PonyHammer 40,000: Magic of War II | Redemption

by Dragon Heart

The Whispers of Nettor

For the time being, they had another problem on Arctika to attend to, specifically more Guardponies who have fallen to Discord.

"I realize time is not on our side, Captain, and striking these heretics is not our immediate objective." said Spike. "I leave it to you whether we act."

Spike played an intercepted communication between two Guardponies.

*Command voxed again, wanting a report.* one of the Guardponies said. *That's the fourth time this week. We keep giving them dead air, and it won't be long 'fore they decide to stop by. They gotta be wondering who's accepting their munition drops, after all.*

*They can vox every minute until doomsday if they please, we will NOT respond!* another Guardpony yelled. *You have heard the whispers! You know Ne... Net... the will, the voice, we are his now, he is here, while they have forsaken us! If they, if ANYPONY, wants these munitions, wants this meat, they must take it from us!*

*Course... course sir. For Nettor...*

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Helios and the Pony Marines redeployed back onto Arctika, and the traitor Guardponies were immediately alerted of their presence.

"Perimeter breach!" a Guardpony called, "Intruders at Checkpoint Taurus!"

"All forces to arms!" the renegade commander ordered. "Gun them down, bring their flesh to the keep! Nettor shall feast this eve!"

The Blood Phoenixes quickly engaged a squad of Guardponies along with a Sentinel. Helios struck down each and every heretic with one slash from his blade. The Sentinel was armed with a powerful Lascannon, but did not last very long against a squad of Termineightors with shoulder-mounted Missile Launchers.

"Brash. Feeble. Foolish." said Helios. "Cursed sorts of a cursed god."

They moved on, gathering resources along the way, and found a gate blocking their path. They proceeded to utterly demolish the gate. When they passed through, a disturbing voice echoed around them; the voice of Nettor, the Great Unclean One.

"Yes, little ones, crawl and buzz if you like." the voice seemed to have said.

Chimera Tanks drove in to attack, but were soon blown to scrap by a missile barrage. When those vehicles were destroyed, the Blood Phoenixes pushed forward.

"How is it you've allowed the invaders to remain breathing?" the renegade commander asked in a demanding tone. "They walk in the open, begging to be slaughtered! Manticore Batteries, Vengeance and Justice, crush them beneath your rockets!"

The Pony Marines soon spotted a tank with a rocket launching platform atop an icy cliff. The Termineightors immediately teleported to the tank's location and assaulted the troops defending it. When the traitors were killed, they proceeded to assault the Manticore Tank. Once the tank was obliterated, they regrouped with Philosophies and moved on. But the accursed voice of Nettor returned to plague their minds.

"This land shall feel my gangrenous touch. Am I not magnanimous?" Nettor gagged.

Helios and the Pony Marines had come upon a relay beacon, much to their luck, which was surrounded by parked Chimeras.

"Purge these thoughtless hides." the voice said.

A supply depository's doors opened, and Guardponies came galloping out. Some attacked the Pony Marines while others hoped to commandeer a tank while they were distracted. Out of all the remaining heretics, only one was able to enter a Chimera and attack the Blood Phoenixes with its Hot Shot Lasguns. The Pony Marines were able to destroy the tank with little effort, and they continued along the frozen road. They soon stumbled upon what appeared to be Guardponies still loyal to the Empress fighting against the traitors, as well as a small squad of Bison, and Discord Cultists.

"Guardponies. They may be of some help." said Pinkie.

The Pony Marines went in and eliminated the heretics, saving the loyal Equestrial Guard forces from certain death.

"Captain... Captain, do you read?" one of the Guardponies asked. "Thank the Empress you're here. Everypony stationed at this base has been hearing voices, having nightmares... this place is still cursed with the stink of Discord. We've been here for years now, ever since Captain Pegalos and his Pony Marines left. Most went mad... but not all of us. We took action when you arrived, secured the munitions dump, gunned down the traitors here and..."

"Treasonous filth!" the renegade commander shouted over the communications vox. "So eager to join these pretenders? Then your blood and bones shall lead theirs into Nettor's maw!"

At that moment, another supply deposit's doors opened from the southeast, and more cultists came out, as well as a Disharmonaught. From a supply deposit to the southwest, more traitor guardponies, and even renegade Bison, appeared to battle the Blood Phoenixes.

The Pony Marines and the Equestrial Guard held their position and opened fire upon the heretics, gunning them down quickly and mercilessly. The Disharmonaught took five shots from Devastator Lascannons before evaporating into daemon fire and disappearing. Helios engaged the Bison in melee combat, who were very strong and could easily trample a regular Pony beneath their hooves and weight. But Helios was a Pegasus Marine of greater strength and valor, and the Bison fell to his blade. It took several minutes, but the Discord forces and traitor guardponies were soon annihilated.

"Praise the Empress... we've driven them off!" said the Guardpony leader. "Me and the lads can hold this location for now, Captain. If you take the keep, you'll break the back of the renegades. Good luck sir... the Equestrium overcomes!"

The Pony Marines continued on, destroying a gate that blocked the path and passing through. They gunned down every traitor that stood before them until they finally reached the entrance to the keep.

"Yes, yes! Come, unbelievers! Nettor welcomes all!" the renegade commander yelled.

The Blood Phoenixes entered the keep, and the treacherous commander himself attacked from a specially designed Chimera Tank that was equipped with stronger firepower and reinforced with tougher armor. But that would not stop the Pony Marines from ridding the planet of the heretic inside. The Devastators shot blast after blast of Lascannon fire at the vehicle. The Termineightors fired their missile pods and fired their Storm Bolters and Assault Cannons. The Pony Marines unleashed all their combined fury upon the commander. Eventually, the tank gave in to its structural damage, but the commander was still alive. Helios flew onto the wreckage, opened the driver's hatch, pulled the traitor out, and delivered a fatal blow to his chest. The guardpony fell to the ground and slid up to the base of the well, broken and bleeding.

"Enjoy the mercy of death, lunatic." Helios said fiercely.

The dying heretic turned over and leaned his back against the well. "Death... death comes for all." he said, trying to speak with punctured lungs. "May... may my flesh fester and rot... and give life anew... for Nurgle..." The traitor coughed up cups of blood, and then went limp.