"What happened here?" Thaddeus said aloud as they walked through a ruined town. From the lack of bodies, it can be safely assumed most of the citizens were able to get away from whatever that was that started to rampage through here. For a few moments, he had hoped that it was his brothers that had gotten here to get them off this planet. But if it truly was his brothers, shouldn't he be hearing something on his vox channel by now? The last thing he needed was another warband of chaos space marines to deal with, but judging from the lack of a giant warp storm and that the natives never said anything about that the attackers looked like him, he dismissed this thought trudging his way through the ruined town with the three fillies he went deep into thought.
"So.... where exactly is the portal or whatever that your rulers opened?" Tarkus asked. "We should of at least been able to of seen SOMETHING last night. You did mention it was still open."
"From here, we can't see it. The Princesses have cast a spell so that those who looked in the night sky won't be panicked if we saw some giant red spiral up there. It's only visible if we all somehow managed to go into space." Twilight explained.
"And how did you know where the other end is going to be? For all we know, this may lead into the eye of terror, or worse yet, the realm of the dark gods." Jonah said.
"Agreed. The chances of something going wrong are just too high for this to be of any reassurance." Cyrus said. "And this to assume anyone notices this massive rift. If I was to be reasonable, the first thing I would do is to make sure no one even get's near something like that."
"Come on everyone! No need to be such a sour-pus! This probably step one! Why so hopeless?!" Rainbow Dash asked.
"Hope is merely the first step down the road of disappointment." Avitus said. "I once wished that life would become centuries ago. Now I know better, that there never will be a day when this galaxy becomes perfect. Even if that happens, I know I will never live to see it."
"Why so down?" Rainbow asked. "Is this really all you do? Just sulk and then find something to murder?"
"That's pretty much it." Tarkus said. "Just him though. Some of us here still have dreams and goals to fulfill. While ambition is a dangerous thing, we hope that one day, our fighting in the end will pay off."
"Speaking off paying off...... that armor is absolutely fantastic!" Rarity said. "How do you make it?
"I didn't make it. Or any of us as a matter of fact." Tarkus said. "It's made from ceramite if that means anything to you."
"But it's just so.... beautiful! Ever considered making changes?"
"We get those all the time. I have some terminator honors here for example." Tarkus said pointing at the Crux Terminatus on his power armor.
"Now.... these idle conversations aside.." Jonah said. "Care to explain HOW your princess learned how to open a rift in the warp? Or was that something they already knew?"
"Well... sorta..." Twilight said. "I am not so sure of it myself. Just wondering, where's Thaddeus? He's been gone for a long time now. Oh.... I hope the fillies are all right."
"Where is that whelp?" Avitus asked.
Thaddeus was still pondering over what happened when he heard voices. Voices that made him cringe. Stopping immediately and gesturing at the three fillies to do the same. He stopped at a corner to listen.
"Az I was seying! These little puny gitz are too hard to catch! Theys run fasta then all of the boyz!"
"den run fasta ya gitz! I always haves to do the tinking!"
"den they runz even fasta! The boyz are too slow!"
"den tell dem grotz that dey needs to run fasta! Gorgutz wants some heads for 'is pointy stik!
Thaddeus took a peek to confirm if whether or not an old enemy of mankind was really here. Taking a peak, unfortunately proved this to be true. A nob and two regular boyz were having a heated conversation. Things looked like it was going to end with teef being knocked around. The subject? Why the rest of the boyz were having a hard time catching up to these "punies".
"And as I iz saying....." The slugga once again repeating himself but this time, he was cut off by a small yelp.
"Wot dat?"
"It'z one of dem punies ya git! Catch it and take it's skull for the boss!" The nob said running at the general direction of the scream. "Hoi! Youse boyz over there! Get yaselves over here and help!"
From his enhanced vision, Thaddeus could see the rustlings coming from a ruined house. If he was to make a guess, then one of the ponies had gotten trapped underneath. He could also point out about forty orks in the street. Turning around he turned to the cutie mark crusaders.
"Run. We have to get out of here."
"But we can't just leave some pony! She may need help!" Applebloom said.
"Yeah! You saved some pony from a big nasty chaos whatever...." Scootaloo said. "Why can't you do it here?"
"You have any idea how many of them are there?" Thaddeus whispered. "This is suicide! The best we can do is maybe we can get help!"
"But what if they find her by then?" Applebloom asked. "Then it what do we do?"
She had a point. Thaddeus sighed and knew he had to do something.
"Maybe we can help!" Applebloom said.
"How?! You have any clue what they'll do to you if they find you?" Thaddeus asked.
"We may be small Mister. But we can help." Sweetie Belle said. "WE CAN!" She finished with as she saw the look on the space marine's face.
"Youse gitz still hasn't found that puny yet?!" The nob asked. "Youse boyz are useless and oi.... what's that noise?!"
"Hey idiots! Come and get me!" Scootaloo said on top of her scooter.
"It's one of dem puny gits! Get her!" The Nob said as the orks went after Scootaloo who immediately turned around and went pretty quickly away. A careful observer would note a particular sound was in the air.
"What's that noise?" One of the orks asked before getting crushed by a half ton space marine falling from the sky. Likewise, several other orks were knocked off their feet, making them easy prey for Thaddeus as he shot them full of holes or cut them to bloody ribbons. The sound of the screams and screeching of the chainsword made Scootaloo turn around to a sight which she lost her lunch on.
"Boss! There's a Humie that's stomping all the boyz!"
"Now dere's a good fight! Let's show the Humie who's boss around here!" The Nob said picking up a big choppa.
"Ugh... look at him go." Sweetie Belle said watching Thaddeus cut several Orks to pieces. One ork ran in front of him wildly swinging a weapon that looked like an axe. This ended with the ork getting a bolter round in the face. Another few tried to swarm him with many axe and swordlike things that resembled the one Thaddeus carried.
"Go get 'em Thaddeus!" Applebloom said as they saw Thaddeus take out like five orks over the course of a few seconds.
"Whoa..... that's a big one." Sweetie Belle said pointing at the Nob with a BIG axe who was slowly moving for Thaddeus.
Thaddeus punched the Ork in front of him straight in the face sending several bits of teef flying and laying his opponent low. From the swarm of orks that rushed him, he could see a big ork behind all of them. Most likely a nob as they called them.
"Outta me way ya gitz! This fight's MINE!" The nob said pushing several Orks away. "Youse fight good humie! But I fights betta!" He said swinging his Choppa forcing Thaddeus back.
"I think Mr. Thaddeus may need our help with this one." Scootaloo said making her way back with her friends.
"But how?! He's so big! We may only just get in the way!" Applebloom said.
"I have an idea! Why don't we....................................... and then we'll get our cutie marks in fighting aliens!" Sweetie Belle said.
This ork really knew how to handle himself. Thaddeus thought as they exchanged blows once again. He was however a bit too slow with the last one and got himself knocked back a few paces.
Seeing his chance the Ork then headbutted Thaddeus down who in a few acts of desperation kicked at the Ork's foot knocking him down as well. They both were equally as fast in getting up and getting their weapons, but what maybe no one would ever be fast enough in doing was avoiding a massive bed that fell on the Nob's head stunning him temporarily. Seizing his chance, Thaddeus lunged for the Nob with a savage blow from the chainsword that beheaded the ork.
"Oi! That fing fell on 'is 'ead! That ain''t fair!" One of the orks said.
"Look! It's dose puny gits! Sneaky punies!" Another ork said.
"LOOK OUT YA GITS! THE HUMIE IS STOMPIN......." The ork's sentence was cut short by a chainsword that went straight through him. In a few moments, all the orks in the street met a similar fate.
"Alright girls! Did we get our cutie marks yet? What do you they look like?"
"Nope yet I say girls! But thanks for saving my skin back there!" A brown stallion said. "And thank you...... um... well whatever you happen to call yourself, you gave those ruffians a dashed good walloping!"
"My name is Thaddeus. What's your name?" Thaddeus asked the stallion who was able to free himself from the rubble.
"My name is Turner Hooves! My family calls me Time Turner while those come to my shop call me Doctor Hooves! I work with clocks and such as well as a secret little project I won't mention as of now! But say good chap, are you hurt?"
"Of course not!" Scootaloo said. "Mr. Thaddeus is a hero! Heroes don't get hurt."
"I'd hate to disappoint you lass but your friend has some blood on his head." Dr. Hooves said pointing at the space marine's head.
"I'll be fine." Thaddeus said. "Just a minor wound. But we best get out of here. Soon there will be thousands of Orks here."
"Orks, so that's what those smelly buggers are called! Well lead the way chap! What are you called by the way?"
"Well, I am a member of the adeptus astartes, or space marines. Or human. Which ever you prefer."
"So you're from space eh? Sounds like you have a lot of stories to share!"
"I always do with these three following me." Thaddeus whispered. "But they were helpful today. Hope the same can be said later. But for now. We must return to my comrades. It's safe there."
"Doctor! Didn't know I'd find you out here." Twilight said as she watched the four return.
"I didn't either Ms.Sparkle! Nor did I expect something called a human to save my skin from a bunch of nasty green ruffians that call themselves orks!" The doctor said. "I was just visiting a few friends and land in a bloody warzone! And I say, more humans! Are they like deciding to live in Equestria?"
"No." Avitus said flatly. "We were actually just leaving until now we get Orks to deal with. On the bright side, something to kill finally."
"Now Orks.... too." Thule sighed. "Thaddeus any clue on who there warboss is?"
"I think he's called gorgutz."
"Not him again......" Thule sighed again. "Alright. We find the warboss. He's mine. His head belongs to me. He escaped twice in the past. He will not here."
"These humans must really like fighting." Hooves said. "Say, good chap ever considered talking it out with those on your bad side?"
"I do all the time from the barrel of my bolter." Thule said taking up his bolter. "Alright space marines, arm yourselves. We have greenskins to kill."
The space marines looked ready to kill, but just then... something came out of the trees. The space marines got ready to kill. But all that came out was a baby dragon panting from fatigue.
"SPIKE?!" Everyone said at the same time.
"What are you doing here?" Twilight asked. "I thought I told you to take care of the library!"
"I know! But it's a letter from Princess Celestia!" Spike said then turning to the space marines he said. "We got a problem across southern Equestria there are these big green...."
"Orks." Martellus said.
"Orks, rampaging everywhere! Princess Celestia herself is with a full detachment of the royal guard!" Spike said panicking.
"So.... first chaos, now Orks. It seems everything in the universe just likes to chase us wherever we are." Angelos said. "Alright marines, we got some Orks to kill."
"Twiley!" Shining Armor said giving his little sister a hug. "Thanks for coming!"
"Good to see you too! How's it going?" Twilight said.
"Not well. These whatever they are...."
"Orks." Martellus said.
"Who let him in here?" Shining Armor asked glaring at nearby guards.
"No, no. They're here to help! I know you may not of had the best experiences with each other... but... please.. there here to help." Cadence said to her indignant husband.
"Indeed we are." Cyrus said. "I analyzed your defenses. Your defensive strategy is good. The only thing good about your army aside from you. These so-called royal guard are amongst the most incompetent soldiers I've ever met. Most of them panic at the sight of more than a small group of Orks. This low amount of discipline is worse than a chaos space marine warband."
"Well, you have a better idea?" Shining Armor asked.
"Indeed I do. In fact, my brothers and I will personally oversee this. I want a group of your best me... I mean ponies in terms of subtlety." Cyrus said.
"So... hit them hard where it hurts with a bunch of stealth teams?" Shining Armor asked. "Fair enough. I have yet to join the fight myself."
"Maybe the presence of an actual fighter can rally this broken band of soldiers." Cyrus said. "While morale is at an all time low, whatever "armor" your people use are of little protection. They however don't seem to restrict mobility aside from their weight."
"The logical course of action will be to set up a defensive perimeter." Martellus said. "Avitus. You know what to do."
"On it." The devastator said taking his heavy bolter. "
"Excellent. Positioning is fine." Cyrus said noting the large hill. "I doubt however a charge can be ever used. Your kind seem to be ill-suited for war."
"Save for the psykers in their army." Jonah said. "While most are of fairly rudimental in raw power, there are many who I consider on the same level as those of our own. We can use those to strike at the orks where it hurts the most. The most important thing to do should be eliminating the bigger orks. Then the smaller ones will turn out to be sitting ducks in the end as a lack of a common leader can cause chaos in their ranks."
Shining waved them over with a hoof. Time to discuss strategy and about his enemies.