2.04- The Jaws of Cetus: Firestorm
The Jaws of Cetus: Firestorm
The Lion stood on the command bridge of the Rock, waiting as the Astropaths took them through the Warp and the final approach to Rynn’s World. The rest of the Dark Angels were heading to teleportariums, drop pods, and Thunderhawk Gunships in preparation for deployment against the Tyranids.
Eager to join them as he was, there was still more to be taken care of to ensure the fleet would reach the battle intact.
“Astropath,” he said, looking to one of the nearby psykers. “Contact the Empress.”
“My lord, we will need our focus to make sure the Shadow does not throw us off course.” the psyker protested, causing Jonson to frown.
“Maintain our course and speed. I will let you know when we must drop out of Warpspace. Now contact the Empress.”
“Yes, my lord.” there was a pause as the Astropath focused, the Lion keeping his eyes forward.
“Jonson.” the Empress’ voice called through the mouth of the Astropath.
“Empress,” Jonson said. “We are starting our final approach on Rynn’s World. Is our path clear?”
“I have done what I can to make sure that the gaps that the Salamanders spoke of remain open.” The Empress replied. “It will be a narrow gap, though.”
“I have taken that into my calculations,” Jonson said. “Send a message to the rest of the fleet that they are to focus on the resonance of the Rock; once we reach the mark I have picked, we should be able to drop out of the Warp with no real incident.”
“I will alert you if anything changes.” And with that the Empress released her hold on the Astropath, the psyker slumping over while others rushed to his aid. The Lion kept his focus forward, waiting for the right signals that they were within acceptable distance to re-enter reality. One by one the displays winked on as the rest of the attack force linked to the Rock, save for one or two stragglers whose lights faded into the Shadow.
“Lord Jonson.” one of the other officers on deck said. “We are beginning to receive interference from the Shadow. Your orders?”
“Maintain course,” Jonson said, folding his arms across his chest. “Or were you so quick to forget my command earlier?”
“The Navigators may not be able to take the strain-”
“I did not ask for statistics, only service,” Jonson snapped. “Maintain course, and make sure all personnel are to their battle stations.” the officer nodded, heading back to his station as the Lion kept his vision forward. The Fortress Monastery of the Dark Angels trembled as they moved onward through the Warp, some of the Astropaths and Navigators crying out as the Shadow of the Hive Mind assaulted them.
“Hold!” the Lion called, “But a few more moments, and we’ll be upon them!”
“I am not sure if the mortals can hold much longer, my lord.” one of his accompanying Deathwing noted as two psykers keeled over in shock.
“We will manage, just a bit further.” The Empress’ field is still too narrow. We must knock out more of the hive nodes than I thought... The Rock shook from another shift in the Warp, more psykers crying out in agony as the Tyranids assaulted their minds. Jonson was no psyker, but deep in the Warp as they were he could feel the null field closing in, thousands of savage minds clawing to get in, trying to break his will to theirs.
Jonson smirked. Just like the forests of Caliban.
“Begin the deceleration process!” the Lion barked. “The xenos think they have us in their clutches? Let them learn the true might of the Imperium.” the bridge crew responded in affirmation, navigators straining as they maneuvered the Rock through the last stages of the Warp. The entire structure shuddered, but the Lion barely moved as they were yanked from the Warp and back to reality.
Right into the heart of Cetus.
Rynn’s World lay before them, its once verdant fields and oceans scarred by war and the encroaching Tyranid menace. Two Battle Barges and supporting craft held position just above the planet’s equator, all of them heavily damaged from constant attack. Beyond, the tendrils of Cetus lashed out against their targets, some snaking down towards Rynn’s World while others grasped at the defending ships like a child searching for candies. The Hive Fleet shifted as the Rock, the Phalanx, and the rest of those ships designated for the first wave pulled out of the Warp, perhaps reacting in surprise that its prey could jump in so close to its weakest points.
“Draw the Fleet’s attention so that the defenders may withdraw,” Jonson said. “Void shields to maximum, and have all macro batteries target the central neural nodes. Escorts are to hold defensive positions while we begin our attack.” there was a call of affirmation as the Rock pushed ahead, the rest of the Dark Angels’ fleet forming up in escort positions as it closed with the Hive Fleet. One of the defense fleet buckled as a Hive Ship ripped it in half, the explosion buffeting the rest of the Imperial ships as they tried to make their escape.
Just as the Tyranids closed on the first of the damaged Battle Barges, the Dark Angels made their attack. Building-sized shells and missiles screamed through the void towards their targets, bright plumes ripping through the Hive Ships with ease before their defenses could be properly deployed. Just as the Tyranids prepared to receive this new assault, the archaeotech weaponry of the Rock fired, dozens of their ships ignited by vast lances of concentrated energy and supercharged plasma. Those that attempted to flee were caught in the fire of the escorts, the Warp contorting from the death screams of Cetus’ vanguard organisms.
Beneath this deluge of fire, the defending fleet withdrew to the shadow of the Rock. Jonson was momentarily distracted from observing the battle as a new vox chimed in. “This is Captain Murieta of the Pride of Rynn. It is a welcome surprise to see we will be fighting another day.”
“I thank you for your words, Captain.” the Lion said, turning slightly to address the bridge crew. “The xenos think to bait us into moving too far from orbit. Picket defense; keep Rynn’s World behind us to prevent outflanking.” when he got affirmation from the bridge, the Lion turned his focus back to the Crimson Fists. “What is your status?”
“All weapon systems are offline or heavily damaged, and that includes the Hallowed Brotherhood and escorts.” Murieta continued. “Had you arrived a few moments later, we would have lost our void shields as well.”
“Communications?”
“Still online, my lord.”
“Then that is how we will put your ships to use.” the Lion said, turning to a new display as the Tyranids prepared their counterattack, a wave of Hive Ships and other bio-monstrosities charging towards the Dark Angels’ wall. “Contact your forces on the ground to let them know that the Lion has arrived, and that I will be landing to take command of whatever forces you have on Magalan.”
“Our presence on Magalan is minimal, my lord,” Murieta replied. “Most of what remains is centered around New Rynn City on Sorocco.”
“I am well aware of that,” the Lion frowned as he continued. “Lord Corax will be taking command of the defense of Sorocco when the fleet is in position. He is aboard the Inquisitorial ship Sanguinium Marytres; I suggest you coordinate directly with him once you have finished relaying my orders.”
“... Yes, my lord.” With that the communication closed out, the Lion turning his attention back to the battle. The Tyranids had rallied, hundreds of Hive Ships amassing just out of reach of the Dark Angels’ weaponry. Small flashes illuminated the space between them as Imperial fighters and attack craft dueled with lesser Tyranid bioforms, dozens of lights flickering as human and xenos were torn asunder in the melee.
The Hive Ships pulled up on their approach towards the Rock, intending to smash in on the fleet from above and thus avoid much of the fire from the fleet’s broadside. Smaller Hive Ships dove first, rushing towards several outlying escort ships in a mad dash to reach the transports headed towards Rynn’s World. The Dark Angels rose to meet the attackers, cannons blazing as the bioforms closed. Several of the xenos creatures faltered and died, but their brethren smashed into the Imperial line, splitting two destroyer-class vessels in half and badly mauling a Strike Cruiser in their initial attacks. Bioplasma melted through steel and adamantium while spore clusters shot out to deposit lesser Tyranids within the Imperial ships, the assaults countered by a storm of flak from the Dark Angel and Imperial Navy craft backed up by volley after volley from macro batteries and turbolasers.
Despite the unrelenting wave of Tyranid attackers, the line held. The transports would be able to unload their troops without interruption.
“All ships move to engage,” Jonson said, smirking as one Hive Ship imploded from a miniaturized warpstorm fired by the Inquisitor’s ship. “We will hold the Tyranids there a little longer, and then the true hunt can begin.”
...
The Sanguinium Martyres shuddered as it unleashed another salvo upon the attacking aliens, Twilight stumbling a bit as she and the Sisters hustled down the hall towards the main hangar. Though technically not part of the main battle line with the Dark Angels, the cruiser had been positioned such that some of the Tyranid bioships had taken more interest in it than Mattias had hoped. The battle had not focused on them, but Twilight found it rather difficult to keep a good pace while the ship rocked back and forth from firing and taking hits from the enemy.
Of course, that would be nothing compared to what awaited them on Rynn’s World proper, if Mattias’ briefing had been any indication.
“The last of the drop pods are away.” Mattias called as Twilight broke into the hangar. He, the Valhallans, and Sister Bianca were standing before a smaller craft than their normal lander, a sleek black dropship marked with the silver “I” of the Inquisition. “Empress willing, we’ll be able to reach the planet as well.”
“We’ll make it down, Mattias.” Twilight said when she reached him. “Even if I have to teleport everyone down, we’ll make it.”
“Hopefully it won’t come to that; with the Shadow as strong as it is the last thing we need is for you to kill yourself trying to use your powers.” Twilight frowned but said nothing. For all the others had been talking of the Hive Mind’s “Shadow in the Warp”, she had not noticed much of anything. Perhaps a dull headache here and there, but not the maddening void it was described as. “Regardless, get your Sisters aboard; we need to get down there before the Tyranids attack this ship in force.” Twilight nodded, stepping quickly around Mattias and up the ramp, the Sisters and Valhallans following right behind. She found one seat near the front of the ship, strapping in while looking down at her companions as they did much the same.
“Ready to have some fun, Frederik?” Judith asked, clutching the heavy flamer close to her chest. “Yes I know, so many foul xenos to play with! Won’t they be so happy you sent them to meet the Empress?”
“Wouldn’t exactly call the Tyranids happy, but we’ll kill them all the same.” Alexis said as he secured a meltagun next to his seat. “That’s how we met Lord Mattias, actually; our unit got sent in to extract him and a few scientists or some such after Cetus surprised them on Braxas IV. You learn to trust a man after he guts a Broodlord that just ate your Commissar’s head.” Twilight shivered, but Sister Judith gave a chuckle.
“That reminds me of my first combat mission,” she said. “You should have seen the look on Sister Rachel’s face after I punched that techno-heretic’s head off. Always a stoic, Rachel, but to see how high her eyebrows went!”
“We can discuss war stories after we have landed, Judith.” Naomi said, securing the clasps around her helmet before continuing. “Ruth, would you care to lead us in prayer before we enter the battlezone?”
“When Lord Mattias has boarded, yes.” Ruth replied with a nod. She did not have to wait long, for Mattias stepped onto the craft and closed the door just as the cruiser was rocked by another hit.
“Launch!” he called ahead, the pilot giving a nod as Mattias took a seat across from Twilight. The craft shuddered before lifting off from the deck, accelerating as it left the hangar and entered the void of space. As they began their main descent, Ruth clasped her hands together and began to pray.
“Blessed Empress watch over us on this day of battle.” she said. “Let not the foul weapons of our enemy scar the bodies of ourselves and our allies, for you are our Shield and Protector. Grant us thy blessing, O Master of Humanity, that our bolters may find their mark and our blades cut down our foes. Lead us not into despair or folly, but shelter us within your Light, for your Way is Truth and Glory. Let none of us be found wanting, for we are Your Sword this day, Blessed Empress.” Ruth raised her head, giving the rest in the cabin a smile. “There is only the Empress.”
“And She is our Shield and Protector.” the others chorused. Twilight had remained silent, though none of the others had seemed to notice; while there were some aspects of their faith that made sense, Twilight was just not ready to make that step into fully joining their worship... yet.
What are you willing to sacrifice for the true safety of your friends? The words echoed through her mind again, Twilight shaking her head to clear them away. This, Mattias noticed.
“What is it, Tara?” he asked. “Is it the Hive Mind?”
“No, it’s just...” she started, chewing her lip for a moment as she thought of the next thing to say. “Just a bad dream I had, nothing more.” The Inquisitor was not convinced, but made no further comment. Twilight turned away, looking to the rest of her friends as the craft rocked from entering into orbit. The Sisters were as stoic as ever, save for Sister Judith drumming her fingers against the fuel tank of her heavy flamer, while the Valhallans quietly chatted about something Twilight could not make out. Bianca had her eyes closed in meditation, her hands folded in her lap, and Mattias had rested his chin on his knuckle, his mechanical hand twitching ever so slightly.
All of them were nervous, or hiding their nervousness in some way. Twilight did not want to add to their own troubles right now.
The ship shook again, jostling the occupants much harder than normal reentry. “What’s the situation up there?” Mattias called.
“We are moving towards the main transports.” the pilot replied. “But a flock of Crones has moved between us and the rest of our allies. I am taking evasive maneuvers now.”
“Keep us on course if possible.” Mattias said just as the dropship was rocked by another strike. “If we are brought down, the closer we can get to help the better.” the pilot did not say anything to affirm that he heard Mattias’ request, merely taking the dropship to the right as Twilight heard a screech from outside followed by a prolonged burst of gunfire. Gripping her harness tighter, Twilight took a breath before symbolically moving her hand away from her body, flowing through the motions Cadence taught her to keep herself calm.
For a brief moment at any rate, for the dropship lurched violently downward with another strike. “Lord Velas, we’ve been hit! Tentaclids on our port stabilizer!”
“Can you shake them off?” as if to answer Mattias’ question, the general roar from the left engines began to sputter and die down, replaced instead by alien chittering and cracks from sparking electricity. “Guess not. How far are we from the city?”
“Still twenty five kilometers out. The main stabilizers can hold us for a glide, but given our speed we won’t be able to make a soft landing in New Rynn City.” Twilight’s jaw tightened, her eyes darting to the rest of the occupants.
“Decelerate us as best you can, and try to bring us down close to friendly lines as possible.” Mattias said finally. “If we’re forced down, better in one piece and near our allies rather than smeared across Rynn’s World.”
“As you wish, my lord. Beginning our descent now.” the dropship began a more controlled descent, not helped by another shriek from outside followed by a second impact.
“Is there any way to get some help to drive away those things?” Twilight cried over the din.
“There are two flights of Stormhawk Interceptors currently engaging the Tyranids,” the pilot called back as he took the dropship to the left. “There are still about three times as many Crones for them to face.” That was more than enough to get Twilight to fall silent, her grip tightening again. There was another burst of gunfire followed by a shriek, something heavy slamming into the front of the dropship, jostling the passengers once more. The dropship lost more altitude, the left engine still sputtering as the pilot tried to get them back online.
Maybe the offer to teleport the rest of the way will be more welcome now... Twilight thought. Before she could voice her opinion, the Dropship lurched downward as something heavy landed on top. The cabin was filled with the sound of tearing metal as the Tyranid ripped through the hull, a massive talon piercing through the metal just shy of Twilight’s skull.
“We’re going down!” Mattias cried, undoing his harness and reaching for his bolt pistol. “Shake this thing off before it kills us all!” The dropship jerked to the right again, and while Mattias managed to keep his balance the Tyranid was similarly undisturbed. More tearing, and a large chunk of the hull above Twilight’s head was torn away, giving her her first clear look at the beast attacking them.
Like those Tyranids she had encountered on her first day in this universe, it was coated in blue and turquoise armor like that of an insect. Two leathery wings tipped with scythe-like talons helped carry the monster, and now helped it rip open the dropship like a bag of chips. Its head was skeletal and coated in white chitin, its mouth dominated by a massive biological nozzle that dripped with acid. The Hive Crone fixed Twilight with a stare, the beast hissing as it drew its head back in preparation to attack.
It never followed through before Mattias fired, three hellfire shells smashing into the beast’s face. It shrieked, thrashing its head around in an effort to regain its vision, but pushing its head back inside the dropship to flood the cabin with bioacid proved futile as Judith, having also unfastened herself, shoved Frederik up through the hole and unleashed a column of burning prometheum into the Crone’s face. Twilight jerked out of the way as Sister and Inquisitor battled the Tyranid, their fire unrelenting until the beast finally released the dropship.
“Well, that solves that problem.” Judith chirped, pulling her heavy flame away from the hole.
“We’re still careening out of the sky in a damaged dropship!” Twilight cried. “Strap yourselves in before we hit the ground!”
“Details,” the Sister shrugged, but she was already back to her seat and pulling the harness back over her head. Twilight’s grip tightened further as the dropship spiraled towards the ground, her eyes snapping shut as she braced for impact.
She did not have to wait long, for within seconds the dropship slammed into the ground. Twilight let out a yelp as she was thrown against her harness, her armor squealing as it scraped against metal. Sparks and chunks of loose metal flew about the hold, small flashes of purple light flickering where those that would have injured Twilight were disintegrated by the power within her armor. Not that she noticed, as she strained to keep her eyelids shut amidst the chaos.
Finally, the dropship slowed to a stop. Twilight waited for a moment before she allowed herself to breathe, opening one eye as she surveyed the wreckage. Supplies and broken metal were strewn everywhere, mixing with dirt that had come in through cracks and other body damage. Fortunately, all of her companions appeared to be alive, if a bit dazed as they undid their restraints. “Are you alright, Tara?” Naomi asked as the Sister Superior crossed to Twilight.
“I’m... I’m fine.” Twilight said, giving a quick nod as she tugged at her restraints, pausing only when Naomi stepped forward to undo them herself. “Everyone else is okay?”
“For now.” Mattias said as he reloaded his bolt pistol. “Hopefully friendly forces saw us come down and are on their way to rescue us, but no doubt the Hive Mind has their own forces on their way as well. We need to get moving before they find us.” Twilight swallowed, giving a short nod as she followed Mattias out of the wreck, unhooking her sword from her hip as she did so. They stepped through the ruined doors of the dropship, Twilight blinking as she got her first good look at Rynn’s World.
The field they were standing in had once been farmland. Besides the long furrow left by the dropship, dozens of massive craters and collapsed tunnels dotted the landscape, with all plantlife having been blasted to ash long ago. The shattered hulls of three tanks rested nearby, soot and dirt having caked over camouflage until all were a uniform shade of grey. Broken weapons and ammo casings covered the ground, but as far as she looked Twilight could not see one single corpse, human or alien. In the distance she thought she could see vast pylons of some kind rising from the earth, but she was too far away to determine if they were actually living rather than alien constructs.
Above, the sky had been rent apart by the Hive Fleet, twisted into a myriad of colors and shapes beyond normal comprehension. Massive tentacle-like appendages dipped down from the upper atmosphere, swaying as Cetus devoured all its servants brought to it. Around them, flashes from Imperial ordnance flickered in and out, a dull roar reverberating through the Warp as the Hive Fleet reeled in pain from the counter assault. While Twilight could still make out the faint lights of stars beyond the battlezone, with the Hive Fleet so close it was less like stepping onto a new world and more like stepping into the mouth of a giant monster... which was probably true, the more she thought about it.
“Try not to stare too much,” Alexis said as he came up behind Twilight. “The Tyranids love to bring their ships in closer to spread fear in those that can’t fathom the scale of what they’re facing.” Twilight turned away, looking back to the rest of the group. Mattias had moved to the front of the ship, speaking to the pilot that Twilight could now identify as Magos Aryll. The spider cyborg clambered down the wrecked dropship, a power axe clutched in two of his arms while the other two carried some other weapon she could not identify and a small disc.
“We are in luck, Lord Mattias,” the techpriest droned, holding up the disc for the others to see. “Before it went into hibernation, the Machine Spirit of this ship alerted me to the presence of an Imperial regiment two kilometers to the north.”
“That will be our best bet at getting to New Rynn City in one piece,” Mattias nodded, looking back to the others. “Stay on alert; the Tyranids can and will attack from all angles if we are caught unawares, and I doubt all eleven of us will do more than slow them down. Nikolai, Alexis, you take point.”
“Yes, Lord Velas.” the two Valhallans moved forward, their meltaguns as the ready for any attack. Sisters Judith and Rebecca followed while the other three formed up behind Mattias, Twilight, Bianca, and Magos Aryll, the small gaggle of humans starting off as a quickened pace towards the north. They stopped only when confronted by the sound of gunfire, all of them surveying the area in case a firefight was drawing closer to them and starting up only when they were certain they were alone.
Stop, search, start, repeat. Such as their advance as they continued towards their destination.
Ahead, Twilight could see a massive structure rising from the gloom. New Rynn City was positively tiny compared to the Hive Cities of Caesaria and Terra, but it still dominated an area roughly the size of a small mountain. Smoke from industrial buildings mixed with that rising from fires and other damage, joined by columns of glowing anti-air fire rising to strike any Tyranids that drew close.
And ahead, Twilight could see a column of tanks and transports moving towards them.
“Cadians,” Nikolai said from ahead. “I don’t think they’ve spotted us yet.”
“They will once we move closer.” Mattias said, moving past the Valhalland and starting towards the Imperial forces. “Let me do the talking, but stay on alert.” Twilight said nothing, keeping her attention focused forward as they drew closer to the friendly forces. As she walked, she could feel some loose dirt sliding out from beneath her boots, a faint tremor following after her as she and the others knocked away small clods of dirt. Now, the Cadian forces spotted them and pulled to a halt, heavier vehicles taking up defensive positions in case they were attacked.
“Identify yourselves!” a voice called through a vox speaker on one of the leading vehicles.
“Mattias Velas of the Ordo Xenos!” Mattias called back, quickening his pace so he could close and not have to shout to get the Guardsmen’s attention. “Our dropship was brought down just south of here and we require passage to New Rynn City.” there was a pause before the hatch of the lead vehicle popped open, an older man in a peaked cap popping out as the group finally closed to a reasonable distance.
“Captain Steiner, Cadian 501st,” the man said. “You’ve come at a difficult time, Inquisitor; our orders are to link up with the Catachan 211th to strengthen the defense of the main road to the city. We do not have any vehicles to spare for your conduct to New Rynn City.” Twilight’s heart dropped. No vehicles meant they were in for a long walk towards the city, not helped by the constant threat of Tyranid attack.
At least with friendly units nearby we won’t be too far away from rescue, she reasoned. She paused as she felt the ground shift again, a couple pebbles rolling away from her towards the horizon. She made to speak, but Mattias’ conversation with the column commander could not be impeded.
“At the very least you can send a vox to the city.” he said. “Perhaps a Valkyrie could pick us up and take us the rest of the way.”
“I will see what I can do.” the captain slid back down the hatch before calling back up. “Though if you continue on, you’ll most likely reach the next column before too long. The rest of the 501st should be along shortly.”
“Short range vox communications may only get us so far.” Magos Aryll said as he moved away from the group. “I will do what I can to increase the range of communications.”
“Do what you can.” Mattias said, pausing before looking to Twilight. “I could pull Inquisitorial authority, but the front will need all the help they can get.”
“Right...” Twilight looked off into the distance, her eyes tracking a few anti-air missiles before they blasted a few Tyranid biomorphs from the sky. “I suppose I could work out a more effective rotation schedule to make sure we keep all units at full fighting capacity...” she paused again. Another tremor, but this one much more noticeable than the others. “Mattias did you feel that?”
“Feel what?” Mattias asked, one eyebrow raised.
“Tremors,” she said, looking around again. “At first I thought it was just loose earth, but they seem to be consistent and getting stronger... Is Rynn’s World geologically stable?” her breath caught when she saw Mattias’ face. The normally calm Inquisitor looked at her with a face of pure shock, his right hand quivering ever so slightly.
“Tara,” he said, his voice low. “Run, now.” Twilight could feel her magic flowing into her sword, purple flames racing down the blade as she looked around for some incoming threat. She did not have to wait long before the command vehicle exploded, a massive column of smoke and fire rising up as the group recoiled from the wreckage.
Rising up from a hole beneath the vehicle was a massive serpentine creature, propelled forward by six stout claws. Twilight could only stare and watch as the monster tossed its head back, swallowing one unlucky Guardsman in a single bite from its fanged maw. The beast leaned forward before unleashing an ear-piercing shriek, blood and phlegm spiraling out towards the ground.
“Mawloc! Bring it down!” Mattias bellowed, rushing to the right as he raised his bolt pistol to fire. Alexis and Nikolai were first to step forward, bracing themselves before firing their meltaguns up into the Tyranid’s face, two molten holes punching through the beast’s chest. The Mawloc shrieked again, swinging to the left before diving back into the ground, shearing off the side armor of a nearby Chimera as it continued tunneling. It was out of sight almost as soon as it had arrived, though Twilight could still see the furrows left by the Mawloc’s tunneling.
“Dammit!” Naomi yelled, sprinting up to one of the tunnels left by the monster. “It’ll come back around or another attack, no doubt.”
“Keep your flamers on that tunnel, Sister.” Mattias said as he swept his pistol across the horizon. “The Mawloc’s just the first wave; the main force will be along soon enough.” Twilight spun in place, eyes darting back and forth. The Cadians had begun to spread out, some of the vehicles taking potshots at the Mawloc as it circled the column. Panic had not quite settled in on the humans, but the sudden attack and the loss of their commander had certainly done a number on their effectiveness.
Seconds later, the Tyranids arrived in force.
Twilight jumped back as more creatures burst from the ground in front of her. They resembled smaller versions of the Mawloc with proportionally larger talons, each one giving her a hiss before attacking with a storm of needles launched from their chests. Twilight quickly tossed up a magic shield, the spikes shattering against the purple wall without much effort. The beasts rushed forward, but Veronica and Ruth stepped up to shield Twilight, their bolters roaring as the Tyranids rushed to meet them. Twilight raised another shield, the Tyranids snarling as they clawed at the barrier while she and the Sisters retreated back towards the main fight.
From the hole left by the Mawloc came a tide of smaller organisms, dozens of them scrambling forward to attack the humans beyond. With talons raised they bound forward, stopped only by Sisters Naomi and Judith as their flame weapons roasted the oncoming xenos. The Tyranids shrieked and bled away, sweeping out like flocking birds in search of new targets to overwhelm. By now the Guard had reassembled and began providing adequate supporting fire, lasbolts and heavy gunfire pulverizing any Tyranids not caught by the Sisters’ flamers.
As they focused upon the first wave, the Guard was oblivious to the Mawloc’s return. With a roar the tunneling bioform lunged towards another Chimera, its chitinous body ripping through metal as the beast lunged to grab the humans within. This drew fire from two other support vehicles, but once again the Mawloc slid away before any lasting damage could be inflicted, followed soon after by another horde of lesser Tyranids charging from the tunnel it left behind. Those Guardsmen that had deployed from their transports moved to meet them, volleys of lasgun fire slowing the xenos momentarily before they came crashing into the human lines.
Fight turned to slaughter as the Tyranids tore through the Guardsmen. Flak armor provided only scant seconds of protection before the sheer weight of xenos broke through, some soldiers getting only one choked scream before talons and teeth shredded through flesh and cloth. The Tyranids barely slowed, charging deeper into the Imperial formation while small snake creatures darted forward to devour the fallen.
Twilight and the two Sisters with her hurried back to the others, Twilight channeling her magic once more in preparation to strike. Ahead, Judith and Naomi had been forced back to back, a ring of flames and charred Tyranids surrounding them as the aliens tested their defenses. Mattias, Bianca, and the Valhallans were pressed up against one Chimera with several Guardsmen, Rebecca pulling several wounded men away as more Tyranids lashed at them. Furrowing her brow Twilight released her power, dozens of small purple bolts flying out and punching through the Tyranids like wet paper, the creatures shrieking again as they fled this new assault.
“Any lead on our escape?” Mattias asked as Twilight joined him, firing another salvo of hellfire shells into an approaching Tyranid.
“No, but we can’t just leave these soldiers here to fight against this.” Twilight turned, bringing her sword into a guard position as more of the larger snake Tyranids came charging forward. The first swept its talons towards her head, chitin ringing against metal as she easily blocked the strike. “Can’t we just find the Tyranid controlling the swarm and kill it so the others flee?”
“If you happen to see a synapse creature, please point it out to us.” Mattias lunged forward and planted his sword between the attacking Tyranid’s eyes, kicking the corpse away as two more aliens rose up to take its place. Twilight brought her sword down and raised her hand, her body shimmering before time slowed down to a crawl. Darting forward she sliced the throat of one Tyranid, stepping to the left before stabbing the second up through the jaw, ducking away just as time returned to normal and the two dead aliens flopped forward.
“I... I actually killed something...” she squeaked, just as Ruth pulled her away from the sweeping claws of several more Tyranids.
“Do not lose focus, Tara,” Ruth said, emptying a burst of fire into the oncoming horde. “We can discuss this later once the xenos have been cleansed.” Twilight gave a quick nod, turning back to the battlefield. Judith and Naomi had cleared an impressive amount of Tyranids, carefully stepping over dead bodies as they moved back towards the Guard. Other soldiers had moved forward to relieve them, lending additional flamers to burn back the tide of enemies. With another shriek the Tyranids fell back, some ducking under the flames as they retreated behind the wrecked vehicles left by the Mawloc.
“They shriek and run away whenever that Mawloc moves to attack.” Twilight said, channeling her power again as she clamped her sword back to her hip. “I’ve got an idea, we just need it to show up and then we can-” Twilight did not have time to finish before the Mawloc attacked, the beast leaping out of the ground before plunging down towards Judith and Naomi. The Sisters had no time to turn their flamers towards the attacker, the monster giving another shriek as it opened its jaws to devour the two.
It never connected, for a lavender glow had surrounded both it and the Sisters. Judith and Naomi blinked in surprise before they were yanked away from the Tyranid, Twilight drawing her right hand towards her while raising her left. The Mawloc trashed about as it was gently levitated away from the rest of its fellows, a few of the smaller Tyranids pausing to gauge whether this new development presented a threat beyond merely getting shot.
“It’s pinned! Good work, Tara!” Mattias cried. “Alexis, Nikolai, bring it down!” the Valhallans did not waste a second, stepping forward again and raising their meltaguns to their shoulders. Immobilized, the Mawloc could do nothing but scream and thrash as the meltaguns fired, molten fissures ripping across the monster’s armored shell. Twilight shifted her hands, pouring more power into her telekinesis as the Imperials fired again and again. With one final wail the Mawloc stilled, Twilight releasing her power and dropping the corpse on top of a score of unlucky Tyranids with a crash.
Twilight staggered forward, dropping her hands as she tried to catch her breath. “That... took a bit more out of me than I thought it would...” she said, pulling herself back up to her feet and taking out her sword again.
“I’m surprised you’ve been able to use any psychic powers at all,” Mattias said, helping Twilight to straighten up. “With the Shadow as strong as it is, the fact you’re not showing any strain is- Incoming!” Twilight did not have time to react before Mattias yanked her to the ground. Second later several large crystals smashed into the wreckage and vehicles beyond, splattering all that had not succeeded in finding cover with corrosive acids.
Above was yet another Tyranid creature, wings beating as it hovered over the battlefield. Two of its limbs terminated in a massive cannon, ichor dripping from the nozzle as it searched for more targets. Its head was dominated by a bladed horn, and Twilight could see faint wisps of some kind of energy radiating off its skull. With a bellow the beast swooped downward, the remainder of the Tyranids surging forward on it s command.
“Well, there’s the synapse creature, my lord.” Alexis said from behind Mattias. “Orders?”
“Let the vehicles handle the Tyrant,” Mattias said. “Tara, do what you can to try and shut down its psychic powers.”
“I burned out a lot of energy trying to kill that Mawloc and you want me to stop that?” Twilight cried.
“That thing stays up, we’re all dead!” Mattias would have said more, but the tide of Tyranids had smashed into the remaining Imperial forces, the Inquisitor and his henchmen rushing forward to relieve the Sister of Battle. The Hive Tyrant circled overhead, taking shots into the back of the column while eyeing the melee below. Twilight channeled her magic again, raising her hands towards the hovering beast before releasing.
There was a pause before a flurry of sparks exploded around the Hive Tyrant, purple flashes burning small holes into the monster’s armor. The Tyranid leader bellowed in pain, sweeping down towards Twilight so to better face this new foe. Twilight raised a shield, the Hive Tyrant pulling back before smacking into the shield. This was only a momentary reprieve before the Tyrant struck, the air around the beast twisting before a bright green bolt of power smashed into the shield, shattering it and sending Twilight reeling.
With a leer the Hive Tyrant swooped down, slamming its tail into the ground as Twilight tried to get back up. Another shield helped to cushion the blow, though it was not enough to keep her from being knocked back further. Shifting her free hand about Twilight reached out through the Warp, disappearing with a pop just as the Hive Tyrant struck again.
She reappeared further down the line, behind a squad of Guardsmen lending fire to the battle in the center. The Hive Tyrant spotted her and took flight, bellowing once more before firing its cannon at her. Yet another shield was enough to hold the shots off, but the swarm shifted and now threw its weight against the Guardsmen, even if they were slowed slightly by Twilight’s shield. She gave another yelp and shifted her powers, a stream of purple bolts striking down the onrushing Tyranids before they could attack the Guardsmen. The Tyrant swooped back down, another bolt of energy rushing forward and exploding among the humans, three crying out in pain before the psychic energy shattered their bones like glass.
With the other humans falling back, Twilight was alone. The Tyrant growled in triumph, circling above her in preparation for an attack. She channeled her power again, opening her mind in preparation for another teleport, but to her surprise the spell fizzled in her hand, countered by another shift in power from the Tyranid monster circling above her. Thus stranded, Twilight readied her sword, watching as the Hive Tyrant drew closer and closer.
“No...” she said, channeling her power once more. “No, I am not dying here. I am not going to fail Celestia here!” she thrust her hand forward, three purple bolts shooting out at the Hive Tyrant. The beast countered with shields of its own, but one of the bolts managed to break through, exploding against the monster’s carapace and knocking it back in the air. The beast managed to right itself, ignoring the gaping hole in its carapace left by Twilight’s attack, glaring down at Twilight before swooping in for a final strike.
Just before it struck there was a dull thud, followed soon by a massive explosion that finished the job of knocking the Hive Tyrant from the sky. Twilight scrambled back as the beast crashed into the ground, its horn slicing through the air near her head. As the Hive Tyrant struggled back from the dirt Twilight looked around, her head snapping left and right as she tried to locate her rescuer.
Striding through the Imperial lines was a mechanical giant, nearly ten meters tall and painted in gleaming white and gold. The machine barely stopped as it fired again, the battle cannon shell once more knocking the Hive Tyrant about. The Tyranid rose into the air and bellowed, the sound drowned out by the throaty roar of the giant’s massive chainsword as it swung towards the Tyrant. The attack missed, but the arrival of the giant was enough to send the Tyranids into a flurry, smaller strains falling back to the tunnels while the Hive Tyrant swooped out of reach of the newcomer. Taking a breath, Twilight trust her hands forward once more, a cascade of sparks exploding around the Tyranid again before the giant was upon it.
“Mere vox casting would not have gotten us such power,” Twilight jumped as Magos Aryll appeared next to her, power axe dripping with Tyranid blood. “Fortunately, Knights sworn to the Salamanders were also within reach. Go and assist the Inquisitor.” Twilight gave a quick nod, hurrying through the battlefield as the Knight slammed into the downed Hive Tyrant. Mattias, his henchmen, and the Sisters had formed up near a slightly damaged Leman Russ, firing off a few last bursts as reinforcing Guardsmen took care of the rest. Other than Bianca treating Rebecca for a cut on her head they all seemed fine, relieved even as Twilight and Magos Aryll arrived.
“Are you alright, Tara?” Mattias asked.
“I... I think so.” In truth, Twilight found herself shaking as she came off her adrenaline rush, but telling that to the others did not seem vital. “We’ll... we’ll make it out of this?”
“Of course, Tara,” Ruth said, giving Twilight a smile. “The Empress tasked us with an important mission- far be it for us to fail her in such a way as this.” As if to punctuate the sentiment, one last bellow from the Hive Tyrant was drowned out by the roaring of the Knight’s chainsword, blood and shards of chitin flying about as the beast was eviscerated. Twilight raised her arm to shield her eyes from the sight, gagging as she dropped further off the rush.
“I don’t feel so good,” she said. “I think it’s going to take me a long time to get used to this...”
“No one is expecting you to tear apart a Hive Fleet on your own,” Judith said. “Rest for now, then we can get this mess sorted out.” Twilight nodded, turning away from the others and looking across the battlefield. Three vehicles had been completely destroyed, with several more damaged by the onslaught. Dozens of Guardsmen lay dead in the field, ripped to pieces by the Tyranids. For their part, the Imperials had left their mark on the swarm, with countless smaller creatures and quite a few of the larger creatures lying dead around the crushed bodies of the Mawloc and the Hive Tyrant. More Guardsmen had arrived, dismounting from their transports while the Knight scanned the horizon for further threats.
So much carnage... how much of it had been her doing? Twilight shook her head to dispel such thoughts, though no doubt they would continue to linger. She drew her attention back as a younger officer approached Mattias, giving a salute before speaking.
“Lord Inquisitor, your techpriest alerted us that you would be in need of a transport to New Rynn City.” he said. “Two Chimeras have been set aside for your use; they will conduct you to the city and beyond if you so desire.”
“Just getting to the city will be fine,” Mattias replied with a nod. “Thank you for the rescue.”
“Our pleasure, my lord.” the man saluted again. “Luckily this was only a light scouting force and we were so close. We would hate to lose you to the Hive Mind so soon after arriving.” Twilight suppressed a shiver, but said nothing more as the officer departed to assist with the rest of the cleanup. So much death and destruction caused by a light force of Tyranids...
“Tara?” Twilight snapped out of her thoughts before looking up at Mattias. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Um...” she started. “It’s... It’ll be rough, I suppose. But I have to face this if I’m going to be of any use to the Imperium.”
“If you say so.” Mattias said with a shrug. “Come, let’s get to New Rynn City before the Tyranids decide to come back.”
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Well that went well. I wonder just how much more powerful she is going to keep getting? Will she while helping the humans or once she returns home?
the new source pic is AWSOME!! now we no what celestia/emperor of mandkind looks like here.
While the cover is nice, it's also very misleading. Even the title is misleading. As Celestia is involved, the story ultimately revolves around Twilight, but she isn't part of the title, or the cover either.
Now that was fun. Also interesting that Twilight's not having a rough time with ol' Genebag McGalaxychomp. Are we seeing Celestia screen for her, or perhaps does she not just draw on the Warp for her magic, but some remnant power of Harmony?
The battle had no focused on them
1. Not.
Burn them all Twilight! Burn the xeno! muwahahhaha! Ahem. . . . excuse me <.<
.
hmm as they are going into a mission shouldn't it be "briefing" ?
the
either "standing" or "stranded"
I think you want "clambered"
at
again "clambered"
I am still waiting for Twilight to show her true power and show the Imperium what she truly is. Celestias/Empress successor.
I like to think that the reason for Twilight to be able to draw warp energy so easily is the Unicorn horn that acts as a buffer/purification and that Twilight is an agent of Harmony a new force that will make its appearance in 40k as a counter to Chaos as it is in Equestria.
Only time will tell if these questions will be answered
9077789
she is a xeno, your telling her to kill xenos, so what about herself
9077990
Actually I think ponies might be Twlight's home reality's equivalent of humans so not a xeno technically. Even if she is one still, remember her homeworld and entire species was crafted by emperor turned empress.
Every soldier must be blooded eventually; Tara's sense of duty and her desire to protect her friends and allies will keep her going. Celestia will simply resolve to avenge Twilight's innocence upon the Xeno filth that dared to extend its claws towards her subjects in any way.
I wonder if this is the first time Twilight has ever realised just what 'cleansing the Xeno' really means for her personally?
9077990
It's like with psykers, Twilight and ponies in general are sanctified by the Empress so they're okay.
9077625
I think her magic doesn't draw directly from the warp like most psykers. I forget who, and no official inquiry has been made, but somebody mentioned that when Twilight did the whole group teleport to escape the orks that it was significantly different from normal psyker power.
Also, Celestia says that her presence/impact on/in the Warp is relatively small. Small enough that she doesn't expect Twilight to draw the attention of Chaos for a while yet.
Three things.
1. I can't help but think Twilight is illuminated.
2. Astropaths are for long range communication not navigation.
3. There is a thread on spacebattles forum we're the emperor and primarchs react to fanfiction. They want to know if it's okay for them to use God-Empress of Ponykind
9079209
link please
9077789
Yes. Burn the Xenos. Burn the Chaos Marines! BURN YOUR OWN LEGIONAIRES! BURN IN THE NAME OF KHOOOOOORNE! BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD! HE WHO MADE THE WARHAMMER PANTHEON TREMBLE AND WEEP BEFORE HIS MIGHT! WHO SLEW THEM ALL WITH HIS MIGHT! FOR THE GLORY! OF KHOOOOOORNE!
9079209
1. Perhaps.
2. I always end up losing track of which psyker does what. I'll get that fixed.
3. They're welcome to go ahead. I have no pride or shame.
9078992
Mattias made a note of how unlike normal psychic powers Twilight’s magic is like at the end of The Mare Broken: Part 2
9079579
I thought it was him, but wasn't certain.
9079407
https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/if-the-emperor-watched-the-text-to-speech-device.408752/
https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/if-the-emperor-watched-tts-extras-thread.508247/
9077990
No she's not. Celestia is the god emperor, and is human, Ponies were directly genetically created by Celestia. . . .
Therefore the ponies are a race pony primarchs.
My logic is FLAWLESS.
9079491
Salamander. I'm not that deep into Warhammer 40K, mostly because a good chunk of the nominally 'good' guys are pretty despicable, but the Salamanders actually try to protect civilians and show compassion. I like that.
9079721
thanks
Twilight to the other psykers: “Feh, lightweights...”
Ya... you’ve been around Celestia enough, and heard the story of what actually happened Twi. As admirable as their unwavering faith is, I don’t think joining a galaxy-wide cult should be on your list of things to do.
40K is almost as meme-centric as Spongebob as this point for me. All I can see is the ‘drive me closer, I want to hit them with my sword’ image.
Hell ya, Catachan’s. Badass’ from the planet Rambo.
Titans. Gun porn on legs.
Now would be a very good time for the Necrons to show up. They were the first race to actually acknowledge the massive threat that the Tyranids hold and are spending a good chunk of their forces in fighting against them.
Besides, a tesseract vault would come in very handy. Remember what the shard of the burning one did in the Shield of Baal? Very handy indeed.
Wow. Nice chapter!
I wander, when we get to blue primarch, ( can't remember his name) will tara be the one to heal him, because I can't remember what has injury was, but one fanfiction crossover I read, that was starcraft and warhammer 40k, the injury put in there was like a cut around the neck infecting him whith discord, in the story the overmind entered his mind, ( trying to eat has mind the dude is the leader of the zerg for the crossover) and some how removed the infection, from unintentional, and he began to heal, in some weird way tara could do the same, cause she and empress did it, with a mind link.
9077789
Actually, I think that you'll find the right words are 'purge' or 'cleanse'. At least that's what the Codex Astartes says...
Sweet Celestia, I can't believe that I typed that with a straight face!
9079869
Gotta be the Lamenters for me, for much the same reason as you gave for the Salamanders.
I'm sure you've heard this a dozen times already, but I'll go ahead and say it myself: Awesome new title pic, great chapter, and desperately looking forward to more
!
Now while I'm not entirely certain what to expect in a Warhammer fic (seen so many things from books to games to videos, I have no idea what to start with to get familiar with Warhammer verse
), there are a few things I would love to see.
As soon as Twilight finally get's a firmer grip with the idea of fighting a war and fully incorporating her magic, I'd love to see a moment where she get's to shine. Obviously, she was awesome here, but I want to see something that will really drop those ultramarine jaws. Maybe even get Twilight's sisters and the surrounding populace to start seeing her as a new religious figure causing her to panic
. Love to see something like the hallway scene with Vader as she strikes down chaos marines like an afterthought, or see her pull some massive feat of magic like catching a fleet barrage and sending it back
.
Funny thing is I named my real life cadian’s the 501st “The Unluckys” sorta bad company
While it could be an outside influence, it’s equally as likely that Harmony is just giving a big middle finger to the psychic norms of this universe.
The only way to begin an air insertion.
Another happy landing
[Angry Hydralisk Noises]
Pretty good battle scene overall, I was itching to see Twilight begin to use her powers after taking a long break from this story. I appreciate her portrayal as extremely shaken, but not a blubbering mess. The space combat was also good.
9095085
I mean you are right but you really want to put up with their bad luck streak