Chapter VII
Time to Party
Segmentum Celest Pegusian Gate
Pegusa Capital City
1341 Imperial Standard
It’s going to be a really long war… Gillimane thought to himself as he clutched his temples with his hooves, these Mareines just don’t get it do they. He sat at in conference room of the Tactia Bunker; the hololithic display was showing all the military might that Pegusa could muster to her defense. Captain Applinia and Chaplin Pinkamina, as he had learned the black armoured mare was called, worked the display moving regimental markers where they thought they should be. Another Mareine, one called the Empress’ Champion Rainboute, stood on her hind legs leaning against the back wall, her forehooves folded, not saying a word. Her rose coloured eyes had not left Gillimane for a second and not an ounce of her glaring held anything but detestation for him. He knew he had overdone it by threating their Captain but he was sure they understood nothing but force. When the two other finished Gillimane stared at the new proposed troop dispositions. He had sunk in defeat, again they had opted to dig in outside the Cities and attack head on once the landing had occurred. Always eager for an assault, he mused as he lifted his head smiling. He pressed the lectern in front of him the image reset itself,
‘My Ladies I do not think you understand.’ He calmly looked to Applinia who, besides the one called Pinkamina, had her helm removed. He had wondered why the Chaplin had not removed her helm in which she curtly responded,
‘No one looks on the face of a Chaplin except the Empress herself. All the enemy needs to see is the Grinning Death before they are shattered before me.’ And with that any further questions were dropped. Now he had to explain his own reasoning for what he was sure was the ninth time in the last half an hour,
‘Pegusians can fight anywhere, true,’ He began, looking to the Mareines, ‘But the Kasr’s are designed to be entered. We want to lure the enemy in so they can be destroyed! If we meet them head on….’ He paused and took a deep breath, ‘Millions of ponies will be lost do you not understand that?’ The look on his face was the look of a father that was told he had to send all of his foals to a needless slaughter. He was all but begging with the Mareines to see his plight. Applinia sighed as she buckled activating her control lectern and moving her troops to the previous positions and only five of the thirty regiments to new positions, all of them ‘armoured hoof’ regiments of mechanized shock troops.
‘Can you spare these troops Governor?’ Applinia began, turning to him, ‘It should be all my company needs in support. We’ll have great need for your tank and Chimera born troops for our pincer to close properly.’ She understood as one commander to another. The needless sacrifice of the Pegusians was mostly Pinkamina’s idea anyway she never saw sacrificing mortal life as more than a means to an end. Gillimane nodded and turned off the hololithic display thus bringing the war council finally to an end. Applinia looked to the Chaplin who was now discussing something with Dash and she could not help but to think back on one of the darkest days of the Corn V campaign…
*Corn V*
*Six Terran months ago*
Cold it filled everything on this desolate ball of ice. Irony had seemed fit to name this system it seemed all of the planets were mostly dead from years of Discord corruption, but Corn V five was the worst. It wasn’t a normal cold it was the unholy chill you feel when something evil is lurking behind you. Even in an insulated Power Armour suite you still felt the chill. Corn V was as cold as death itself… No it was death made physical. Nothing grew abet a few smatterings of sickly pine forests. And the ponies, well there were no ponies anymore, just shells. Long gone was their hope, long gone was their ponity, they were slaves sacrificed and forced to worship Discord in acts of labour and production. She stood, overlooking the ruins of an Imperial town. Alone she looked at the scene below, or it seemed she was alone there was always the dead to keep her company. Her companionship came in the form of hundreds of corpses piled all around the imperial position. The cultists had come, again and again, and again. Blood had turned the hills sloping sides into mud and it made the air stink of corruption, fecline from the discharge of bolters and lasguns mixed with it in the air, it smelled like war. She removed her helmet and took a deep breath and smiled. It made her whole, it what was she had been bred to do. Now they were regrouping in the pine thicket below the hill. She knew that’s where they were, it’s where they had attacked from every time.
‘Fools,’ she mumbled to herself she could see them try as they might to hide in the trees, ‘It is slaughter and they know it we simply give them what they want….’ She spat and scowled at the tree line, ‘Blood for the Blood God.’ A familiar form appeared next her, its gilded edged blue armour was nicked and pock marked by the impact of weapons. Battle honours, tattered and scorched wafted in the breeze, and her once clean white mantle was stained red and torn at the edges. Rainboute the company’s newly appointed champion, stood next to her sister and stared at the same poorly concealed movements she was.
‘Sister Applinia such blasphemy…’ Rainboute snickered at what she implied and circled around her comrade, ‘should I inform Chaplain Pinkamina?’ Applinia kept her dislike for this braggart down. She would not be drawn into her little game. She looked right into her eyes and calmly replied,
‘If you feel it is necessary then yes,’ She continued, standing firm, ‘By all means inform her of my blasphemous observation. For that is all that it was, a statement of the obvious. They have charged to war cries of For Discord and Blood for the Blood God! Yet only their blood has been spilt. We have suffered no more than three minor wounded. Why do they keep coming then? Only the Hogz are so bold but they always have the numbers and endurance to close the gap, unless…’ She turned and made her way towards the location of the Command Squad.
Rainboute stood where she was before, a bout of confusion setting over her person. She looked back at the carnage below the hill and sudden realization washed over her face. She quickly turned and tried to catch up to Applinia. Truth be told, Rainboute had joined the Third not four months ago. She and Applinia had developed, at first a seemingly innocent rivalry, which quickly turned into a more threatening one. Rainboute had jealously issues unbecoming of a Mareine, but her martial prowess made this fact often overlooked. Applinia was being groomed for command that much was obvious, to everypony in the company. Rainboute saw some personal threat so she was trying to snuff it out. Applinia tolerated Rainboute but she knew someday it may come to an honour duel and when that day came she was prepared to rip out Rainboute’s hearts and show them to her. Applinia heard Rainboute’s booted hoofsteps first then she appeared next her. Panting a little Rainboute swallowed hard and looked over at Applinia.
‘You believe the cultists are a distraction, yes?’ Rainboute tried to read her companions face but she remained stoically neutral.
‘I do,’ She nodded, ‘I mean to tell the Captain immediately.’ Rainboute looked forward and kept walking the line. Guard ponies and Mareines stood shoulder to shoulder here along the defensive perimeter and over all the Guard where showing good order and discipline. Rainboute had learned they were from a planet called Pegusa, a planet famous for their regiments of shock troops, and were from the Four hundred and twelfth regiment. They had been cut off when the Thunderhawk carrying a crew for the Empress Class Titan Domaretus was shot down by Discord’s forces. The Guard was there to meet them and take them to their General however such a meeting never happened after the Thunderhawk was shot down and the forces of Discord began their repeated assaults.
‘Blood for the Blood God…’ She mumbled to herself as she reached her squads position. Though the scene from before was different now. It seemed everypony insisted on crowding around a singular spot. Apothomare Fluttica was utilizing the extractor on her Narthecium to recover the gene seed of the unknown Mareine and was incanting the Litany’s of Purity and Safeguard. The gene seed slipped into one of her stasis tubes and she made her leave to treat any other wounds no matter how superficial. The first Mareine casualty of Corn V was none other than Captain Regina Cloudkicker.
‘Nooo…’ Applinia whispered she ran over to the fallen Captain, trying to lift her hoof only to find it was limp and lifeless. Chaplin Pinkamina stood over the corpse head bowed forehooves folded in silent prayer for Cloudkicker’s eternal soul. She rose and made her way over to Applinia who had fallen to her knees with grief. Cloudkicker had been there for her for so long it was like she was the mother she never had. Now when she needed her the most, she was off musing at the folly of Discord. It was her who was the fool now she would repent her hubris, she would repent in heretic blood every single one of them would bleed for Cloudkicker. This she swore.
‘She was a noble Mareine and good mare,’ Pinkamina began as she placed a hoof on her pauldron, ‘She was strong in life her soul will find its way to the Emperor.’ Her words were hollow to Applinia, she already knew that she would. The only thing would comfort her now was revenge. ‘There is also one more thing,’ she turned to look up at her Chaplain, ‘should you survive this campaign the Third will be yours. It was the wish of Captain Cloudkicker before she passed.’ Applinia froze the world seemed to stand still. It was all she ever wanted. Soon she would be leading the Third in her own glorious campaigns winning new battle honours and making legends. Pinkamina began to speak again, ‘However until that time I will lead the rest of this mission I estimate it will only take a fortnight at most.’ She sounded confident and began to make her way back to the line suddenly Applinia remembered why she had come and rose to her hooves to follow her.
‘Chaplain Pinkamina!’ She shouted at the hulking black form, ‘Chaplain! I must have a word!’ Pinkamina stooped and turned to meet Applinia. ‘I believe the cultists are a sacrifice, a distraction intended to hide their true attack and movements.’ Pinkamina stood there and said nothing then she turned around again and started to move,
‘I know.’ Applinia was slightly shocked, was the feign so obvious?
‘How, I only just figured it out?’ Pinkamina turned her head and replied.
‘It occurred to me right before the Captain was killed.’ Applinia returned her neutral expression back to her face,
‘How will we proceed then?’ she asked.
‘I plan to have the Guard charge in and flush them out, we will follow behind.’ Her voice, even without her vox grille, was completely emotionless. Applinia stopped dead and stared at Pinkamina, her expression began to twist till a look of repulsion and fury, replaced her neutrality.
‘How could you?!?’ She finally shouted. Several of the Guard ponies turned to see while the Mareines stood fast, they already knew what was about to happen, ‘they are ponies as well! All loyal soldiers of the Imperium! If you send them down in a foolhardy charge they will all die!’ She was panting hard her ire was up. Her hoof had slid subconsciously to the hilt of her chainsword and she had unbuttoned her pistol’s holster. Pinkamina turned to face the pony shouting. A technical screeching noise started to emanate from her it was hardly a task to compare the noise to that of gears grinding, or an engine failing. It was neither of these things though it was the laugh of Pinkamina being distorted through her vox grille. She through her head back and the laughter got a little heartier till it slowly died and drifted down to nothing. Her Grinning Death face mask fell to meet Applinia’s face all but now red with rage. Red recitals met Emerald irises and Pinkamina scoffed,
‘You are serious?’ At this point Applinia lost it, she drew her sword, chain blade whirring to life, swung at the Chaplain. Pinkamina countered by bringing her Crozius Marecanum, a large mace in the shape of an Allicorn head with two semi folded wings, the symbol of her status as Chaplain, to bear and quickly parried it. Applinia screamed in frustration as she reposed herself for another strike before she could she was frozen by the same metallic screeching which was Pinkamina’s vox grilled laughter. Her head was thrown back again and she dropped her Crozius and grabbed her sides, ‘You really are! You care for the mortals?!?! Very well then Sister I will not waste my energy on an honour duel I will concede defeat as you will be my new Captain.’ She turned picked up her Crozius slung it to her back and started to make her way down back to her position. Applinia sheathed her weapon and turned to face the line of Guard ponies. One a young colt lieutenant stood there staring at her his helmet was long gone and his armour was scarred and pocked similar to her own he saluted her sharply her held it as he looked her in the eyes. His violet eyes were full of fear but his face never showed it, only her super senses detected it.
‘Ma’am we will follow you till the end.’ He spoke finally she stood a little puzzled but she felt a strange sense of honour flood over her. ‘My lady we would charge still if you commanded it.’ She was taken aback normal ponies would not want to charge headlong into to certain death.
So why is it these ponies would do so? She pondered a moment then finally spoke so all could hear,
‘No! No pony will have to do that! Nor would I ask any willing servant of the Imperium to make such a suicidal move! To squander Empress blessed life is a blasphemy none can make!’ Every pony around her turned their heads to face her many letting their rifles slide from her hooves. Rainboute stood close behind her face read neutrality but she was hanging on every word. This was not the Applinia she knew this was different beast entirely. Applinia continued her speech,
‘We will be triumphant, we will all live to see another day and we will ONLY die in glorious service to the Empress!’ She was drowned by the cheering of the all the warriors on the line they were ready to fight again the morale restored. Soon though that was even drowned out by the war cries coming from the thicket as hundreds of cultists emerged from their hiding place and charged. Applinia unsheathed her weapons and waved her chainsword above her head firing her bolt pistol, ‘Now Guardpoines rally! Here come the scum of the warp to try to sully this Empress blessed soil! Deny them their feeble attempts! For the Empress!!’ She jumped up on the barricade firing down into the mutated, ritually scarred, and obscenely tattooed mob below her.
Howls and cries to their dark gods went unanswered as they we butchered before the Imperial lines. On occasion a few got through only to be hacked to pieces by bayonet and chainsword. Suddenly a bright violet light appeared in the middle of the field every pony looked away as they were blinded. An ornately robed pony appeared his eyes black as void chuckling has drove his stave, which bore the eight pointed star of Discord, into the ground he ascended into the air. His hooves out at his sides his laugh grew manic, it unnaturally echoed off nothing and filled everything. He plummeted to the ground in a burst of blood and with a roar emerged a Daemon red as blood, massive in height it towered over the field laying its shadow out in all directions covering the Imperial line in darkness. It held a great axe in its hand and flourished it before the Imperials in a show of martial skill. Roaring again it made its way up the hill the stink of blood, fresh blood filled, the breeze and wafted up to the defenders. Applinia watched as a bold battle Sister, she learned her name was Proudmane and she was honoured later after the Campaign as one of its Martyred souls, charged the Bloodthirster, as it was known by the Maredo Mallenus, only to be grabbed in a swipe of its claw. She struggled the whole way to her doom stabbing futilely at the beast’s hands with her knife and firing wildly into it with her bolter. A stray round nicked its face and he howled in rage. He slung his axe and reached up with his now freed claw, with a sickly cracking sound broke her in half and tore her in twain, drinking her blood as it spilled from her severed mid-section. He squeezed each half and drained out every last drop as if she was some ripe citrus fruit and her blood was its sweet juice. After his thirst was slaked the daemon dropped the corpse and unsheathed his axe flourishing it again challenging any to approach him. His challenge was answered by the vox screech laughter of Pinkamina as she lifted her Crozius into the air it crackled and sparked with an energy field as if the Empress herself was giving it a new power.
‘Now then mortals, behold the power of an Empress blessed Daughter!!’ She charged the Bloodthirster uttering penances as she did. Many accounts claim she just cackled madly during the whole exchange, other claim she screamed “Party Time!” when the Crozius in all its crackling glory smashed into the daemon’s skull after she had managed to climb up it’s back evading it’s attempts to dislodge her. All that needed to be known was that she brought down the daemon by herself, single hoofed, it was a moment that would be glorified in the legends of Corn V and The Ultramareines lore forever. The battle soon ended and the remaining Guard units linked up with the stranded escorts and eventually lead to Imperial victory on the planet. However the most significant moment of Applinia’s life came a few moments after the Bloodthirsters demise when the same Lieutenant came back to her, bowing before her as he spoke.
‘My lady you truly saved us all.’ His voice was humble and there was no lie in the words he stated at least non she could detect. ‘If we had followed the Chaplain’s orders… I mean without your objections that… Thing, would have emerged right in the middle of our forces… you saved thousands today.’ A Guardpony behind him piped up,
‘Our Savior!’
‘A true Angel of the Empress!'
'With eyes of emeralds, full of the Empress’ wisdom!’ Another yelled.
‘Let’s hear it for The Emerald Angel!’ The Lieutenant cried to the group forming behind him and a cry went up it could be heard for miles around
‘Emerald Angel! Emerald Angel!’
The command bunker formed around her once again and she smirked a little at her own musings,
‘Emerald Angel, Captian ma’am,’ the sound of Gillimane’s voice stirred her from her stupor, ‘If you would please I was about have Bale brief Heartstrings on his mission I would be honoured if you and your Champion would attend.’ She nodded and motioned to Rainboute to follow him as they made their way to the door and out of bunker. She couldn’t help but smile at her memories as she followed Gillimane to the brief,
"Really if it wasn't for Pinkamina then I wouldn’t be known how I am now." She supposed it was a good thing though she did not know it had earned her the instant respect of Gillimane when he had heard her name. That made it easier for them to plan together but she also feared that it made her own respect her less and made her seem soft. "Well it’s better than simply being feared…" She smiled once more it could have been worse of course much worse.
Emerald Angel… I don’t even like it that much. She chuckled a little out loud and Rainboute turned to face her Captain,
‘Sister are you well?’ She questioned.
‘I’m fine Rainboute,’ she stared up at the setting sun and the Eye of Discord hovering above, ‘just fine.’ They made to the command center to see what scheme Gillimane had cooked up for his poor adjutant.