracked and writhed as the ship and all its crew vanished from realspace, then all was returned to the cold silence in the expanse between stars.

Chaos and death awaited them on the other side.

- - -

"Admiral! We're pulling out of the Immaterium!"

"All hands, brace fo-!"

The warship groaned and metal shrieked as it was wrenched back into reality, barreling out of the Warp at a haphazard angle and reducing a field of scattered space debris to atoms. Men throughout the vessel scrambling for a handhold, and the bridge lit up with a chorus of alarms and tortured screams. A tech-priest let out a string of distressed ones and zeroes before crawling to his feet, metallic tendrils a blur as he input commands and checked vital vital systems. "What in Terra's name happened?" yelled out the helmsman as he panted, having managed to get the ship back under control and now struggling to righten it.

"Geller Field is intact, our Void Shields are holding - Astropathic communications aren't responding! Neither is the Navigator - oh. Oh, volkk me..."

"No signs of hostile forces Admiral, we aren't about to be ambushed- wait, where's the... Admiral, the rest of the battlegroup isn't with us!"

Two watchful eyes looked from a dark-skinned and deeply seamed face, the glinting metal of a uniform reflecting the rapid blinking alerts of the monitors. The Admiral appeared only partially interested in the proceedings before her, the methodical tapping of a sinewy finger against her temple betraying a flicker of concern as she spoke in a flat tone. "Status report, First Leftenant."

First Lieutenant Demetrios winced and rubbed his head where he'd slammed it off a bulkhead, patting a sparking tech-priest in the shoulder as they twitched in pain at the comms post. He walked up the short flight of stars up to the platform where the Admiral sat on her Command Throne looking down at him expectantly. "We've dropped out of the Warp unexpectedly. The charts indicate we're far off course... Astropathic communications have been interrupted. The Unyielding Hand and Mactabilius are gone, but we've picked up what we believe is the Bastion of Will and her escort on the Auspex."

A grinding rumble went up around the bridge as the blast shields were raised, a distant sun sending jagged shadows through the room as the towering plasma-glass windows revealed a the vast emptiness of the void. The Admiral frowned, rising from the flat metal of her seat and surveying the view. "It doesn't take a Carto-Artifex to see that we are not at Calaris Prime." The Carto-Artifex himself huffed as he examined the hololithic maps, his assistant running a hand through her hair in frustration as the bridge crew attempted to triangulate the ship's position. Off course and somewhere in the Calaris System was the only solid answer they could give, and that they were even still in the same sub-sector was an optimistic assumption.

"Lieutenant, sir! It's the Navigator. He appeared driven to lunacy, and then..." A young officer paused halfway up the stairs, looking up at the Admiral and First Lieutenant with a pale face. The Admiral gave him a expressionless look as Demetrios pushed past him towards the Navigator's post, the slackness of the mutant's hand on his chair confirming his fears. A Midshipman wretched somewhere in the background as he stepped slowly around to the front of the corpse, coldly looking over the tortured expression that deformed the bottom half of his face. Streams of blood poured from empty eye-sockets, and the top of his skull had burst across the headrest. He glanced up at the Admiral as she descended from the raised platform holding her throne, his nod only confirming what she already knew.

"So we're blind, then, to the Astronomicon's light." Demetrios pursed his lips and turned from the body, flickers and sparks of vestigial psychic energy accompanying the man's post-mortem twitching. The Admiral stepped past him as he was lost in thought, pulling him from the dark clouds gathering in his mind. "Admiral?"

"The Astropaths. Vox is down with the Choir. You have the bridge, Demetrios."

Demetrios watched the Admiral's retreating back as dread descending on his heart. He turned to meet the expectant eyes of the bridge crew, knowing the Admiral trusted him with her flagship, the Schiltron, more than any of the thousands of other souls aboard. This faith would not be compromised by his mounting uncertainty. "I want our other ships on the vox, whichever are still out there. Without comms we'll be unable to get the fleet organized again." He voiced a silent prayer to the Emperor for his comrades aboard the missing ships and most of all the now isolated and almost certainly imperiled patrol group lost somewhere in the system. The bridge crew set to work at their stations as Demetrios strode among them, apprehension lost in the certainty of action. Whatever had happened they needed answers. The indefatigable Imperial Navy would have been brought to its knees long ago if one bad Warp Jump could shatter a voidsman's will, after all.

In the solitary confines of the bridge lift, flanked by two Naval Security Armsmen, the Admiral Ulvra Amarok mulled over the unfolding situation. Lines crossed the woman's face, dark skin cracked by decades of battle and the stress of life among the stars. Her hair had been as white as the snow of Inwit, her homeworld, long before she should have been considered elderly. Now, kept in the fight with augmetics and minor rejuvenants, her mind sharp after nearly a century of service, she felt a paradoxical mix of grim satisfaction and great dread. She thought back to the Lord Admiral that had sentenced her here to spend the last of her years of service to her Eternal Emperor in the Agrippa sub-sector. To many Imperial Navy officers being sent to such a backwater sector without strategic value or the challenge conflict would be years of boredom at best, paramount to mild torture. For Ulvra, she had been facing entropy, stagnation, and the promise of withering in a slow death. But now the rumours of unrest in the Calais System had blossomed into a grave threat. There was work to be done, and the call of danger familiar to the hearts of voidsmen and soldier alike throughout the Imperium brought her renewed purpose.

The lift clattered to a halt, the Admiral stepping out to a series of salutes as she made for the isolated sanctum of her ship's Astropathic Choir. The sounds of despair and hopeless, maddening wails sent shivers down the spines of the men with her.

Making her way past a group of pale warrant officers and petty voidsmen, the Admiral stepping into a scene of pandemonium. Astropaths lay bleeding from their orifices, clawing at their ears or blankly staring into the abyss. Others wailed and muttered in the throes of madness. Stepping carefully among the pskyers, Ulvra searched for the faces of her immediate subordinates. A Naval Armsman pushed a trembling robed figure onto their back and the blood-soaked blank stare of the Choir-Master greeting her without recognition; the Admiral gazed down at the man driven mad before something grabbed her from behind with a cry.

"They're coming!" The astropath's pale, frail hands clutched at the Admiral's uniform, her unfeeling left hand painfully gripping her arm. The girl's blind eyes searched in a panic as the admiral seized her shoulders roughly, speaking as calmly as she sank to her knees. "Morrigan! What is it? Speak girl! What's happened?"

"There is something out there! In the Warp!" The trembling, desperate words of the psyker fell from her lips as a hoarse whisper, the exhausted young woman nearly sobbing as she spoke. "A shadow- a vast shadow! Endless! I can hear them in my head, scratching around - they're coming! They're coming here!"

"Get her a sedative. Take her to the medical bay." As the woman's fingers were gently pried from her uniform by two petty officers, Admiral Amarok rose to her feet. Her face was cold as she watched her Chief Astropath dragged away past the screaming and wails of her shattered Choir.

There was a tense stretch of silence as the Admiral returned to the bridge, following the shout of "Admiral on deck!" Demetrios looked to Ulvra, the sense of deep unease settling over him once again. "Orders, Admiral?"

Ulvra was already punching commands into a data-slat, handing it off to a tech-priest as she spoke. "Our capacity for Warp travel and inter-system communications have been lost. This sector is under dire threat, and we are the only Imperial Naval forces available to respond at this time. Have you contacted the rest of the fleet and located our position?"

"Aye- to an extent. We're currently not all that far from our destination - we should be able to reach Calaris Prime in a few days travel. Bastion of Will and Proschemata have been contacted and are headed to our position. We should meet up with them in a day at most - they both report similar carnage among their psykers... Bastion's navigator alone apparently still retains his sanity. As for Captain Valcullen and Captain Anacletus, we can only hope the Emperor guides them to safety."

The Admiral sat in her Command Throne, resting a finger on her temple and casting her eyes across the status monitors. "Our situation is grave, but not lost. The next patrol is not scheduled to come through here for a month or so, and we cannot rely on the promise of the Battlefleet coming to Calaris' rescue. If the Warp is closed to our ships and our psykers, reinforcements may not arrive at all. Our priority now is to hook up with what Imperial forces we can and find out where the system stands. If communication or transport to the outside can be reestablished, it won't be done without aid." The First Lieutenant nodded gravely as the Admiral shut her eyes for a moment, crow’s-feet tracing out from beneath her furrowed brow. "Raise the fleet alert level and get me a channel to Captain Cornelius Vorikes. Helmsman, make with all hast for Calaris Prime. Demetrios - inform Fleet Commissar Sekra he has been granted extended privileges. He'll know what that means." Demetrios thought this sounded rather ominous but nodded and stepped off to deliver the news as the Admiral was linked to a static-filled vox channel with the last light cruiser in her battlegroup.

"Admiral Amarok! Thank the Emperor." Captain Vorikes' voice echoed forth from the depths of space a few moments later, somewhere many hundreds of kilometres off to their port side. "We're a bit worse for wear here, but otherwise ready for action."

Ulvra received the captain's words with satisfaction. The Schiltron was not yet alone in the void. "Captain, it is heartening to hear your voice. We have little time - I first must speak to your Navigator."

"Right away my lady." The captain disappeared, replaced by the gravelly voice of who she assumed was the Navigator in question. "-A splitting headache - who was it aboard Schiltron, Cornelius? Barrik? His head popped like a cork, did it - not surprised! House Malaspina is not to be trusted with general dealings or with positions requiring competency, I've always said. Frog-faced old fool-" Ulvra interrupted the grating ramblings on the other side of the line, irritation apparent in her voice. "To whom exactly am I speaking?"

"Ah! Navigator Primaris Igarast, at your service Admiral!"

Rubbing her temple as she spoke, the Admiral continued. "Navigator, you are to be transferred to the Schiltron. Effective immediately."

"Very well! Not sure what good you think it'll do; the Light of the Astronomicon is beyond even my reach... But at least I'd be better to have aboard than Barrik! Malaspinian buffoons couldn't guide a cart of grox dung through an agriworld market-" The channel closed, the split-second of silence before the Admiral's hand hit the button to end the call making her wonder briefly if Vorikes hadn't beaten her to the punch in an attempt to spare himself the embarrassment. "I seem to recall Bastion's captain complaining of an eccentric Navigator at some point... no matter. Open a fleet-wide channel."

"Aye Admiral."

In hellish engine rooms and grimy quarters throughout kilometres long warships making up her fleet, Ulvra's voice carried over countless voxgrills. "Men of Battlefleet Vaaron! This is your Admiral speaking!" Men awaiting news of what had befallen them looked up from their work momentarily, eager for any word from above. "A grave threat has revealed itself to this system, and to the Imperium. The Emperor expects every man to do his duty, no matter what perils the enemy has in store of us. The lives of these worlds are in our hands, and the honour of Mankind rests on our shoulders. We will not be broken and baffled by machinations or Warp-treachery. We are the Imperial Navy! We are on our own, and we shall fight and find victory on our own, as we have for millennium. The Emperor Protects."

"THE EMPEROR PROTECTS!" was the cry throughout the scattered fleet, from the most highborn of officers to the ratings toiling in the depths, their fists clenched in faith even as they died in droves. Perhaps somewhere in the void this same cry was echoed by the crews of Battlefleet Vaaron's missing ships. "An inspiring speech, Admiral!" The First Lieutenant beamed as Ulvra closed the channel, the roar of the Lunar-class cruiser's Jovian-Pattern Plasma Drives reaching a crescendo as the Schiltron accelerated to All Ahead Full.

"Shut up Demetrios." She was trying to think. What weight did these oft paraphrased words have really, unless she had the realistic means to back them up? The Shadow in the Warp had descended over them, that was painfully clear. Untold and unknown terrors were flooding into this system, and the chance of help from outside was slim. Tyranids, at the very least! - and those who knew even a fraction about this xenos scourge would tell you if a Hive Fleet's approach was only one of many possible threats to a sector, the fate of all within could be spared only by some miracle of the Emperor Himself.

The Emperor protect us all.

- - -

A weak, encrypted vox-signal pierced the void surrounding the embattled planetary capital of the Calaris system, ship-board sensors flooding with chaotic and garbled scraps of military and civilian communications.

"This is forward elements of Battlefleet Vaaron to any Imperial forces, can you read? We have lost contact with allied units, requesting situation report before arriving at Calaris Prime. Repeat, this is the Schiltron. Can you read us?" Communications officers and voidsmen waited with baited breath, eager to find out what was going on and hear from their allies after the uncertainty and silence of the last few days.

[Stasnov]

Calaris System
Calaris Prime, 200 kilometres from Hive Urilles
284th Cadian Shock Troops
0834 hours local time

---

Commissar Kvirov inspecting the troops after landing

The planetfall of the 284th Cadian was relatively smooth. The large Tetrach Heavy Landers launched from the hangars of the four Navy troop transports in low orbit, and landed in an open field - more of a wasteland than en open field - about two hundred kilometres south of Hive Hive Urilles. Wave upon wave of transports came down from orbit, their bays unloading Company upon Company of the Regiment. The mechanised infantry marched down the ramps along with their Chimeras, their faces hidden by respirators beneath their Aquila-Pattern helmets, while the crews of the Armoured and Artillery Companies drove their tanks into the open. First out of the transport were the Recon Company, along with the 4th, 5th Mechanised and 2nd Armoured, and quickly scrambled to establish a perimetre around the landing zone. More units followed; the rest of the mechanised, armoured and artillery units, the Kasrkin Company and last but not least, the hulking beasts of the 18th Independent Super-Heavy Tank Company.

No permanent base was to be established. The 284th was a mechanised Regiment and they were to take full advantage of their mobility. A temporary base was hastily built. Large blocks of tents, by company, were being set up to house the men, while the tanks and other vehicles were covered in camouflaged nets. They were to stay in the camp for one night, and pack up and leave for Hive Urilles early in the next morning. Kyricus, along with some Guardsmen for escort, passed by each Company's camp and blessed them, the men kneeling before the elderly priest as he chanted with his deep voice. When the priest was finished, like most times before battle, one by one the Guardsmen had private audiences with him, seeking comfort in his words and confessing their sins.

The largest building in the camp was by far the twenty metre tall communications relay tower, located in the middle of the camp, right next to the Colonel's field HQ. It was operated by the Guardsmen of the Signals Company, and its purpose was to allow the Regiment to communicate with the transport vessels in orbit and other Imperial Forces in the area. It didn't have the power of static relay stations of the Guard, but it was all the Regiment had for now in terms of long-range communications. It towered over everything in the camp and was protected by the full 2nd Anti-aircraft Company, its nine Hydra self-propelled anti-aircraft vehicles dug in around it.

Colonel Hayden was in his personal tent, along with Commissar Kvirov and the commander of the Recon Company, Captain Gregor Malkan. Like all of the tents in the camp, it was sealed against the rotten atmosphere of Prime with protective coating and large blast doors. It was refreshing for all of them to get rid of their respirator masks after all the hours it took to set up the camp. The four men were gathered around a table in the middle of the tent. They were studying a map on the table, a map of the area around the hive. Expanding to a 300 kilometre radius around the Hive, the map was drafted by what little orbital reconnaissance assets the transport ships could provide, and the extremely limited information Staff Major Usiel could secure before arriving to the system. Their specific point of attention was a large highway leading to Hive Urilles, named I4.

"The entire column will be some five kilometres long" the Colonel was speaking "Malkan, i want two of your Scout Platoons with a Sentinel Squadron to take point as the forward element. Two kilometres from the main body. Your remaining Sentinels will act as flank security elements, one to the left and one to the right of the convoy"

"Understood sir" replied the Captain.

"Now, the 1223rd Kasrkins will be on board their Valkyries, and will provide aerial cover for the main body of the Regiment, and a quick reaction force. One of the birds will be assigned as your aerial escort, and it will be under your command. We went through hell to secure these Valkyries and their crews from the Navy, so use them well. Without any Navy Battlegroups in the area, these are the any air support assets we'll get." Hayden turned to face Kvirov "How are the men?"

"They are fine, sir" the Commissar replied "A trooper from 8th Company broke his leg as he and a squadmate were carrying a autocannon ammo box, and is currently being treated by the medical personnel. That's all for now"

"Which Platoon?"

"I believe it was 3rd Platoon, Colonel"

"Yoger?"

"Y-yes sir, Trooper Anton Yoger" Kvriov replied, somewhat stunned at the Colone's exact prediction.

Both Colonel Hayden and Captain Malkan laughed. The Commissar looked baffled. Kvirov was a new-comer to the Regiment, he barely knew the men. In contrast, the Colonel knew most of them, especially the ones from his old unit, the 111th Armoured. Trooper Yoger was known for his flimsy, weak hands. He used to be a regular guardsman before being re-assigned as a loader to an autocannon team in 8th Company.

"Yog is a good shot, but you can't really trust him to carry things" Malkan explained "He almost droped a live gren-"

A knock on the door interrupted the Scout Captain. Malkan walked up to the protective door and opened it, revealing the decompression room that separated the external door from the tent's interior. Colonel Bergen stepped in the tent. He looked like he was in a hurry; he hadn't even taken his respirator mask and helmet off.

"Colonel, you need to hear this"

---

"They broadcasted just a minute ago, sir. The message was relayed to us through the transports in orbit"

The vox-operator explained to the four officers. They were in the base building of the communications relay, a small metal box filled to the brim with cogitators, vox devices and other electronics that the Colonel didn't know the details about. The message came in strong, and Hayden could hear something in the senders voice. Angst? Fear? He wasn't sure. And he didn't care. This was one of the ships of the Emperor's Holy Navy, and they would provide the with any assistance they could. If they managed to get to Calaris Prime, they could even provide them with some fire support.

"Can we contact them?" Hayden asked the vox officer

"The troop ships can relay our message to them, Colonel. It will have a delay of some 20 seconds, but it will get to them"

"Good, patch me through"

The officer hit some buttons and adjusted some settings. He handed the Colonel his headset.

"You're on, sir"

"Schiltron, Schiltron, this is Colonel Iskar Hayden of the 284th Cadian Shock Troopers Regiment, Imperial Guard. We read you loud and clear. We are located on the surface of Calaris Prime. Our transports are currently stationed in low orbit. How copy, over?"

[G-Tech Corporation]

Corridor Lehal-61, Subsector Cariman, Manufactotum District, Hive Anaxes, Calaris Prime

The Genestealer idly kicked one of the severed heads bearing death-masks and rebreathers away, alien eyes scanning where the gangers had ambushed the lower patrols. These new humans were different than the PDF, which had in many places been so invested by the forces of the infected and the Cult that it might as well operate as an extension of the will of the Primarch. They had discipline, and died where they stood howling some sort of words even in the face of annihilation. Several brood-brothers had this squad cost the Cult, flimsy humans swayed by the words of the fanatics leading the Cult formations which had been eviscerated by precise firepower and a blazing gout of flame.

Before the Genestealer had encountered such weapons. Or, rather, the lineage it traced had done so. They kindled flesh like straw and burnt away even the clawed purestrains of the infestation as if no more durable than a pathetic whelp. But they were few, and isolated, and the Cult had numbers beyond reckoning. To sacrifice a half dozen of those not even truly affiliated to the Cult of the Star-Brother was nothing in order to slowly purge these interlopers from the lower hive. Gradually the patrols ceased reporting back, ambushed by increasingly bold purestrain Genestealers who were ever so much more lethal than the mutants and desperate souls which the Cult had taken for its own.

Harithoth Mountain Range, Calaris Tertius

Far below the snowcapped peaks of the death world men called Calaris Tertius, and which the Feral Orks called Da Big Green One, the Norn Queen had made her home. Through a myriad of countless tunnels bored by things without names that men dreamt nightmares of the capillaries were forming, immense towers that rose from the depths of the earth towards the consumed surface above. About the progenitor of this strain swarmed many creatures great and small, from her chariot that was the Dominatrix which could only enter through a few of the largest delvings, to the innumerable hordes of Termegaunts and other weapons of war that the spawning pools vomited forth.

Above the world was dying. Where hordes of Gargoyles passed they blotted out all light, and from the tunnels issued forth swarms beyond measure of things that flew, ran, and shambled in to the rich vegetation and biomass that had been gifted to her by the Hive Mind for a feast. Already now a great amount of one of the continents of that Death World had been stripped bare of all life, even those rocks and soils that could be incorporated in to the macro-organism of the Tyranid race having been scoured from its surface. Capillary towers touched the lower atmosphere, filtering micro organisms from the very air even as the spawning pools at their bases received biomatter to pump through many passages to the Queen.

From orbit now the signs of the Tyranid presence were multiplying, for the barren wastelands of where the creatures had passed stood in stark relief against the green lush acreages still remaining. A passing warship could have slain multitudes of creatures of the Splinter Fleet with ease, but that concerned the Hive Mind but little. Content with the fleet that been spawned beyond the eyes of men or other races, the sluggish march of the Hive Fleet in towards Tertius had begun. With many times the original number of bioships and constructs designed for war than had initially entered the system, and the Hive Ships having expended all of their reserves in preparation for feeding, the Tyranid assault on the system would begin in earnest.

Planetary Defense Battery Tavingon, Hive Lamar, Calaris Prime

With rejoicing echoed through the ranks of the Cultists as the auspex told a story of success that caused many to caper in joy; the target of the vast weapon had been smitten to earth, and their Ascent to glory was assured. Even as the preacher exhorted his brothers to battle the sensors told of return fire from the ship that had accompanied the slain behemoth. As the Cultists watched a nearby hab block was reduced to ash in a fraction of a second, and a thousand souls extinguished before they could blink. But the Cultists cared little for death. The Ascent was theirs, and so the fortified battery meant to duel with battleships spoke anew, again and again hurling red columns of apocalyptic fire skywards towards the Vilius as it sought to end their flickering lives. Lights faded and dimmed as the plasma generators roared to life to supply the siege machine, and the Cultists howled defiance in the dark.

[Kash Island]

KAITER REBEL FRONT

Kaiter, PDF Guard Fort

Rain poured over a PDF guard station that protected the town of Lucianvolk, it was a larger town in the area and like many others focused on farming for the agri-world of Kaiter. Mud was slick with the downpour, that no doubt was a blessing to the massive farmlands of the planet. The guard station was of a standard Imperial design, a small fort that contained a small garrison of complacent soldiers whom never imagined a conflict. They were no longer complacent however as reports had flood in of savage fighting in the Calaris System. The fort itself had a quarter more men that it had previously had, and sandbags with gun emplacements were now manned. They had heard of rising unrest on Kaiter as well, a rebel movement had begun skirmishes with loyalist forces. A soldier stared through a scoped auto gun out onto the grass and the nearby fields. The clouds began to open slightly, bits of sunlight cracking through the dark clouds, bathing parts of the field in glorious sunlight. The soldiers bid it an omen of the Emperor's grace shining upon them. They didn't realize that it was death's grace that was approaching and the light was the end of the tunnel.

A rumbling could be heard in the distance, somewhat faint but noticeable.

One of them leaned over and pulled out a ciggarete made from the finest leaves of Kaiter, such was the luxury of living on an Agri-World was that everyone was able to enjoy the greatest of military rations that the Imperium could provide and also the greatest tobacco.

" It's just an Agri-Tractor..." The Sgt said as he lit his ciggerate up.

" You all nee-" A massive explosion rocked the fort, sending ferrocrete shrapnel in all directions and knocking men and weapons to the ground. Screams and groans could be heard as dust powdered a section of the guard wall. The Sgt looked down at the massive piece of debris wedged in his gut that almost cut him in half, he looked in amazement before passing out and finding eternal sleep.

" REBELS!!!" screamed as soldier and all hell broke loose. The blast had come from the field and heavy weapons fire poured into the massive genetically engineered wheat stocks. stubbers and auto guns raked the stock-line before being responded to in kind. The noise, the thunder and rain were mixed into a vortex of blood and pain as they saw the barrel of a Medusa siege cannon sticking out. The field came alive as multiple Chimeras and Kaiter-Pattern technicals broke the stock line and charged forward. Luckily the Imperials had made sure a four hundred meter flat plain was created to allow them time to fire at any charging target. They ravaged the grass low grass in front of them, stubber rounds tearing into the technical s rendering them into bloody heaps of metal. A single las-cannon swiveled on a tower and fire at one of the rushing Chimeras. The energy blast sliced into the side of the vehicle sending super heated Armour into it's inhabitants. The vehicle smoked before slowing down, screaming rebels leaped out the back.

The rebels were closing faster now, commanding a echo of fire in return. The Chimeras fired their las-weapons at the fort, tearing men and metal apart in a heat slash. Rebels on technical shuddered with every heavy stubber round that recoiled them as they peppered the walls of the fort. As the Chimeras reached breached portion of the outer-wall the PDF forces began to toss a few Krak grenades over the wall. The blasts rocked the Rebel vehicles, knocking men lifeless from the concussion.

The rebels were right on them now, the remaining Chimeras unloading their rebels whom were now attempting to pour into the gaping hole created by the Medusa in the opening attack. In they poured, the plain clothed rebels stormed the opening. They did not bear marks of chaos...but a simple yellow armband. They were mowed to their deaths as the PDF, better trained, had re positioned a stubber to stem the tide. Guns began to run hot and they simply could not handle the flow of insurgents. Eventually a Chimera was able to push through the gap, taking the stubber rounds in stride as a rebel flag waived above itself. The Stubber crew closed their eyes and screamed in terror as the Chimera unleashed it's rapid las-weapon onto their position, vaporizing their flesh in a pink mist.

The sounds of auto and las fire began to simmer as the last defenders were killed or captured. The rebel flag of the Kaiter Rebel Front now now flew where the Aquila once was, riddled with bullet holes. A prize had been found, the commanding officer of the fort had been captured, or what was left of him was. His face was pale with the mark of death as he held his mangled armed. It truly was gruesome as bone and flesh had been splintered from a rebel autoguns hollow point round. He was sweating and grinding his teeth as the rebel dragged him to the center of the fort where morning accountability often took place.

He officer stared angrily at the man whom walked in front of him. Korrian Laps...leader of the rebels leaned down to the face of the officer.

" Traitors!...Damn you all!...The Emperor--" Laps grinned as a rebel smacked the officer in the face with the butt of a las-rifle, blowing out two teeth. The officer groaned in pain, almost crying.

" The Emperors iron hand will not hold Kaiter forever...and I will be their to pry her from his rotting hands. We will no longer be subject to a tyrant!" He yelled before turning his back to the officer. The rain matted his uniform and mud had caked his combat boots. Laps turned around drawing a large PDF combat knife from it's sheath, the Aquila on it had been scratched out. He walked behind the groaning loyalist officer and pulled his head back by his long hair.

" His blood, as ours, will nourish Kaiter..." He said before slitting the man's throat, the officer gargled in a sickly way as warm blood poured all over his knees and into the mud, splattering empty stubber casings. He slowly fell over into the mud as the last bit of life left his body to meet the Emperor.

Cheers and gun-fire erupted as the Rebels celebrated their victory. They mourned their dead and looted whatever arms they could obtain from the fort. The las-cannon on the tower would prove a worthy addition, but much of what was left was standard equipment. The rebels buried their brothers and enemies in the field, to give Kaiter back her people, friend or foe....

[Cruxa]

Calaris Prime
Ground Level Defenses
Hive Lamar

The Knight charged forward, sawing open the metal walls that defended the Hive from both atmosphere and enemy with its chainsword, killing those inside almost instantly. The Marines charged into the gap, as a particularly large Marine hefting a Melta Gun shouted, "FOR THE EMPEROR!" This was Pasifel Egregius, Commander of Company Cassius. A chainsword and laspistol hung from his belt, and the banner flew high above his helm. As the Astartes charged, they opened fire from their boltguns, mowing down the celebrating Cultists and tearing their chests apart. The assault came as a surprise, seeing as the Azrael had only just crashed, but never had Company Cassius been more bloodthirsty.

Orbiting Calaris Prime
Over the Chaos-controlled Hive

The Vilius' crew hastily tapped out distress signals to any ships they could detect in they system: HELP, IMPERIAL SHIP DOWN, REQUIRING ASSISTANCE IMMEDIATELY." As they passed over the invaded hive, however, they realized the scale of the problem. At the order of the Captain, the shipboard weapons were trained upon the Hive. "May the Emperor forgive us," chanted the gunners as they fired upon the hive.

Calaris Prime
Wreck of the Azrael

Companies Alpha and Beta had spent the last few hours creating a defensive perimeter around the vulnerable ruin of the Azrael. Marines dug trenches, armed heavy autoturrets and erected mortars about the ship, as a small contingent of Technomarines began to assess the damages. The Astartes in the trenches lay quietly in wait, and steeled themselves for battle.

Calaris Prime
Chaos-controlled Hive

Company Delta, a meager detachment of Marines intended for light skirmishes based on the Vilius. The Marines were totally unprepared for this fight, and yet- they were devoted to the Emperor and ready to destroy his enemies. As the battle barge lowered itself, the company recited a war prayer in unison, and, when finished, prepared o be dropped to the surface.

[Vahltunskhja]

"Schiltron, Schiltron, this is Colonel Iskar Hayden of the 284th Cadian Shock Troopers Regiment, Imperial Guard. We read you loud and clear. We are located on the surface of Calaris Prime. Our transports are currently stationed in low orbit. How copy, over?"

"We've established contact with Imperial Forces on the ground!" The vox controller lifted his earpiece for a moment, giving a sign to a subordinate as the Master of Etherics carefully watched over operations at the Schiltron's communications post.

"Admiral! We've got someone on the line!" Demetrios looked up to the Command Throne as Ulvra rose from her seat and made her way to the small huddle of officers gathered around the vox-caster. The comms technician leaned forward as he relayed the Battlefleet's message.

"Colonel Hayden, this is Schiltron. Our battlegroup has experienced a massive Warp disturbance that has rendered our Astropaths powerless and Navigators out of action. Several of our ships are lost somewhere in the void, and we require information on the status of Imperial forces in the system. Request immediate situation report, over."

As the Admiral stood watching carefully over their shoulders, the comms officer received another urgent transmission. "Distress signal from the planet - the Vilius is down and requests immediate assistance."

"So we've been missing the war, have we? Inform the Master Gunner to prepare all bombardment batteries and sound battlestations. We'll be making up for our tardiness by smashing the foes of the Emperor." Ulvra gave one last nod to the comms operators as hundreds vox channels began to light up with the traffic of Imperial Forces planteside. The fleet would once more be returning to the comforting familiarity of war.

---

++ACCESSING SHIPS LOG
++CONNECTION ACQUIRED

++IDENTITY CONFIRMATION ACCEPTED [ _Welcome, Captain_ ]

Captain Marcus Anacletus. Data-Log Alpha.

The Triumph of Adralkis, along with our escorts Warhound and Spirit of Defiance, has been cut off from the main battlegroup after being disgorged from the Warp, vastly off-course and disoriented. We now find ourselves cut off from all contact with the fleet and Imperial forces, our Astropaths suffering from madness or a foul Alien presence in the Warp that keeps them in agony. The Eastern Fringe is already a region of suffering for our psykers, but now the Navigators hold little hope of maintaining any safety in even the smallest of Warp Jumps, and I fear this is a sign of a greater Xenos threat upon the Calais system.

Worst still, we have begun to suspect there is far more than meets the eye knocking at the Imperium's door. Was we cautiously make our way to Calaris Secundus, hoping the charts prove accurate and we encounter no larger foe on our long journey to the nearest planet, I have instructed the Patrol Group to maintain constant vigilance and battle-readiness. Hints of Eldar presence in the region have lead me to order a sheltered passage through dust clouds and debris fields whenever possible to hide our ships from the predations of corsairs.

Some might accuse me of cowardice, but these foul Xenos are far more dangerous than many Imperial Navy captains give them credit for, especially those who have the luxury of sitting behind kilometres of battleship armour and batteries of lances. To underestimate the Emperor's foes is to gamble with His wrath, as this is the path of folly. A Dauntless-class and her escorts, alone and without communication, would be a choice prey... though we would never go down so easy. My hope is that this Shadow looming in the Warp is wreaking havoc on these treacherous dogs as much as it has for us, and I pray we can find our allies once more before I am to impart upon them the lessons of the Imperial Navy's expertise in void combat.

May the light of the Emperor guide me, and shelter my men during these dark and trying times. End log.

[Damverland]

Without the Dark, there can be no Light,
We have purpose
Without the Lie, there can be no Truth,
We have purpose
Without the War, there can be no Victory,
We have purpose
Without the Death, there can be no sacrifice,
We have purpose
Without the Hope there can be no Future,
We have purpose
Without the Loyalty there can be no one chapter,
We have purpose
Without the Emperor, there is nothing,...
And we would have no purpose.

They had stayed hidden in Calaris, behind the shadow of the war that was being waged within the inner planets. On Prime, a foulness that the Astartes of the Guardians of Terra were all too familiar with was rising. A local hive known as Urilles had fallen. A threat was growing, festering upon the system. The Guardians could not let it continue any further.

Bleeder of Evil, Battle Barge-class, above Calaris Prime

Leor stared through the shining glass of the bridge, down upon the planet. The smog-ridden atmosphere was thick, but not thick enough to block the Marines' view of the surface. Hive Urilles was on the entire other side of the planet, while the Bleeder of Evil was orbiting the other side. It was nighttime on his side, and the lights on the surface were few and far between, yet shined nearly brighter than the sun of the system itself. Each shined bright and strong in an ocean of darkness. These were the hives of the planet.

But the surface was a sickening manifestation of a desert, swamp, and wasteland rolled into one. A man could walk thousands of miles, to see nothing and no one but the polluted dirt and waste of the lands. Uninhabitable to all but the mutant and the xenos. Then he would reach a hive. An overpopulated, polluted hell where the very air you breathe would be a luxury fought over with wars by millions. A man would wonder if it would be better to die than to live in such conditions. Leor looked upon hive worlds with disdain, with a semblance of pity. It was his duty, though, to protect the worlds of the Imperium from all threats, real or suspected.

He sighed. He knew it was time.

Leor took the loudspeaker for the ship and began his announcement to the Fourth Company. Every room, every bay and every area of the ship could hear it.

Brothers! Hear me! We have been given a mission by Chapter Master Mondeus Pageus to be deployed here, to Calaris Prime!

Our task is simple. We will deploy six hundred kilometers outside Hive Urilles. Know that Hive Urilles is no longer property of the Imperium. The eight pointed star has reign over that foul place now. The Emperor's holy light has forsaken it. Feel no mercy for those there, no mercy for anything there, for if it still lives, it is not a servant of the Emperor. It is something else. Something else entirely.

We will send transmissions to the defenders of the planet, to rally them against the forces that are tearing their home world apart. We will begin an offensive on Hive Urilles, and purge the unclean site of existence. If there are truly any loyal servants of the Emperor surviving there, then may His light protect them, for it is all that they can hope for.

Prepare the Drop Pods, for we are landing in several hours. May His eternal, undying light aid us. May His loving glory protect us. May the Emperor redeem this planet from eternal damnation. The Emperor Protects All.

A rallying speech for the men, he thought. Immediately the entire Barge was rustling with activity. His fellow battle brothers were gathering equipment, suiting up in their armor, and preparing the Drop Pods and Landing Craft for deployment. Meanwhile, he sent a vox transmission to the defenders down below.

To all forces currently deployed in and around Hive Urilles, this is Captain Leor of the Fourth Company, of the Guardians of Terra. We are the Adeptus Astartes. We have arrived to aid you in defense of your world against the tide of daemonic taint. Our forces will be deploying to your location within 1200 hours. You should see this as a redemption of your world.

The Emperor protects.

[Gorbatov]

Imperial Fists

"Primarch-Progenitor, to your glory and the glory of him on earth!"

---

Corvex Fistus, Second-Captain of the Imperial Fist
Storm of Wrath, Battle Barge
Calaris Prime, Calaris System
Warp energy begins to materialize over Calaris Prime. To which grow more, and more violent, as time passes. To which at the uttermost point, a large portal to the warp appears, to which the ships of the Imperial Fist begin to exit the portal. A Monitor of the Storm of Wrath, begins to walk towards a figure kneeling down in front of a shrine to the God-Emperor of Mankind."Brother-Captain Fistus....We have arrived."

The figure stands up, and turns towards the Monitor,"Ah...With the guidance of our God-Emperor, we finally have arrived..You Monitor, tell Brother-Captains Garadon, and Taelos, to prepare his men to disembark."

The Monitor leaves the shrine, to relay the orders given. Brother-Captain Fistus also exits the shrine to the Emperor, and begins to walk towards the ship's bridge, to which when he arrived, he was approached by another Monitor, "Brother-Captain! We have intercepted a distress signal from a Space Marine Chapter called the Avengers of Azrael."

"Hmm?! Never heard of this chapter....They must be fairly new, and probably would've been from the Dark Angels. But very well, tell the Ship Master, and the fleet to navigate towards the distress signal.", said Brother-Captain Fistus, and he began to walk towards the armory.

As the other Monitor left to relay his orders, Brother-Captain Fistus encounters Brother-Captain Taelos, also on his way towards the ship's armory, "Brother-Captain Fistus! My men have encountered a malfunctioning servitor, to which they inquire to terminate the servitor. I ask you, would we allow such a thing to happen?"

"Ah hello Brother-Captain Taelos, tell your men to terminate the servitor, we can easily acquire another servitor on this hive planet. But also, we must prepare our arms immediately, as we have intercepted a distress signal from another Space Marine chapter.", says Brother-Captain Fistus, as they walked towards the armory.

As they entered armory, they see a large amount of marines preparing their weaponry, in addition with several techmarines applying purity seals on some of the marine's armor. Brother-Captain Fistus walks towards the center of the armory and exclaims to the other marines, "Brothers! Though our original mission was to fortify this systems from those damn green skins, we have recently received a distress signal from another chapter! To which we will help them in what ever dilemma they encountered on this hive world! With the guidance of our God-Emperor, and our Primarch, we will quash whatever the resistance our brothers have encountered!"

After the the short speech, Brother-Chaplain Carnax led in reciting of a litany of the Imperial Fist, knowing that they may enter into battle once more.

"What is it to be a Space Marine?
It is to be death!
What is it to be death?
It is to be the destroyer, the end of all things.
What is it to end life?
It is an honor, to be the executioners of the Emperor.
Why do we fight?
To protect the Imperium and deliver mankind from the evil of the xenos, the mutant and the heretic!
What is the xenos?
A blight to be purged!
What is the mutant?
A cancer to be excised!
What is the heretic?
A shame to be expunged!
What is the bolter, the flamer, the missile?
The incarnation of destruction, by which we bring about the death of the Emperor's foes!
What is the armour, the helm and the shield?
The embodiment of our faith, our determination given form.
Who is the Primarch?
Our father, our guide, our king!
Who is the Chapter Master?
The Primarch's regent, to whom we swore oaths, the voice of the Emperor in the mortal world.
What are our oaths?
The steel that binds our lives to the Emperor.
What did we swear?
Our lives are as nought in the vision of the Emperor, save that by them we shall destroy all foes.
What is the fate of all foes?
To perish in the fire of battle and be cleansed from the galaxy.
Who will defend the Imperium from the darkness?
The Imperial Fists!
Who are the Defenders of Terra?
The Imperial Fists!
Who are the Sons of Dorn?
The Imperial Fists!
For the Emperor and the Primarch! Death! Bring death to our foes!"

To which after the prayer, the marines hastily prepared their weapons, and began to march towards the ship's drop pods, to whom await further orders to deploy.

[Ferak]

Calaris Prime
Hive Urilles

"Fire! Keep firing! Blast these bastards from the sky!"

The AA gun blasted two more round out towards the Imperials, whose transports flying towards the crashed ship miles from the hive.

Zoke, a rebel PDF guardsmen tasked with AA gun #2662 (nicknamed "Kinky Girl"), continued to scream at his men.

"Good job boys! Kinky got another few shots in. Load 'em up! I got ma eye on gunny boy on another ship."

"Aye aye, boss!"

Zoke looked through the targeting system while he waited for his men. Dozens of small ships and drop pods were landing Imperial soldiers, but were clearly outgunned and outmanned. Many of the ships were being shot down before they even landed. Zoke let out a chuckle as he saw another shot out of the sky.

He heard a kler-klunk, and let out another shot into a ship, blasting its tail off and sending it careening down into a skyscraper.

"Hahaha, another-"

An enormous explosion racked the entire area, the result of an unseen ship blasting the AA gun, annihilating Zoke, his men, the AA gun, and the entire block. Simultaneous shots broke through across the hive, eliminating several cultist squads that had been gathered as support teams.

---

Zathoth shifted his back against the throne, relaxing into the soft fur that his augmented armor allowed him to feel. Another bout of wine had slightly altered his senses, and he wanted to break open a new batch of chemicals his favorite Daemonette had concocted. He let out a yawn, feeling sleepy in the wait for his harem to bring out the chemical, eyeing one of the dancers abducted from the upper hives with a small sense of desire. It was good to be King.

Preventing his slide into hedonism, his throne door blasted open, one of his Marines panting as he burst through.

"My-My lord! There is an Imperial ship blasting the hive! Ships are landing Loyalist Marines across the hive!"

Zathoth let out a scream, knowing his pleasures had to be put on hold.

"Let the daemons fire at the ship! Assemble the Warband to deal with these Marines! Then, we shall launch an assault on the crashed ship."

He grabbed his Power Sword, the Fleshy Wand, and put on his stylized helmet, the Imperial regalia scratched off and replaced with crude images of himself.

"Tonight we dine on Astartes flesh!"

Wreck of the Azrael

Kylstas, the Terminator in charge of the strike squad, peered through his Warpdevice to examine the crashed ship. Once Zathoth learned of the crashed ship, he had sent a detachment of Marines, cultists, and daemons to launch an assault, and bring the prisoners back for entertainment.

He could see Marines rushing out off the wreck, hastily constructing defensive fortifications and eyeing the horizon for movement. Within half an hour, they'd have enough time to start scanning and know the Warband's presence. Now was the time to strike.

Kylstas had ordered his detachment split into three sections - a mass of expendable cultists, who would with a few Marines launch an attack on the East side of the wreck. The cultists would rush forward, wildly firing and screaming as to draw attention, with a few Marines staying in the back and picking off crack shots of Marines, but their main purpose serving as to give legitimacy to the assault and fool the Loyalists into believing that was the crux of the attack.

Following the Imperial reaction, a second section would launch an attack from the South - mainly comprised of Marines, they would fire at the defensive fortification and technomarines, aiming to permanently weaken the area in case of failure. Once this attack began, the Imperials would realize this was the main attack and mostly withdraw from the cultist force, opening up a hole in the North from which the Daemonic and Possessed forces would rapidly lose in and engage in melee. He, himself, would join the third attack, aiming to penetrate the ship proper and murder the Chapter Master, devastating the Marines.

With his plan communicated, he let out an ear-piercing scream, temporarily deafening the loyalists, and giving the word to begin the assault. The assault in process, he telepathically communicated with the cultists, giving them the daemonic desire to continue.


"Death to the False Emperor!"

[New Minahasa]

Calaris Secundus
Dark Mechanicum Base

Reports had been filling the Archmagos' ears, and most of them were nothing good. His scouts had reported sightings of an Adeptus Astartes squad arriving on the planet. The Eldar had also made their presence, and opened a series of Webways. The patrols have spotted Necron Tomb Blades spying on the base, as well; a sign that the Necrons are already awakening. No doubt the planet they've landed on was a Necron Tomb World all along. Still, the Archmagos wasn't threatened. He had faith in the Chaos Gods and his strong forces that they could defeat the Necrons. In fact, Calaris Secundus being a Necron Tomb World actually gave a solid proof that the Oblivion Staff was after all this time buried within the world. It was only appropriate that a Necron artifact would find itself in here.

The only good news was the safe landing of the Oathbound's navy fleet; a Retribution-class Battleship, the flagship of the Oathbound called the Forsworn, and three Tyrant-class Cruisers. The Oathbound began to erect walls surrounding the navy fleet; a hangar of their own, to protect them from any incursions done by the Necrons. It was obvious the Necrons would not appreciate their presence within Calaris Secundus. Archmagos Yogg-Sarkon made sure that they were prepared for any attacks done by the Tomb World's Necrons.

One thing that could turn out to be good was the arrival of the Eldars. The Archmagos was still unsure of their intentions on the barren-world, but the rivalry between the Eldar race and Necrons was famous across the Milky Way Galaxy. Both races were known to clash fiercely everytime they met, and never gave the opposing side any remorse. The Adeptus Astartes could be a pain in the near future if left unattended, but the Archmagos intended to keep their presence hidden from them for the time being.

The Archmagos, now bearing the knowledge of the barren-world's hidden truth of being actually a Necron Tomb World, began to send expedition teams across the surface of the Tomb World world in hopes to find the location of the rest of the Necrons, and possibly locate their leader. The Dark Mechanicum began their preparations, for war is imminent, no matter how hard they try.

[Vogega]

Calaris Secundus
The Tomb Blades that encountered the Eldar did not fair as well as the ones who had encountered the Chaos base. Several of them were horrificly damaged while fleeing, so much so, that they would not be resurrected, only phased back to the base to be used as parts. Several other lesser damaged ones though, phased back to undergo repairs. The others managed to flee as the Eldar turned off their pursuit less they be drawn into a trap orchestrated by the Necron Overlord deep within the planets surface.
However, the Falcon Tank and its Shadow Specters would not be so lucky. Confident in their abilities against the other races in the galaxy, they forgot that the Necrons preceded even them and surpass them in technology. While the 15 warriors had managed to flee thus far, only taking minor damage, one was lost when it took the combined power of all the prism rifles and just ceased to exist. However, the Necron Warriors managed to regain the lead with the possible injury or death of a Shadow Specter. However, as the pursuing Eldar crested the ridge, a hail of Gauss fire erupted towards them. The Grav Tank shuddered as the hail of fire smashed into it, it began to smoke and crashed into the ground. The only sign, was the vibration of the sand under the Warrior armies feet. The remaining Shadow Specters who were not killed in the original volley, took cover behind the dune as the Warriors sent salvos of gauss fire over their heads.
Then, one the specters head's exploded. Then another followed suit. Deathmarks had phased back into reality where they had a clear shot on the cowering Specters. As they turned to face this new threat, the warriors came over the dune and fired at pointblank range spraying the entire hillside with fire. It would take a miracle for a specter to survive...

Meanwhile, across the planet, Necron bases were being constructed. These were quickly assembled by the Canoptek Spyders and their Scarab helpers. Swarms of chaos expeditions seem to enroach ever closer, so warriors were dispatched to deal with them. Each base would be capable of phasing out of real space, and have enough firepower to down enemy space ships if they came too close.

However, with the addition of Space Marines on the planet, the Overlord activated the Sword Core to help protect the tomb. Now, only the tomb guard was left to be activated. In orbit, the last system check of the Necron fleet was finished, and the fleet awoke.

[Cruxa]

Calaris Prime
Chaos-controlled Hive Urilles

Company Delta fell to earth with a loud boom. Their landing craft hit directly into the top level of the Hive, and they used this element of surprise to their advantage. They exploded out of the lander with savage speed, opening fire on the Chaos guards they met. "THE ENEMIES STAND NOT A CHANCE!" shouted the company commander, as he lobbed a grenade down a hallway. "CHARGE!" With a cry, the Marines rose up from their position and advanced in a whirl of bloody swords and bolt fire. Half of theem, under the command of a battle sergeant, went below to clear the Hive and rescue prisoners. The other half went with the Company Master to challenge the enemy leader.

Calaris Prime
Wreck of the Azrael

Taken by surprise, Companies Alpha and Beta were completely unprepared for the sudden Chaos assault. No one expected it so soon, since Hive Lamar was so far from Hive Urilles. But they were here, and it was time for battle. The Chapter Master himself came onto the battlefield, surrounded by six Marines from Alpha. The Marines quickly braced themselves, as Andromedus bellowed "FIRE!"

The Chaos forces charged them, but the Marines fired into the crowd from their trenches. Their heavy autoguns tore the crowd to shreds, as mortars pumped high explosives into the center of their ranks. Hopefully, under this pressure, the assault would relent.

[Korhal IVV]

Calaris Secundus
The Tomb Blades that encountered the Eldar did not fair as well as the ones who had encountered the Chaos base. Several of them were horrificly damaged while fleeing, so much so, that they would not be resurrected, only phased back to the base to be used as parts. Several other lesser damaged ones though, phased back to undergo repairs. The others managed to flee as the Eldar turned off their pursuit less they be drawn into a trap orchestrated by the Necron Overlord deep within the planets surface.
However, the Falcon Tank and its Shadow Specters would not be so lucky. Confident in their abilities against the other races in the galaxy, they forgot that the Necrons preceded even them and surpass them in technology. While the 15 warriors had managed to flee thus far, only taking minor damage, one was lost when it took the combined power of all the prism rifles and just ceased to exist. However, the Necron Warriors managed to regain the lead with the possible injury or death of a Shadow Specter. However, as the pursuing Eldar crested the ridge, a hail of Gauss fire erupted towards them. The Grav Tank shuddered as the hail of fire smashed into it, it began to smoke and crashed into the ground. The only sign, was the vibration of the sand under the Warrior armies feet. The remaining Shadow Specters who were not killed in the original volley, took cover behind the dune as the Warriors sent salvos of gauss fire over their heads.
Then, one the specters head's exploded. Then another followed suit. Deathmarks had phased back into reality where they had a clear shot on the cowering Specters. As they turned to face this new threat, the warriors came over the dune and fired at pointblank range spraying the entire hillside with fire. It would take a miracle for a specter to survive...

Meanwhile, across the planet, Necron bases were being constructed. These were quickly assembled by the Canoptek Spyders and their Scarab helpers. Swarms of chaos expeditions seem to enroach ever closer, so warriors were dispatched to deal with them. Each base would be capable of phasing out of real space, and have enough firepower to down enemy space ships if they came too close.

However, with the addition of Space Marines on the planet, the Overlord activated the Sword Core to help protect the tomb. Now, only the tomb guard was left to be activated. In orbit, the last system check of the Necron fleet was finished, and the fleet awoke.

The Spectre Squadron was nearly wiped out to a man... when a Webway portal opened somewhere high upp into the sky. From its dark depths, another screaming squadron of Eldar starfighters came down towards the Necron warriors, raining down plasmatic hellfire and bolts of death. It seemed that the Eldar forces kept track of each other, and if anything went wrong, help will be on its way. But alas, there was nothing more to save; all that there are is a flaming Falcon and dead Shadow Spectres... but their Soul Stones... They must be recovered...

The last Shadow Spectre remaining just looked up in time to see a squadron of Starfighters cascading from the skies before a Deathmark fired its fatal shot, killing the last of the unfortunate Eldar troops. His soul went down and imparted itself into his Soul Stone before his dead body fell down to the sands, wherein 9 more of his comrades lay dead. Seeing this filled the pilots of the fighters with righteous fury and furiously rained down a burst of flame towards the Necrons, aiming straight towards their skulls in order to avoid hitting their brethren's Soul Stones.

Space

Meanwhile, the fleet of Ulthwe and the two minor Craftworlds met up in orbit of Calaris Secundus, directly above the point where their forces have established a base. The full might of the Eldar fleet was something to be reckoned with.

[Stasnov]

Calaris System
Calaris Prime, 200 kilometres from Hive Urilles
284th Cadian Shock Troops
0640 hours local time

---

"Colonel Hayden, this is Schiltron. Our battlegroup has experienced a massive Warp disturbance that has rendered our Astropaths powerless and Navigators out of action. Several of our ships are lost somewhere in the void, and we require information on the status of Imperial forces in the system. Request immediate situation report, over."

The voice came through, interrupted somewhat by static. Hayden patted the vox operator on the shoulder, and the officer quickly adjusted the vox channel. It was much better now. The Colonel thanked the officer with a nod.

"Roger, Schiltron. We have experienced similar difficulties with our arrival as well. The Astropaths and Navigators on the transports have either died or are in critical situation, and we lost two ships. SITREP as follows; full Regimental strength on ground, situated 200 kilometres south of Hive Urilles. Intel suggests the 974th Krieg Siege Regiment is cleansing Hive Urilles from a heretical uprising. We -"

"Sir"

'"Schiltron, this is Hayden, wait, over"

A voice had interrupted the Colonel. Hayden turned around to see another officer offering his own headset. He had a concerned look in his eyes. The Colonel took the headset and put it on. It was a recorded message to all Imperial commanders on Prime. The news made the Colonel shudder. It was one of the aids of Planetary Governor Lord Ramiel Virian. Apparently, Hive Urilles had fallen entirely to the enemy. It had been confirmed that the rebels were Chaos cultists and traitor PDF soldiers, and the entire 45th Calarian PDF Regiment had entirely defected to the enemy side. The Krieg units sent into the Hive had either being wholly annihilated or pushed back to friendly lines. The Krieg 974th had dispatched the majority of its fighting force to siege Urilles, and the 92nd Calarian Rifles were sent to aid them.

The message was cut. Before the Colonel removed the headset, another transmission came in. This time, it was an impossing, somewhat mechanical voice. This was from a Chapter known as the Guardians of Terra. Hayden thanked the God-Emperor for the Astartes Support. He, and much of his Regiment had fought alongside the Angels of Death on Cadia, and he knew of their zeal and faith to the Holy Emperor. He also knew what terrifying strength they could bring to the battlefield, once deployed. The Emperor's Finest had come to join the hunt, and would be a great addition to the Imperial forces already in the system. Hayden quickly put on the first headset and the officer patched him through to the Schiltron again.

"Schiltron, we have bad news and good news. The bad news is that Hive Urilles has fallen to Chaos-affiliated rebels. Two Imperial Regiments are moving to lay siege. The good news is that the Astartes Chapter known as the Guardians of Terra has arrived in the system and offers support. They will make planetfall at 1200 hours. My Regiment will move to Urilles ASAP. We'll keep in touch. That's all. Hayden out."

Hayden removed the headset and turned to the gathered officers "We advance to Urilles. Now"

---

Calaris System
Calaris Prime, , Highway I4, 40 kilometres from Hive Urilles
284th Cadian Shock Troops
Three hours later\

---

The Regiment had managed to assemble in march order in a record-breaking time. Not even in the training fields had they done it so quickly. Then again, they didn't have Commissar Kvirov back on Cadia. The officers and the men were greatly displeased when it was announced to them that they would leave just after they set up the base. Regardless, they carried out their tasks with professionalism. At the Colonel's orders, what couldn't be packed and loaded into the vehicles in time was to be burned and left behind. They were to leave for Hive Urilles with utmost haste; their help was needed.

The six kilometre-long convoy - a kilometre longer than Hayden's estimate - moved at roughly 60 kilometres an hour. It was a slow and tiring procedure for the vehicle crews, especially the drivers, and the men in the cargo bays of their Chimeras were bored to death. The mechanised infantry rode inside their Chimeras, whose NBC coating allowed them to remove their rebreathers, while the two larger Whiteshield Companies were forced to ride tank desant-style on top of the already full IFVs and battle tanks. The Valkyries of the Kasrkin Company buzzed above convoy like angry bees, flying on VTOL mode rather than full thrusters. The flanks of the convoy were protected by small Sentinel Squadrons, their tall mechanical feet allowing them to traverse the rough wasteland.

The forward element under Captain Malkan advanced two kilometres from the main body. It had been quiet so far. No disturbances to their advance, apart from an old, abandoned vehicle on the road that was pushed away by the Chimeras so as to not block the main body of the Regiment. The Sentinels made up the rear and front of the forward detachment, with the Chimeras and their scout trooper cargo in the middle. The lone Valkyrie attached to them scanned the wider area around them; it was their only means of spotting very long-range targets and threats. However, its services weren't needed thus far, and the men hoped that they wouldn't be needed at all.

[Onekawa-Nukanor]

Calaris System
Enroute to Calaris Tertius
Onboard Strike Cruiser Unyielding Fury

Through the empty void the Strike Cruiser made its way from the outer edges of the Calaris System. Aged and scarred, the Unyielding Fury plowed its way through the aether with the supernatural silence associated with space travel. Inside it hummed and rumbled, its engine thrumming alongside whilst servitors and serfs scurried around its innumerable corridors and passages making non-stop repairs and adjustment to the venerable vessel. It was like a gigantic predator, prowling its astral domain with a hunger kept under control by the watchful eyes of its charges. Its macrocannon broadsides had seen millenia of combat whilst its bombardment cannon had shattered and broken many fortress and ships in its long years of service.

In the combat deck stood Manu, Rangatira-Captain of the 7th Company of the Carnosaurs Vindicta. A made of centuries of experience, this would still be one of his first missions as a Rangatira-Captain and for him his first independent command. He held this responsible on his shoulders with a primal pride. He had proven himself time and again on the battlefield and he now had the opportunity to represent his chapter. He only feared, in his more quiet moments abord the ship crossing the warp, was that he would disgrace himself, his company or his chapter in some ways. But those dark thoughts were far away from him now, banished to the dark recess of his mind as he observed his combat deck, silent and unmoving except for the turning of his head and the odd quiet command, reading and listening to readouts and reports of the ship. So far, everything was going well for the Unyielding Fury. With pride he had accepted command of this vessel and he relished the popportunity to add to its long list of battle honours.

At his side was Totan, his Spirit Shman who had seen even longer service in the chapter. Totan had helped train Manu in his earliest days as an humble and unaugmented young man, barely out of boyhood. He had been at side side as a mentor, and than as an adviser ever since. On the other was Kahu, an humorous and affable man even with during the very earliest days training together. He had immediately began a rapport with him and they had stood against the despicable forces opposing the Imperium ever since. Calaris Tertius was off in the distance, its bright and verdant surface blazing out like a jewel against the dark abyss that engulfed it. But already there was concern. The informastion on the planet was simple, a violent and lethal jungle death world, it was considered uninhabitable because it held little strategic value. No resources. At least as far as the wider Imperium was considered, but to a member of the Carnosaur Vindicta it held the perfect conditions for forging man into the weapons it needed. As the Imperium is assailed on all sides, men and woman needed to be hardened against it, and worlds such as Tertius were considered vital for doing so. Astra Militarium Regiments raised from such worlds were nearly without peer, and they were prime grounds for growing the people who would become Adeptus Astartes aspirants.

"Something is not right brothers. I feel it deep within my bones, do you?" Totan asked, his voice grave and carrying the wisdeom of a dozens of lifetimes. "What makes you say that old man?" Kahu jokingly asked. "Long experience plays apart. But primarily also this information were receiving." said Totan as Manu himself frowned at the report he was listening to from some of the onboard serfs about what the sensors were picking up. The planet had been barely scouted despite the presence of nearby worlds and information on it was quite sparse. Still, the Unyielding Fury's sensors and the data they already had on hand wasn't quite aligning. It was suspicious. And when you had fought as many campaigns as Manu had than suspicion was never a positive sign.

"I want the company ready to deploy as soon as I say, were here and we want to retrieve the relic and move on towards Calaris Prime. But this information worries me. If there is something more there than we need to know." Manu commanded. Everyone onboard nooded and started to quicken their pace. Kahu went back to inform the troops to be prepare. Less needed for the Astartes themselves since Carnosaurs were meant to be ready at all times. The Scaled Deaths however were always more irritable. The animals adored and thrived in battle, but they would relax at an available opportunity.

[Ferak]

Calaris Prime
Wreck of the Azrael

"Slaanesh sings through me!"

The cultist screamed, overwhelmed with religious fervor, charging recklessly into a barrage of shells and bolter blasts from the entrenched marines. He would not make it five feet, blasted to pieces by the firepower, his mortal coil unable to take it, and his soul forfeit for the Prince of Torture.

The cultists, disposable and useless, charged endlessly towards the wreck, knowing they were so far from home, they themselves had nothing else to live for. Marines traveled among the rocks, firing off key shots and taking out a few Loyalists, but otherwise keeping a low profile as to preserve themselves.Though in this assault the Marines were outnumbered, a Chaos Marine was a veteran of millennia of combat; infused with the powers of the Warp, and impossible to break - there is no turning back from the corruption of Chaos, your soul is forever claimed.

The assault was going as planned; the cultists proved a meaningful distraction, and attacks like thus were common a cross the planet, the local cults knowing they had no real chance of eliminating a Space Marine, but charging anyway. For the Loyalists, no doubt this was a turkey shoot, and they were laughing as they laid waste to so many heretics in so quick a time span.

As the attack ground on and the Loyalists became preoccupied, another flare was fired. Once the flare was up, the screams and gargles of the Possessed were clear. The Cultists started to pull back, patching themselves back together, while the Marines leading them increased their onslaught in their stead.

Hive Urilles

"Here are your wings, angel!"

Zathoth screamed as he tore off the armor of a Space Marine, and then punched through his skin and grabbed his shoulder bone. Then, killing him, he used both hands to rip out the bones and create crude, featherless wings for the once proud servant of the Emperor.

All around him, Space Marines and his followers were fighting; members associated with the Azrael were laying siege as likely retaliation for the raid he ordered against them. After decapitating one of his children, another loyalist climbed a mound of corpses shouting praises for the Emperor, the same filth that had abandoned so many of his dead brethren. Zathoth took out his massive length, and began to spar with the brave Marine, though Zathoth's speed was difficult to match by any but a Chapter Master, of which this Marine clearly was not. It wasn't long before he made a momentary mistake , and Zathoth's flesh pierced him through his rear.

As the battle waged, it became clear that the fight was not going to last long for the loyalists; they were spread out and without reinforcement or supply, deep in hostile territory. Though a cultist was a mere mortal, nonetheless when left in their own environment were capable of turning traps into deadly mechanisms, even eliminating a few of the Loyalist Marines (each of which were granted a personal daemonette as a reward).

Though the battle waged within the hive, other Loyalists were gathering forces outside of it, ready to assist the Emperor's angels...

Hive Urilles Outer Wall

"Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

Zeke snored loudly, neglecting his duty to stay as watch for the I-4 Highway outpost. He, after all, had joined the rebellion for luxury....not to sit on some shithole tower, away from all the fun, on the very limit of the hive, looking at the disgusting filth that stretched for miles.

Slowly, he began to raise his eyes, emerging from his slumber. Though he didn't awake because he remembered his duty, but for a simpler reason.

"Ahhhh....Time for a quick wank." he said sleepily.

As he began to picture the daemonettes that danced through the streets on the day of victory, he noticed something strange in the distance. Just as he was about to drop his pants, he noticed a slick haze in the distance, a faint hint of smoke.

"Wot the fuck is that..."

He picked up his rifle and looked through the scope. Although it didn't tell him much, he could see faint silhouettes in the dust...vehicles, signs of rapid movement. Quickly panicking and even doubting the side he picked in the revolt, he swallowed his fear and jumped over to the communication machine.

"Ayyyy. AYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY. BOSS! SOMEBODY FOOKIN ANSWER!"

"What the fook do ya want?!"

"There's fookin loyalists comin'! Fookin vehicles! Fookin do somethin'!!"

"Wot? Damit, mortars! Begin barrage!"

"But boss, this shitty tower is on the highway!"

"BEGIN BARRAGE!"

[Cruxa]

Calaris Prime
Hive Urilles

Company Delta was, to use the layman's term, in deep shit. They'd killed many Cultists, but their leader had led a counter attack, slaying a quarter of the company's manpower. "RETREAT!!!" bellowed the company master, and the Marines lobbed krak grenades to cover their hasty flight out the hole they entered in to hopefully rejoin the Imperium column of infantry moving up towards the hive. As the company backed off of their entrance, they continued firing at the Chaos forces inside, doing what they could to cover their own retreat. The company master then halted his men. "Whatever happens next, I want you to unleash hell upon these filth. Sergeant Romulus, I place you in charge. Fire and run, and rendezvous with Imperium forces." The company master eyed his men one final time. "It has been my honor, Marines."

Striding out into the open, the company master drew his force sword. "ZATHOTH!" he bellowed. "YOUR QUARREL IS WITH ME! SINGLE COMBAT!" He was unconcerned with the bolt fire of the Chaos Marines. His iron halo could protect him from that. Hiis nerves cme from his task- Kill Zathoth, or lose his men and his honor.

Calaris Prime
Wreck of the Azrael

As the Possessed made their way onto the battlefield, the Marines stationed on the east side of the wreck braced for a tough battle. Over their vox comms, the Chapter Master chanted prayers to the Emperor with his men, before giving them their orders. Positioned behind their heavy stubbers, the Devastator Marines fired off shots into the advancing forces.

Meanwhile, the western forces shot cultists like fish in a barrel as they retreated. The mortars had changed direction to fire east, and the renewed morale of the west troops was enhanced by this spot. It was well known that the Company Master of Beta would lose a wager against one of Alpha's more outspoken sergeants as to how many cultist scumbags they could massacre- and it counted as two for dismemberment.

[Legatia]

Iron Knights Chapter
Company V

The skies of the Hive World of Calaris Prime were typical of a Hive World. Colorfully brown, toxic, and thick. It near obscured the light of the sun it orbited, the sun that so many years ago may have given rise to life on the planet. Yet now, obscured from the glorious light of the star, the planet gave to itself- and greed was chaos.

Chaos could not be tolerated. And so it would not.

On the surface of the Hive World, members of the Adeptus Astartes- battle-brothers- fought against the traitors who so many years ago turned upon the light of the God-Emperor to follow the arch-traitor Horus, the Emperor's own flesh and blood, and now served the Ruinous Powers for their own gain, forsaking their kind for personal pleasures.

And so, the Space Marines of the Iron Knights would bring light into this chaos-stricken world- by force. And they would cut the tumor at the stem.

From the sky, a number of drop-pods pierced the vale of the sky, the searing red-hot plasma of re-entry forming around their lower hulls as the grey and white pods streaked through the skies like hail falling to earth above the wreck of the Battle Barge Azrael. They carried three devices upon them- the Palatine Aquila, the cross chapter badge of the Iron Knights, and a single Gothic numeral-

I

The pods, with little warning, slammed into the ground, practically directly atop the forces of chaos that assailed the beleaguered Marines. And from out of them poured the marines of the Iron Knights, their bolters quickly spewing the Emperor's justice into the hordes of chaotic combatants. But what came at the finale of the planetfalling pods would drive a stake of fear into the hearts of the Heretics- Marines in Terminator armor.

Wielding devastating weaponry- assault cannons, lightning claws, storm bolters, thunder hammers and power fists, panoply of mass destruction, the Terminator contingent deployed was rather small. Only a single squad of 10 Terminators, lead by a Terminator sergeant- but that many Terminators, with such powerful weaponry- would be more than sufficient to turn the tide. Supplemented by their more mobile battle brothers- veterans as well, themselves armed with weaponry varying from standard bolters to multi-meltas- they began to reign havoc upon the traitors, the marines pushing forward beyond their besieged brothers to their backs.

Cries went out of praise to the Emperor, and "For the Chapter!" "For Rogal Dorn!" And to numerous other beacons of praise. The Terminator-armored Captain Dantes let out a battle cry as his Thunder Hammer connected with the unarmored chest of a young heretic cultist. The force of the hammer and the strength of the man wielding it shattered near every bone in the boy's chest as he fell to the ground, dead.

"Onwards, brothers!" Though they were only perhaps sixty, they were veterans and Terminators- and this close in, no one could stop them.