2.10- The Jaws of Cetus: Swarm
The Jaws of Cetus: Swarm
The Tyranid swarm rolled over the hills of Rynn’s World, the Ravenwing darting back and forth to blunt the attack and allow their brothers time to regroup. Fighters and speeders swooped down to bombard the roiling waves of Gaunts and Warriors, ragged holes allowing bikers to plunge in and slay several of their command beasts before pulling back out again. Clockwork hit and run attacks, just as the Dark Angels and their descendants had executed countless times before.
But they still found their numbers thinning, small handfuls of Unforgiven lost among the never ending swarm.
Ramiel and his squadron crashed into the swarm, his power axe carving through three of the xenos and sending a fourth into a death spin. The weight of the bikes meant they could pass through with ease, the frail aliens doing little to slow them down as they swept through to separate their leading Tervigon from the rest of the swarm. Ramiel sideswiped one Warrior attempting to rally the swarm, gunning his engine as he prepared to lead his brothers back out of the mass of Tyranids.
“The Tervigon is isolated!” he shouted. “Bring it down now, before it spawns more of its brood!” the Ravenwing surged forward, bolters and plasma talons blazing as they focused on the Tervigon. The great beast bellowed in pain, sweeping its massive claws at the Ravenwing as they raced past, but to no avail. Smaller Gaunts tried to hold off the onslaught, but it was only a matter of time before they too fell as their “commander” was laid low.
A small victory, but Ramiel would take what he could get.
“What of our numbers?” he asked over the vox as he and his squad pulled out, another Ravenwing unit moving in to take his place.
“Two of our brothers fell in that last pass,” one of the other Ravenwing said. “We still have enough for coherency, but perhaps only one more pass before we are of no use.”
“There is always a use for soldiers,” Ramiel countered, turning around to face the Tyranids. “Prepare for the next strike. We must kill more of their synapse creatures before they can coordinate a full strike on our lord’s position.” the Ravenwing swung wide, searching for prime targets among the Tyraids. The swarm had gotten wise to the attacks, pulling more of their larger creatures in and leaving chaff to slow the Ravenwing. As such more of their flying beasts had closed in to attack the Ravenwing fighters, a furious dogfight unfolding above as the bikers plotted their next move.
“Artillery beasts spotted, my lord!” one biker said, pointing at a collection of Biovores and Exocrines making their way up the field. The great beasts would need time to get their weapons in place, but a quick strike would make sure they remained off balance and would perhaps thin their numbers as well.“We shall mark them for the flyers,” Ramiel said, bringing his power axe around.
“The swarm is getting too thick for us to break through directly. With me, my brothers!” Ramiel gunned his engine once more, racing down the gentle slope and swinging wide around the swarm. The Tyranids did not react right away, some of the Gaunts fired small bursts as the Ravenwing sped past, giving the Company Master a chance to size up the task before him. The artillery creatures continued their slow march, heedless of what the smaller creatures were doing. Some of the lesser Tyranids had parted, either from their alien instincts or concentrated fire from passing land speeders, but it did provide an opening for the Ravenwing as they adjusted their angles.
A trap, most likely, but to leave the larger Tyranids untouched would be a greater failure.
Ramiel and his fellows plunged into the Tyranids, crushing several as they drove towards the artillery beasts. He kept his axe up, using the bike’s weight and speed as a weapon against the lesser creatures, ichor and broken chitin flecking his armor as he barreled forward. His first target, a Biovore, had little time to turn towards him before he was upon it, his axe swinging down towards its head. A wet crunch, and the decapitated monstrosity was left to flail about as the Company Master blitzed through the xenos lines. His fellows were quick to work, chainswords and combat blades flashing out to carve a bloody swath through the hordes of Cetus.
Ramiel swept his bike around, searching for a new target among the hordes. The Biovores and Exocrines had sped up, lesser creatures swarming forward to block the Dark Angels’ path. He opened up with his bike’s plasma talon, blue bolts of superheated plasma streaking forward to punch through the protective carapace of another Biovore. The beast stumbled and fell, crushing several Gaunts in its fall as Ramiel gunned his engine and raced for extraction, his squadron racing after him.
That was the plan, but reality turned against the Dark Angels. Surging around the flank was another swarm of Tyranids, led by a truly massive specimen armed with four bonesabres. The leader beast bellowed, a psychic tremor flowing through the air as the Tyranids fell down among the Ravenwing.
“They’re threatening to cut us off, are they?” Ramiel asked. “Faster, brothers! Deny these xenos the satisfaction of victory.” the Ravenwing surged forward, skirting between the two swarms as they raced for extraction. Fighters swooped down to bombard the newly arrived horde, but the leader proved to be surprisingly fast as it raced towards the bikers.
Ramiel angled around, placing himself between the Swarmlord and his brothers. The beast sized him up for a moment, twirling its blades as Ramiel raised his axe in challenge. The engagement need not be long; just long enough to allow his brothers to escape and perhaps wound the great beast. “If I am to die today,” he said. “I shall not be found wanting.” with that, he gunned his engine and charged, the Swarmlord bringing two of its blades forward into a blocking position while drawing back with the others.
A lesser man would have seen nothing, just a flash as Astartes and Tyranid clashed. Ramiel’s skill was considerable, his strike biting deep into the chitinous armor of the Swarmlord, but was not enough to gravely wound the beast. The Swarmlord’s retaliation was quick and decisive, the first bonesabre taking off Ramiel’s arm and head while the second bisected the bike lengthwise, the vehicle exploding soon after as the Swarmlord marched onward, eager to reap a greater harvest upon the humans that dared oppose it.
All that remained in its path was one more predator.
...
Twilight made her way further into the camp, flanked by Sisters Veronica and Ruth. Ahead, she could see Mir’shen, Mattias, and a few other officers from the Cadian and Catachan regiments, all of them huddled over a map of the city. Mir’shen appeared to be the only one to notice Twilight, stepping aside to greet her as she approached.
“I had been meaning to speak to you about your wellbeing, Miss Tara,” he said. “But the tides of war have called me elsewhere.”
“I know what that’s like,” Twilight nodded. “But it’s good to see you alive, Mir’shen.” the Forgefather nodded, ushering Twilight towards the table. Only Mattias seemed to notice her arrival, giving her a look of... fear? Why was he scared of her?
Oh dear, did I do something wrong?
“We are all assembled.” Mir’shen said. “Now, we can plan our defense.”
“Such as it is,” the Cadian officer said, looking down at the map. “With Lord General Hirsh dead and most of our forces depleted, we have maybe half a million Guardsmen to hold against several magnitudes more Tyranids and almost no way to send to Lord Naverrez for help.”
“In simplest terms, we’re all dead men,” the Catachan officer said. “The only matter to consider now is how long we can make the Tyranids choke on our bones while the Empress and Primarchs strike down the beasts for good.”
“There’ has to be more than that,” Twilight said. “Humanity has thrown back greater enemies with fewer numbers before. Surely we might have a chance of holding.”
“She is not wrong,” Mir’shen said. “This city itself has held against unbeatable odds; the Crimson Fists and the Rynnsguard held for eighteen months against a full ork horde with only a few dozen survivors total.”
“The Crimson Fists didn’t have their charges stab them in the back the same way ours did.” the Cadian replied. “Maybe we have more numbers, but our morale is at rock bottom. Any concentrated assault from the Tyranids will shatter what little we have and lead us to be hunted down like vermin in the hills.”
“Perhaps you just need a little more faith.” Twilight offered. “The Empress is on her way, I know it. The Primarchs would not abandon us so readily to our fates. And we have a saint among our camp now; all of this is cause to have hope that we will win the day.”
“Hope is the first step on the path to disappointment.” the Catachan said.
“And having no hope is to be a slave to despair!” Twilight snapped, clenching her hands together. “I’ve been serving alongside you soldiers for months, years even, and I just see the same thing over and over again. You fall away, you resign yourself to dying gloriously instead of actually fighting to win, and in the end what does that achieve? Nothing! The Tyranids break through, kill us all, and we die having achieved nothing.”
“We do not want to delude our soldiers into thinking they are destined for victory,” the Cadian officer said. “That leads to men taking reckless actions in the belief they are invincible, and when they are proven wrong the damage is far more than if they had just acted with discipline-”
“And died without meaning?” Twilight interrupted. “I’m sorry, but we have the knowledge and skill to rally these men and women, and you just seem ready to throw it away in some pointless last stand.”
“Quiet, both of you.” Mattias snapped, both Guard officers and Twilight falling silent as the Inquisitor continued. “Bickering like this will get us into our graves faster than I’m sure most of us would like. Perhaps Tara is right and we shouldn’t give up hope of winning the day, but the simple truth is that many Guardsmen and Astartes will die to get there... some of us probably will be among that number.” Twilight swallowed but said nothing more as Mattias looked to the map.
“I’m no master of grand strategy,” he started. “But we do at least hold a reasonable defense against the Tyranids with the river between us.”
“For what good it will do us.” the Cadian officer said. “The Tyranids hold the sky, and most of their more vicious strains can swim better than they have any right to. The river can buy us a few hours, I suppose, but we will lose the banks under concentrated assault.”
“If we have spare prometheum we can possibly set the river alight,” Mir’shen offered. “It is a temporary solution, but it might yet buy us some time.”
“It’s not like our tanks are going to be doing any extensive maneuvers against the Tyranids here.” the Catachan officer muttered. “I’ll see what we can do.”
“My brothers and I still have a sizeable force in the area,” Mir’shen continued. “And we still have a few attack aircraft armed and accounted for. We can anchor your defensive line and provide a wall to slow the Tyranids for your strikes.”
“I don’t suppose asking you to direct the defense will go anywhere?”
“We Astartes know our limits, and the truth is that limit is not your own.” Mir’shen looked around the table. “I do not wish for a situation where I may force you into actions that you physically and spiritually cannot complete. I doubt it will come to that, but that the possibility is there...”
“How can I help?” Twilight asked. The Guard officers regarded her for a moment, Mattias looking away while Mir’shen studied the map.
“Didn’t Lord Hirsh have you working on some kind of retreat for the civilians if the need arose?” the Cadian asked.
“Yes.” Twilight said. “I’m pretty sure all my notes have been destroyed, but I can work up a new plan to make sure the defense of the river lasts as long as possible.” she looked at the map. “You’ll probably want your heaviest defenses moved towards the central spire, to start. That island can be used as a good staging point for a large scale assault across the river and save the Tyranids time they’d waste on trying a direct ford at another point. Maybe a few squads to hold it in case the Tyranids try a crossing there?”
“Out of the question,” the Cadian said. “Several of my men crossed the river at the spire. All of them reported... disturbances.”
“Tyranid influence, perhaps?” Mir’shen asked.
“The spire is where I checked for Genestealer influence when we first arrived,” Mattias said. “It’s a prime location, given its position and the vantage it gives over the city, but I found no sign of cultist activity on that island.”
“It isn’t alien.” The Cadian officer said quickly. “The soldiers described it like standing and looking up at the Gate for longer than was necessary.” the others fell silent, Twilight looking back and forth between them all. All save Mir’shen had shifted back to a state of fear, though this seemed more... primal than merely fighting the Tyranids.
“What’s the Gate?” she asked.
“The Cadian Gate, the only calm space between the Imperium and the Eye of Terror,” Mir’shen said. “I saw it once when I was but a neophyte of the Salamanders. The transition from reality to Chaos is... unsettling.” he looked to the Guard officers. “If there is a stronger Warp presence there it could deter the Tyranids as well.”
“Or draw them further in, given how those abominations cancel out the Warp.” the Cadian countered. “Either way, I don’t want anything to do with that spire. I’d raze it if we didn’t have a limited number of Basilisks, but we have to prepare for a fight there nonetheless.”
“It is the narrowest point of the river...” Twilight said. “Okay, I think I’ve got it. Give me a few minutes to write up a plan and then you can send out your orders. I’ll be there to assist Mir’shen with the defense and help in case anything starts to go wrong-”
“Actually, Tara,” Mattias said. “I think it would be best if you stay out of this fight for as long as possible.” Twilight looked up at Mattias, one eyebrow raised. The Inquisitor was as stern as ever when it came to discussing tactics, but his gaze was... cold. Far too cold for him.
It was like Markos had somehow come back from the dead and replaced Mattias.
“I can take care of myself, Mattias,” Twilight started. “I’m not the scared girl I was on Caesaria, and I can’t correct everything from the relative safety of a command post like this; things just happen way too fast when it comes to Tyranids.”
“And in any other situation I would agree, but this is different. Things will go wrong, and the last thing we need is for you to...” Mattias appeared to choke on his words. “The last thing we need is for you to get swept away in the swarm. That’d destroy whatever morale these men and women still had in an instant.”
“Mattias, what’s wrong?” she asked, stepping around the table towards him. “You haven’t worried about me like this since Caesaria. Why the sudden concern?” Mattias looked first to Mir’shen, then back to Tara. Twilight fought the urge to chew her lip as she waited for Mattias to speak, dozens of bad permutations running in her mind.
“Can we talk about this later?” he asked. “It really isn’t anything that needs to be mentioned here.” Twilight frowned, but at least some of the tension went away.
“If you say so, Mattias.” she said, backing away. “But I am going to fight with the others, and I don’t want to sound too rude, but there isn’t too much you can do to stop me.” Mattias remained stern, his gaze growing colder still, but at least he gave a nod of agreement.
“Do you two need a moment?” the Catachan officer asked. “We have other duties to attend to and morale to see about, so if you need to discuss other matters we can reconvene when Lady Tara has finished her defense plan.”
“I think that would be wise.” Mir’shen said. “I will keep an eye on these two while you prepare.” the two Guardsmen saluted and exited, stepping around the waiting Sisters while Twilight looked to Mattias.
“Okay Mattias, what’s wrong?” she asked. “You haven’t been the same since you shot up that path with the Eldar.”
“Eldar?” Mir’shen asked. “I did not know there were Eldar here.”
“How else would we have gotten back from the spaceport?” Mattias said, moving around to put the table between him and Twilight. “But they seemed to be on our side... for the most part.”
“You saw something on that path, Mattias, something about me I think,” her gaze softened. “Was it something I did? Please, tell me and we can work it out.”
“Tara, I...” Mattias looked between her and Mir’shen. “This really isn’t the time to be discussing these things. Perhaps when the Empress arrives, then we can talk this over.”
“But Mattias-” before Twilight could finish, Mattias was already making his way to the exit. “Mattias, wait, please!” she stepped up to stop him before a green hand rested on her shoulder.
“Best to let him go, Miss Tara,” Mir’shen said. “Sometimes it is best not to press against such sore wounds, but allow them to heal at their own pace.” Twilight bit back a reply, watching as Mattias disappeared among the Guard. Finally she sighed, her shoulders sagging before she spoke.
“I’ve dealt with people hiding things from me before...” she started. “Only now that it’s something I might have caused, I want a chance to make amends, but he’s not giving me that chance.”
“You are a wise young woman, Miss Tara. I have no doubt you will succeed in relieving your tensions with the Inquisitor.” Mir’shen looked away towards the river. “Though perhaps after we defeat these Tyranids, and perhaps after we make sure the Eldar presence is not a true threat. I look forward to fighting alongside you at the river.”
“Yes, of course.” Twilight nodded. “Though, I’d rather we had some time of peace, really. It feels like I’ve been shuffled from one warzone to the next without much chance for rest.”
“Such is the nature of where we live.” Mir’shen replied. “Though I too would welcome a chance of peace. It has been some time since I have a chance to visit my home on Prometheus...” Twilight found herself giving Mir’shen a sad smile.
“Well, we can get through this day together,” she said. “For our friends, and our families.”
“Of course.” Mir’shen said. “Now, you will need some time to prepare our defenses. Perhaps I can help with making sure my brothers and I are best deployed.”
“Of course, I’d love the help.”
...
The Sanguinium Martyres had withdrawn to the umbra of Rynn’s World for repairs, leaving the heaviest of the fighting to the Dark Angels as they did their best to keep the space around the planet secure. The Inquisitorial Cruiser hung quietly in space, small service craft and repair ships flitting about as they patched up rends in armor, dismantled gun batteries, and shield generators. Most systems had been powered down, making the ship all but invisible to the naked eye as it drifted.
In the center of it all, Angelique slumbered.
She lay on her back, restrained by several heavy belts tied across her bed. A psychic dampener had been clamped around her head, calibrated at higher than normal levels to make sure her powers did not go haywire with the Hive Fleet so close. Two sentry guns and a squad of stormtroopers were her only companions, the soldiers watching carefully for any signs of danger coming from the psyker.
Still, Angelique slumbered. And dreamt.
She saw a black field, scorched from countless fires and the might of the sun. The light stood among the field, drawing power to itself as it stood against the darkness. The Darkness had a name, a fell name Angelique could only grasp at, but doing so left the taste of sulfur within her mind.
She saw them all, a million minds screeching into the black, eager to devour the lion and the mare. Their claws were blunted, and the drake would awake from the ash, the path of the son bloodied by the life of good and evil men.
She saw the betrayed, falling down within the darkness, teeth closing as it was given flesh. The Darkness’ name was a fell name, and it smote the light and the million minds for the mare to step forward. The mare had a flower clutched in her teeth, its petals stained with blood, and the pillar collapsed around the eye and snow.
The Darkness had a name. And in that moment, it looked into Angelique.
“End...” she mumbled, rolling her head back and forth. One of the soldiers spotted this, reaching for his lasgun as he rose from his spot.
“The psyker said something,” he said. “She might be waking up.”
“We may have to drug her again,” the sergeant said. “The last thing we need is for her to freak out and draw the Tyranids to us.”
“All of it ends...” Angelique said. “The Darkness rises from the pit to make war against the Light, and the mare shall strike the dragon.”
“Call a medicae.” the sergeant said. “We need her to quiet down now.” Angelique moaned, rolling her head back and forth again. The Darkness spoke, a fell word Angelique could not speak, and the children of the dragon rose to the mare. The drake and the serpent fought while the son slumbered, and eye closed while the mare stepped into the light.
The word was spoken, and Angelique screamed.
...
Dawn. Crimson sunlight cut across the waters of the River Rynn, turning the water to the color of blood. The Imperial soldiers had taken their positions, a solid line of green standing before them as the Salamanders readied themselves for the battle to come. Tanks and heavy guns watched the far bank, tracking the growing swarm of Tyranids as they amassed for a crossing.
Twilight had asked they hold off their fire for now. Better to draw them in and perhaps stall their charge rather than betray their position fully.
She stood within the Salamanders’ ranks, peeking over a barricade at the other side of the river. The Sisters were with her, huddled down behind the wall as they readied their bolters and flamers. They had not spoken much since the night before, doing their best to rest in preparation for the final stage of the Battle for New Rynn City.
Twilight had wanted to say more, just to alleviate their fears, but nothing had come of it.
“We are in position, Miss Tara,” Twilight looked to Mir’shen as he returned from the other end of the Salamanders’ line. The Forgefather was armed with a flaming spear longer than she was tall, the weapon resting against his shoulder as he continued. “You are nervous, no?”
“Yes, I am...” Twilight said, giving a small nod. “Before all this, I always felt that I had something secure to fall back to. Now...” she looked back across the river, watching as a Hive Tyrant stalked along the bank closest to the spire. “This is it. We win, or we die.”
“We will win today, Tara,” Ruth said, resting a hand on Twilight’s shoulder. “The Empress guides your mind and blade, and she has not failed us yet.” Then why am I still scared? Twilight thought. Her hands tightened, the metal of her armor scraping against the hilt of her sword, and she had to fight the urge to swallow.
“Together, we can hold this line.” Mir’shen said. “The Guard will stand, but I do fear that feelings of despair have set in. You should speak to them.”
“What?” Twilight asked, looking back to the Forgefather. “I’m not much for public speaking. I don’t even have any notes.”
“The greatest sermons are those given from the heart, Tara,” Ruth said. “Speak, and the Empress will provide the words for you.” Twilight began to sweat. Suddenly facing down a ravenous horde of Tyranids did not seem all that bad, if it meant she got to avoid the dread of impromptu public speaking. But then this was not taking over for Celestia or Mayor Mare when they weren’t around to be master of ceremonies for one event or another: this was life and death, thousands if not millions of soldiers waiting for some words of wisdom from their leaders so they could prepare for battle. If she just stayed silent, what did that say about the “Empress Favored Student”?
“... Okay.” she said softly, turning away from the river and passing through the assembled ranks of Astartes, she made her way up the hill, Ruth calling the other Sisters to join them as they closed to the Guard lines. They all still had the same weary expressions as they did the day before, even with their officers and Commissars looking over their shoulders. Twilight was half tempted to just turn around and forget about this, but she found herself walking onward.
You have to do this, Twilight, a voice that sounded very close to Rainbow Dash’s said. They’re depending on you.
Twilight stopped before the assembled ranks, placing a hand against her throat and channeling a little magic forward. “Hello? Can everyone hear me?” she asked, her voice echoing for a moment as the Warp enhanced it. This did catch the Guard’s attention, though many were still focused on the far bank and the massing Tyranids. “Many of you have probably never seen me, but I am Tara, Student of the Empress. I...” she hesitated, trying to think of the right words to say. “I wanted to speak to you, not as a student or a leader, but as a soldier, as one ready to stand with you against everything that comes against us.
“Three years ago, I probably would have been much like you are now: scared, doubtful, tired. We stand against a great enemy today, and with all that we’ve been through there’s good reason to have some doubts.” she heard a murmur of conversation behind her followed by a metallic clang, but decided to push on regardless.
“But though all that, through the loss and misfortune, I have never lost hope.” Twilight found her hand falling to her sword, closing around the hilt as she continued. “For I have seen a greater power than anything these bugs can bring against us. I have seen a light that burns within the hearts of every man and woman that stands here today, and still smolders within your souls.” this did catch some of the Guardsmen’s attention, a number of them pulling themselves up straighter as she continued.
“That light is the spirit of humanity, the spirit of those that have come before us to build the Imperium to what it is today. It is the spirit by which the Empress returned to lead the Imperium again, and it is the light that will guide Her to us in our hour of need. It is the spirit that time and again has overthrown monsters and tyrants who would see you, your friends, your loved ones die for their petty amusement, and it is the spirit that will let us stand firm again and again.” she drew her sword, pointing it across the river.
“Are you going to give them the satisfaction of snuffing that spirit out?” she asked, her voice rising. “They have not witnessed the Empress in her power and glory. They have not fought for friends and family, or anything worth fighting for for that matter. They have no grasp of a greater cause beyond themselves, and that makes them nothing but pathetic weaklings!
“We have seen the Empress and all she intends for the galaxy! We have stood side by side for the freedom of our kind, the life of every man, woman, and child that cannot stand on their own! We have stood against the tide and risen above it, and we will continue to stand against it because our spirit cannot be quenched! Our friendships cannot be broken! We are the light of humanity made manifest, and when the Empress arrives she will find that light shining bright, for we! Shall not! Be Broken!” this drew a few cheers, Twilight turning fully to face the Tyranids.
“Come on, you stupid alien insects!” she shouted, her voice ringing off the buildings. “Come over here and die, for that’s all you’re good for anyway! You will burn in the fires of humanity, and when the ashes clear all will see that we stood firm! We claimed victory! We are the soldiers of Rynn’s World, the spirit of humanity, and YOU ARE NOTHING COMPARED TO US!” More cheers, and Twilight lowered her sword as she caught her breath. Reality rushed back to her, her hands quivering as her adrenaline died down. Did I really just tell a giant swarm of ravenous alien insects to come and get us?
... Yes, yes I did. And it felt so good!
“Tara, are you alright?” Ruth asked, coming up to Twilight.
“Yes...” Twilight said, shaking her head after a pause. “I-I never thought I’d get all worked up like that... I guess I just needed a moment to collect my thoughts.”
“Well, you may wish to collect them faster,” Naomi said, readying her combi-flamer. “The Tyranids got your message and are preparing to cross the river.” Twilight looked. Sure enough, the Tyranid swarm had reached critical mass, a number of scout organisms plunging into the shallower waters of the River Rynn as their larger handlers prepared to cross. Flights of Gargoyles and Crones swooped between the buildings of the southern half of the city, shrieking as they flapped onward towards the defiant Imperials.
“Don’t worry, girls,” Twilight said, bringing her sword up as purple flames danced along the blade. “We’ve got each other, and the best in the galaxy at our backs. They’ve already lost... they just need to learn that fact.”
...
The Imperials had braced themselves along a string of hills, Jonson and his Dark Angels taking the center while other Space Marine Chapters and the remaining loyal Guard regiments anchored the flanks. The swarm struck from all sides, a great tide of creatures crashing against the Unforgiven while swifter elements fell in among the rest of the defenders. The air sang with the sound of battle and carnage, the roar of thousands of alien beasts matched only by the thunder of millions of bolters, cannons, and rockets striking against the swarm. The dead of all sides piled around their boots, the ground growing muddy from spilled blood and alien ichor.
The Lion stayed in the front line, attempting to keep the attention of the Hive Mind on himself. Then, they would know true power.
Jonson fell in among another swarm of Tyranid Warriors, his sword whistling as it cut through the air and into the first of his victims. The Tyranid fell headless, the Lion not pausing as he buried the sword up to the hilt in the stomach of a second. He lunged forward, shoulder-checking a third as he pulled his sword free, the wide arc of his swing opening a fourth’s belly open with ease. The last one standing received an unceremonious boot to the gut, Jonson stomping down to crush its chest to paste. The lesser Tyranids knew well enough to avoid him, swinging wide as the Lion searched for new prey to hunt.
A Tyranid Prime let out one final hiss before the Lion split it from head to toe, the Primarch not even slowing as he crushed its body beneath his boots. He and the Deathwing were once more the tip of the spear, a score of dead Tyranids lying at their feet as they stabbed, bludgeoned, and gunned down everything that dared to come against them.
Such had been their situation for the last hour, the Tyranids showing no sign of slowing.
“Keep your focus on me, xenos filth.” he growled, bringing his sword up once more. “I am all that you fear, not the Guard nor my Sons. Do not continue to toy with me.” the Hive Mind made no response, so Jonson plunged back in to the carnage to keep their attention. Every strike of his sword found a body, every cut and stab of blade new prey, and the mightiest of the Tyranid swarm were nothing more than chaff before the Lion’s fury.
He pulled back, just enough to allow the Deathwing to catch up to him. The bone-armored Terminators said nothing as they formed up around their Primarch, storm bolters clattering while Knights locked up their shields. “How do we stand?” he asked.
“The line holds, my lord,” a voice called through his vox. “The Tyranids are bringing up their artillery beasts, and we have unconfirmed sightings of at least one Bio-Titan approaching.”
“It will not matter.” Jonson replied. “Order the Guard to increase their bombardment, and bring forward more tank destroyers if the biotitans do make an appearance. We will hold the line.”
“Yes, my lord.” Jonson closed the link, just as another swarm of Tyranids darted forward. These Gaunts merely fired a burst of organic firepower before darting back, ducking and weaving to avoid as much return fire as possible. The Deathwing held, the storm shields of the Knights holding firm while the regular Terminators tore into the swarm. Jonson remained resolute, taking a moment to clean his sword in preparation of the next true assault.
Over the ranks came greater beasts. Zoanthropes, the brainlike xenos snaking through the air on currents of psychic energy while a flock of Gargoyles shielded them from concentrated firepower. “Bring down those beasts!” he shouted. “Flakk missiles and fragmentation rounds, ten degrees forward!” there was a faint cry over the vox as the Lion’s orders were relayed, Devastators and Guard heavy weapons teams adjusting their aim to target the oncoming swarm. A pause, and then the air before the Deathwing filled with shrapnel and smoke, dozens of Gargoyles and at least one Zoanthrope reeling as the Imperials reaped their harvest.
Some survived; three Zoanthropes bunched up, the air between them shimmering as the creatures pooled together their psychic energy. “Brace!” Jonson cried, digging in his heels as a green lance blossomed between the aliens and his lines. Four Deathwing Knights cried out before the powers of the Hive Mind ripped them to shreds, broken armor and weapons scattering as the lance blasted through them like a sword through paper. The lesser Tyranids seized upon this gap and surged forward, a score of them rushing through and piling upon the Deathwing as they worked to reform their lines. The sudden rush overwhelmed several more veterans, three more ceasing to struggle as the swarms of Cetus poured onward.
Jonson growled as he dove back into the scrum, crushing several Tyranids under his weight before he even swung. Many more died in his first strike, the force of impact lifting their shredded bodies into the air as the Lion pressed onward. Blood and shards of chitin clung to him, running down his armor in bloody rivers as he and the Deathwing retaliated. The Zoanthropes did not let up, releasing another warp blast among the Terminators and punching another hole for the swarm to enter.
“Reform the line!” Jonson bellowed. “Heavy weapons, strike down those Zoanthropes! All Deathwing, rally to my position!” Assault and plasma cannons ripped into the swarm, Tyranids shrieking as the Deathwing lines reformed. One of the Zoanthropes burst from a direct hit from a lascannon, chunks of shredded meat and brain matter splattering the swarm as it rushed below. Cetus pressed onward, Jonson shielding his eyes as another one of his sons popped from the concentrated warp energy, the red blood of men rushing in to the river of alien ichor that already stained his armor.
He would not relent, even as a true challenger approached.
It was a Hive Tyrant, towering over the swarm as it urged the lessers forward. It was armed with four swords, bioelectricity crackling around the blades as the beast strode towards the Dark Angels. It spotted the Lion among the Space Marines, bellowing before a new wave of Tyranids came rushing towards him. “You think to slow me with your lessers?” the Lion asked. “Cowardly creature. Witness the might of Caliban!” The Terminators braced, the tide of xenos crashing in to them as the Lion stepped up. Each strike hewed apart dozens of Tyranids, Jonson using wild strikes to clear a path before him. The leader circled nearby, eyeing the Lion as more of its minions threw themselves against the Imperial Wall.
The Lion cut down another swath of Gaunts, taking his sword in a two-handed grip as he eyed the leader. The Swarmlord did not seem ready or willing to commit to a charge, continuing to stalk about the edge of the fight as it sized up the Primarch. Jonson did not move, waiting for the beast to make the first strike lest he overstep himself and get cut off. The Deathwing and the lesser Tyranids continued their melee, spurred on by the impending clash between their leaders.
The earth trembled, Jonson taking a few steps back as he kept his eye on the Swarmlord. Soon enough, two Trygons burst from the ground, lunging into the Deathwing lines with a roar. Attacked from two fronts the Terminators began to give way, smaller gaps opening up within the lines as the Space Marines moved to deal with the new threat. The Lion darted forward and brought his sword down on the back of the nearest Trygon, splitting off a large chunk of its hide while the rest of his sons moved for the kill. The beast thrashed about, knocking back several Deathwing Knights in the process, but the Terminators pressed in to seal its fate while Jonson turned back to his opponent.
Now, the Swarmlord moved.
The creature moved far faster than anything its size had any right to, crossing the distance between it and the Deathwing in scant seconds. It whipped its bonesabres about, the two lower ones neatly bisecting a trio of Terminators that stood in its path, the Swarmlord calmly striding over them as it advanced on the Lion. A swarm of Gaunts followed behind, the beast ushering them forward to attack both Primarch and Astartes before it lunged into the fray.
The Lion cared not for the lesser beasts. All that mattered now was the leader.
The Swarmlord brought all four of its sabres down, the Lion quickly twisting his blade around to block. No sooner had the weapons made contact did the Swarmlord draw two back, its lower arms thrusting forward to gut Jonson as he blocked the higher attack. Jonson sidestepped and brought his sword down, sparks flying as steel and bone scraped along one another and the sabres were deflected away. The Swarmlord hissed and swept out with its upper arms, Jonson ducking down as the bonesabres passed harmlessly over his head.
Jonson stabbed upward, aiming his blade for the Swarmlord’s chest. The beast swatted the blade with contemptuous ease, smacking the flats of two of its weapons into the Lion’s side. Jonson stumbled to the right, sweeping his sword down to redirect another duo of stabs before jumping back to dodge another set of strikes from the right. He drew back before chopping towards the beast’s head, but two sabres were enough to catch his blade and leave him open to attack.
Again the Lion dodged left, one bonesabre scraping across his armor from a near miss. He dragged his sword along, the Swarmlord roaring as the blade tore a gash through chitin and muscle. Instead of trying to strike with its swords, this time the Swarmlord merely charged forward, using its massive bulk to barrel over the Lion and try to trample him to death. He ducked away again, rolling across the ground as he tried to recover some stability, his sword deflecting the Tyranid’s tail as it whipped out towards his head.
Jonson got back to his feet, just as two bonesabres came down towards his head. He brought his sword up, the Swarmlord’s weapons scraping against the blade before Jonson shifted and lunged again. The Swarmlord blocked the strike with its remaining two arms, but it gave Jonson enough time to draw back and bring his weapon into a defensive position. The Swarmlord drew back as well, taking a more open stance as if to bait the Lion into a charge.
The air around the Swarmlord crackled, psychic energy radiating off the beast before a bolt shot out towards Jonson. He dodged, the warp blast shearing off a piece of his right pauldron before exploding among the mass of Space Marines and Tyranids beyond. Jonson rushed around to the right, hoping to keep the Swarmlord moving and hamper its aim with any further warp powers. The Swarmlord twisted around as the Lion charged forward, two of its sabres blocking another chop while green lightning arced down towards the Primarch. Fortunately, it merely skipped across his armor rather than penetrating deeper, but it was enough of a shock to force the Primarch back.
Jonson took a few steps back, keeping his sword in front of him as he and the Swarmlord circled. The Tyranid growled and darted forward, lunging with its lower arms while keeping the upper arms ready for blocking and countering potential attacks. Jonson spun his sword, deflecting the two lower swords before slamming the hilt of his weapon into the beast’s chest. A crunch of chitin told him his strike had found purchase, more to annoy the beast than anything. The Tyranid brought its upper sabres down, the Lion slipping out from under the strike before raking his blade across the Swarmlord’s side once more.
The Tyranid monster bellowed, whipping around as Jonson pressed the attack. His sword came down on the Swarmlord’s upper right shoulder, sinking deep into flesh and chitin. The Swarmlord thrashed about, Jonson wrenching his sword about in an effort to sever this arm from his opponent. Doing so left him exposed, and he grimaced as a bonesabre stabbed into his leg, finally something gave way and his sword was freed, the Swarmlord’s arm following soon after.
The Swarmlord bellowed again, whipping Jonson in the stomach with its tail in its rage. He stumbled back, his legs trembling as his body worked to patch the wounds he had taken from the monster’s weapons. With one arm missing the Swarmlord took a defensive stance, its two lower arms held in front while the third remained back. Jonson brought his sword up, aiming towards the beast’s chest once again, waiting for the opportune moment to strike.
The Swarmlord struck first, sweeping its remaining upper arm while keeping the lower blades in defense. Jonson deflected the strike easily enough, bringing his sword down quickly to defend from any further strikes. The Tyranid attacked with its lower arms, Jonson ducking back and hacking at the blades in the hopes of taking off another of the monster’s limbs. The Swarmlord blocked, scissoring its blades to lock Jonson’s sword while its third arm stabbed downward.
Jonson had no time to free his blade, twisting his body to dodge the strike as best he could. He failed, the Tyranid’s sabre slashing down his back and rending his armor open. Warm blood poured down his back. He sank down to his knees once he freed his sword, keeping the blade as high as possible as the Swarmlord loomed over him.
“You will not break me, monster.” Jonson growled, wiping away a small trickle of blood from his mouth as he pulled himself upright again. “The Heresy, my brothers’ betrayal, Caliban, I have weathered them all. You shall not break me this day.” The Swarmlord sneered, readying its swords as the Lion drew his weapon back. With a roar Primarch and Tyranid charged, bringing their weapons down towards their opponents’ head.
...
Mattias did not flinch as the Leman Russ next to him fired, the battle cannon thundering as it launched a high explosive shell downrange. The shell detonated against the carapace of an advancing Hive Tyrant, the beast bellowing as the strike sent it tumbling into the river. The loss of the synapse creature briefly slowed the swarm, long enough for a second shell and a barrage of heavy bolter shells to reap a terrible toll.
Still the swarm pressed on. With no fortification to guard the spire, the Tyranids had taken the island rather easily and were now working to gain a stable foothold on the far bank. Autocannons, bolters, battle cannons, and multilasers were not enough to fully stop Cetus, even as hundreds of Tyranids fell dead into the river, the water already stained greenish blue from their blood.
The Salamanders, of course, were taking the brunt of the strike. The Astartes did not hold back, pouring burning prometheum and bolterfire into the swirling mass of xenos. Smoke rose from the river as burning husks were cast downstream, though the waves of Tyranids continued to draw closer and closer to the human lines. Currently, Mattias could see Mir’shen and his chosen veterans engaged in a vicious melee with a squad of Tyranid Warriors that had made the crossing, the Forgefather holding a trio of the monsters at bay while his comrades pulled a wounded brother to safety.
And among the mass of green and black that was the Salamanders, Mattias could see Twilight.
She shielded the Sisters from the worst of the fighting, her hand held high to project a magical dome over herself and a number of other defenders. She herself was already bloodied from the battle, her chest and arm splashed with Tyranid blood. Yet she held fast, channeling her power forward despite the overwhelming Tyranid presence, even smiling as Ruth sang a battle hymn over the din.
She is a xenos, a voice whispered in Mattias’ mind. She will betray you the first chance she gets. Mattias watched Twilight as she battled. She moved with the same jerky movements of any mortal, her hand unwavering as she held up the barrier even as a Tyranid Prime tore into it with its rending claws. She merely brought her sword around, purple flames following after her in a curtain.
She is a xenos; she will betray you the first chance she gets.
“Orders, my lord?” Nikolai asked from behind Mattias. So busy had he been trying to coordinate the forces and make sure no infiltrators had snuck in, he had yet to properly deploy himself for the battle. Too late for that, I suppose.
“We’ll move up to support the Salamanders,” Mattias said, drawing his bolt pistol before starting towards the line. “Focus fire on the larger beasts and leave the swarms to the Astartes.”
“Yes, my lord.” the Valhallans readied their meltaguns, falling in step behind Mattias as he made his way through the lines. Nearby spore mines launched by unseen Biovores detonated, bathing unlucky Guardsmen in a cloud of noxious gasses. Mattias had to press on, heedless of the screams and choked gasps of dying men and women, his focus on the advancing wave of Tyranids and the Astartes holding them at bay... and the xenos maiden leading the battle.
She will betray you the first chance she gets.
The gap Mattias found formed when a Salamander took a glob of bioplasma to the chest. The Marine staggered back, clawing at melting ceramite as if flicking the stuff away would do any better. Before the shot could burn through for a kill, Sister Rebecca ducked through the melee, resting a hand against the wound. “Do not worry, my lord,” she said. “I-I don’t really know what I’m doing, but this still seems to work.” How is he not supposed to worry if you lead in- Mattias’ thoughts died as he watched a golden glow race down the Sister’s arm, twisting among the damaged ceramite before pulling back out. The armor was still scarred, but the Astartes himself was totally unharmed.
“Thank you, little Sister,” the Salamander said. “I shall remember your kindness in years to come.” Rebecca blushed, helping the Space Marine back to his feet and handing him his bolter. As the Astartes returned to the fighting, Rebecca spotted Mattias.
“Oh, Lord Mattias!” Rebecca said, blushing again. “I did not know you would come to help us.”
“I...” Mattias hesitated. “Of course. I’m no coward to let you all take the worst of the fighting.” Mattias readied his pistol. “Lead the way.” Rebecca nodded and turned back towards the river, unslinging her bolter as she, Mattias, and the Valhallans made their way to the barricade.
The riverbank was filled with Tyranids, living and dead. Thousands of Gaunts swarmed over the walls, using their fallen brethren for stable footing as they slammed into the Salamanders. Great gouts of red and white fire poured into the swarm, roasting the xenos as they made their mad dash up to the Space Marines. Mir’shen and his command squad remained outside, the Forgefather sweeping his own flamer across the lines as he retrieved the Spear of Vulkan from the skull of a dead Tervigon.
The Sisters had centered around Twilight, pouring fire down the bank while she herself continued to duel the Tyranid Prime. The beast was almost identical to any other Warrior, save perhaps a few extra marks and scars, and its speed and lash whip made it more than a match for Twilight. The whip coiled around her sword, flesh sizzling as purple flames licked against it, while Twilight held a smaller psychic shield to keep the Prime’s sword at bay.
Instinct told Mattias to shoot the Prime in the head, disrupt its psychic field and focus so a human could come in and kill it. The problem was that its opponent was not human.
“Mattias!” Twilight called, having pulled her sword free and twisted around to spot him. “Help me!” she said nothing more as the Prime charged in, purple sparks flying as its bonesword clashed against Twilight’s left arm. The Valhallans plunged in, lending their meltaguns to the Sisters’ defense, but they would not be able to get a clear shot at the Prime without the risk of hitting Twilight. That left Mattias, alone and unengaged.
And he still could not act.
She will betray you the first chance she gets. Twilight darted forward, lunging at the Tyranid Prime with her sword. The beast batted the weapon away, bringing its whip down where Twilight had been standing, the barbed tips cutting grooves into the ground. She drew back, charging up another blast of magic that the Prime just muscled through. “Mattias, please!” she cried, blocking another strike from the alien.
His hand trembled. All he had to do was shoot elsewhere, or stow his pistol. Anything, and the xenos posing as a human would die... and the galaxy with her.
What truly matters in your life: the Fate of the Imperium, or your own zealotry?
... What kind of question is that, xenos?
Mattias raised his pistol and fired, the bolt whistling past Twilight’s ear and detonating in the Tyranid’s face. The beast screamed as acid and mutagens melted through its carapace down to its brain, Mattias watching as it pulled away to claw pitifully at its head. This gave Twilight the opening she needed, and with a cry she drove her sword up through the Prime’s jaw and out through the top of its skull. With a flick she cleaved the Prime’s skull in half, stepping back to the defensive line while he corpse toppled away.
“Okay, I think I overstretched myself there,” Twilight mused, bringing her sword down as she continued. “Reading Sigismund and Grimaldus before battle probably isn’t very conducive for long defense. A charge or other attack, maybe, or maybe I’m just not moderating myself all that much.” Twilight looked to Mattias and gave a smile. “Thank for the help, Mattias.”
“... My pleasure.” he said, drawing his sword as he surveyed the battlefield. The Tyranid wave had slacked, even if only a few hundred were charging rather than a few thousand, and Mattias could see larger beasts trudging up the field to bring their weapons to bear. A brief respite and then death, he guessed.
But you’ve probably just damned your soul anyway, he thought. Better to get this over with now rather than drag it out.
...
Celestia’s war is within her mind, cutting through the Warp as she faces the vast void of the Hive Mind. She stand before it, a shining beacon of light for all of Humanity to bear witness as they too race towards Rynn’s World. The Hive Mind is as it always is, formless and alien, crashing against Celestia’s might like a wave against the shore.
Celestia wavers, but is unbowed.
“YOU STAND AGAINST US,” the Hive Mind rumbles, unleashing another wave of attacks against Celestia. “WE ARE THE END OF ALL THINGS, THE UNITY OF ALL BEINGS. TO STRUGGLE IS TO DELAY THE END, THE JOINING OF ALL MINDS.”
“I stand as I always have: against oblivion for all beings!” Celestia counters, drawing more power to herself. In realspace, a lone star implodes into a black hole as Celestia draws forth more energy, hurling a great warp blast into the void. The damage is negligible, but it did stem the tide coming against her for a few moments. “I am the Morning Star, the true Champion of Order, the Master of all Mankind. By my hand worlds die, and by my hand your swarm will wither.”
“ALL THAT HAVE COME BEFORE US HAVE BECOME ONE WITH US. WE ARE ETERNAL, AND YOU SHALL BECOME LIKE US.”
“I am nothing like you, beast. I am beyond you!” Celestia falls in with the void, her weapons and powers slicing through the Warp to strike the Hive Mind. The Astronomicon, a distant beacon in the void, shudders under the might of her strike, a shriek following soon after as the Hive Mind draws away. Celestia is not unscarred in her withdrawal, deep gashes forming along the armor of her soul, but it is more than enough to send her message.
“YOU THINK TO WOUND US, BECOME A PREDATOR...” the Hive Mind says. “YOU THINK YOU ARE GREATER THAN US?”
“The humans call me God Empress, the Eternal Lord of the Imperium of Man.” Celestia cannot help by smirk. “For once in my life, I feel happy to indulge them in their little fantasy.” The Hive Mind shrieks and rushes in again, slamming against Celestia once more. She is driven back, her retreat covering thousands of kilometers in but a few seconds as the titans battle in the Warp, but she remains unbroken. Mystical flames wrap around her as she rises over the void, Celestia’s soul blazing as she dives down against the void. She strains, channeling as much power as she can before the Shadow overwhelms her, sweat forming on her brow in Realspace and without before she pulls away from the striking Hive Mind.
“YOU STRUGGLE, BUT ACHIEVE NOTHING. YOU FIGHT, AND ONLY WEAKEN YOURSELF. YOU CANNOT DESTROY US, YOU CANNOT SAVE YOUR BROOD. WE WILL DEVOUR ALL, AND YOU WILL UNDERSTAND.”
“I am no stranger to futile struggles, alien,” Celestia says. “Being so weak minded as you are, you would not understand all that has made me what I am. If you intend to beat me into submission, you will have to try harder than a few choice words and some cheap magic tricks.”
“STRUGGLING DELAYS THE TRUTH. ALL HAS BEEN DEVOURED, AND ALL WILL BE DEVOURED. YOU CANNOT ESCAPE US, YOU CANNOT FIGHT.”
“I have fought greater beings than you before, all of which have vowed my destruction. Yet here I am.” Celestia firms up her shields as the Hive Mind comes crashing against her once more. As she fights, she sees the glowing light of the Crusader Fleet, the lights dimming as one after another returns to Realspace around Rynn’s World. Good. Get through. My sons will not suffer from my negligence. Twilight will not die from my mistake.
“Strange...” a voice whispers from behind her. Celestia stalls, her spirit growing numb as a new presence drifts through the void. “I had come to do away with a parasite, and I find you in my way... interesting.”
“Who are you?” Celestia demands, bracing as the Hive Mind crashes against her defenses once more. Three ships wink out completely, lost to the twisting currents of the Warp, but she will have a chance to find them again... perhaps.
“That is a question you need not answer,” the voice said. “But as I said, you’re in my way. Move.”
A surge flared the Astronomicon, and Celestia screamed.
...
Twilight staggered back, a poison barb jutting out of a weak spot in her armor. It did not penetrate deep, but she could see small rivers of blood pouring from the break in her defense. Naomi reached out to steady her, easing Twilight back as Rebecca rushed over to her. “How bad is it?” the Sister Superior asked.
“It really hurts...” Twilight whimpered, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself as Rebecca snapped off as much of the barb as she could.
“Don’t worry, Tara,” Rebecca said, resting her golden-clad arm on the wound. “I think I’m getting a good idea of how this Element of Harmony works.” Twilight watched as Rebecca closed her eyes, and soon a golden glow enveloped the Sister’s hand and Twilight’s abdomen. It dissipated after a few seconds, the wound healed and all of Twilight’s blood cleaned away.
“So, do you have to think about something to make it happen, or does it just happen?” Twilight asked as the Sisters helped her back to her feet. “The Elements seem to be working a bit differently so any information you can give me would be-”
“Down!” Twilight yelped as Naomi tackled her back to the ground, a blast from a biocannon passing through the air where she had been standing before gutting the three ranks of soldiers behind her. “Focus, Tara! We still have a battle to fight, and all the time in the world to figure out the artifact later!”
“Yes ma’am.” Twilight blurted, getting back to her feet and raising her shield as another salvo of biocannon fire hurtled towards the defense. The Tyranids had brought up some of their bigger creatures, not full Bio-Titans but close enough, their heavier guns ripping through Guardsmen, Astartes, and tanks with contemptuous ease. What few Leman Russes were not burning hulks returned fire, cannons and lasfire streaking through the air and pummeling the advancing Tyranids.
The swarm kept coming. No matter how Twilight tried to view the issue, the Imperials were losing.
“I’m out,” Veronica called, dropping back down into the trench and ejecting the latest spent clip from her bolter. “Does anyone have more ammunition?”
“Take mine,” Rebecca pulled her ammunition pack free and tossing it to her sister. “I’ve been doing so much healing I haven’t had a turn at the wall.”
“I doubt you’ll get a turn the way these monsters are coming.” Veronica reloaded and popped back over the barricade, her bolter roaring as she fired back down the river bank. She was joined soon after by Ruth, the new arrival all too eager to vent her fury at the aliens.
“The Empress is my Shield, and I shall know no fear!” Ruth bellowed as she fired into the Tyranids. “Fear is the enemy of the living, for it is by fear that cowards spawn to dishearten defenders and soldiers. The Empress is my Rock, and Master of all. Her Shield is Truth, and Her Blade is Righteousness. By Her Will, I shall tread broken glass barefoot, for Her Light guides my every step. Now die, you spawns of hell! The Empress’ wrath is upon you, and you shall be burned in the fires of Her Hate!” she ducked back down as a flurry of Devourer worms splattered against the barricade, bits of Tyranid flesh raining down on the Sisters. “It would be like the xenos to object to Her Will.”
“At least Frederik’s made so many new friends.” Judith chirped, undoing her helmet to dislodge a troublesome Fleshborer beetle from the mouthpiece. “But he’s kind of losing his voice. I need to find more prometheum if we’re going to hold out longer.”
“We’ll keep the defense clear for when you return.” Naomi replied. “Go, now.” Judith nodded, clamping her helmet to her belt before moving through the lines in search of more ammunition. “Hopefully she finds more fuel before we are overrun.”
“We can hold,” Twilight said. The phrase sounded hollow even as it left her mouth, but she pressed on regardless. “The Empress is coming, I can feel it. She’ll be here soon and save us all, just as she saved Caesaria.”
“I knew there was hope for you.” Ruth said, loading a fresh clip into her bolter and giving Twilight a smile. “You’re speaking like a true Sister now.” Twilight’s mind drew a blank as she tried to consider what Ruth had just said, but pushed that thought away for now. She channeled her power once more, picking a few Gargoyles coming in for a strafing run as her target.
Before she could cast the spell, a terrible shriek filled the air. Twilight yelped, dropping to her knees and clutching at her ears as the shriek continued, boring through her skull and down into her soul. Her ears rang, though she was certain the shriek was inside her head rather than coming from an outside source, but with the shrieking already present she could not bring her psychic powers to bear. Her eyes slammed shut, not that it did much to stop the sound, her brain rushing as she fought off unconsciousness.
Finally, the shriek stopped. All that remained was darkness.
“...ara... ara... Tara! Can you hear me?!” Twilight’s hearing returned first, the sounds of the world around her returning as she felt someone pull her back to her feet. “Tara, what happened?!” Veronica called.
“I... I don’t know,” Twilight said, blinking a few times to restore her vision. At first she saw nothing, but soon the white outline of Veronica’s hair became prominent, followed by the Sister coming back into focus. “I was just about to cast a spell when this horrible shrieking started... Did you hear anything?”
“No...” Veronica replied, stepping back from Twilight. “But perhaps that explains... well, look!” Twilight had no time to speak before she was yanked towards the barricade, Veronica pushing Ruth and Naomi out of the way to show Twilight.
They were dead. All of them. Every single one Twilight saw was dead. Not from gunshots or magical blasts: they looked as if they had seized up and fallen over, like an automaton that had its cord pulled. Twilight tentatively reached out with her magic, searching for any sign of life, but all that came back to her was a cold, unending void.
Something had just killed every single Tyranid on Rynn’s World. And I had to hear them all die.
“Girls...” Twilight whispered. “This is something far worse than I’ve ever faced before...”
“And it’s about to get worse,” Ruth snarled. “There’s something on the other side of the river.” Twilight looked to where Ruth was pointing. Standing calmly on the far bank of the river was a man. A monster. He stood as tall as Celestia, perhaps taller given the horns sprouting from his flame covered head. His armor was a deep crimson lined with silver, the edges sharpened to create a variety of blades and horns. In his right hand he carried a great spiked mace, in his left a large book adorned with a single black mark. The shadows clung to him like a cape, twisting about to form shapes and patterns resembling a thousand screaming faces, all of them fixating on Twilight. Staring at him was like staring into the sun, Twilight shying away to avoid making full contact with the complete wrongness that was the man.
“Slaves of the Imperium!” He shouted, his voice carrying over the water with ease. “The Hive Mind is dead, slain by the Dark God Ascendant! Hear now the Truth of Chaos, and the death of your empire of lies!”
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Well. That just happened.
9243662
That was my first reaction while editing too.
9243663
It's really just a diabolis ex machina situation, isn't it.
9243666
In a way, but I believe there is more to come. Even as an editor I don't know where the story is going, but the empress is do to arrive semi soon I believe. We shall see what unfolds.
9243672
And I look forward to it as always.
9243682
Same
Eh, Twilight can take him, no probs.
Twilight just checks her sword, dusts off her chest plate, strolls up...and gives him a swift kick in the pants.
"No! *Thwack-crunch!*
"Hrk!"
"Don't do that."
Fuck.
I love this story despite having no idea about anything 40k.
WHO IS HE?
Uh oh...
Out of the frying pan, into the fire...
But no matter.. this.... IS HOW WE RISE UP!
So... they just magic up killing the whole Cetus Hive mind? Or just the local (planetary?) section?
Though both are incredibly potent, one is clearly several hundred magnitudes greater... Curious who or what has been born, some sort of dark emperor? A new chaos god?
9243727
I believe it is Angron. A fallen primarch. Meaning In this story Celestia's son.
of
repetition replace with "it"
Some sort of ascended champion? Another Daemon-Primarch?
9243801
Likely Lorgar, considering his involvement earlier on.
"Never expected to be standing in the same position as my ancient ancestor. Awkward..."
9243801
Well if her royal imperiousness truly did slay all the chaos gods then Dark God Ascendant makes perfect sense no? The warp could now be in chaos and new personifications of warp would not be in progress, assuming the Primarchs would not be making their power games to ascend to godhood. But this WOULD be a perfect time for other less sinister forces such as Twilight maiden or Empress to Wrench hold of the warp to create more benign gods in the warp too? With Isha being out there too doing whatever she is doing, maybe honoring her promise to Emperor maybe not, things could end up interesting.
And as the name of that person who took care of the Tyranids and is the Dark God Ascendant, i would guess it would be one of the Fragments of the Emperor who is walking the Tzeentch just as planned route, he did have a plan after all when Emperor came for him and had him cast out to Equestria.
Edit:
Then again i am basing the the identity of the entity to the fact that they are not any kind of raving lunatic and even have small amount of politeness about them. Emperors fallen children i do not think could have that when they would be re-united with Empress.
Who is this jerkwaffle that just shoved the Empress aside and murderized the hive? The chaos gods as we knew them were dead, I think, so where did he get all this power? I suppose he's had a good chunk of time to gather power uncontested...
9243727
Same here. I know only what a few 40k player friends of mine have told me, and I've looked up the names of the Emperor's Sons and their units on the net, so I am at least familiar with names.....Have been loving this series since I started reading it.
But wtf is THIS guy?
WTF.
9243831
Not lorgar, the being described matches a demon prince of Khorne. Lorgar only grew bigger as a demon prince, but mostly stayed the same.
Magazine, not clip...
9243727>>9243978>>9243746 The guy who showed up at the end and is about to go on an evil villain rant is Lorgar; the Word Bearer's colors were always red and silver, and Lorgar's kind of preachy like that.
As for our new arrival that 1v1ed the Hive Mind? You'll find out, but all I can say right now is that I hope you find the truth interesting.
9244189
Ok, the discription to me spelt out Khorne. Nice to know for certain.
9243859 I probably won't end up telling who the jerk is for some time, but next chapter will show where he got his power from
The problem was that it’s opponent was not human
1. Its.
9244189
OHHH. I had thought it was Lorgar at first since you've already introduced lorgar in a few chapters prepping and using the Tyranids as an opportunity, but when i googled Lorgar he didn't look like what you've described. Most of my character visualisation is coming from googling the names. 😅 Thanks for the reply, and I love your story!
9244251 No problem
The image I'm primarily using for my basis for Lorgar is this one:
wh40k.lexicanum.com/mediawiki/images/e/ee/Lorgar_portrait.jpg
It's a little small, but I think I filled in a few good details here and there.
9244189
Malal?
9244194
I'm guessing Malal.
Wait, he 1v1'd the WHOLE Hive Mind? As in the central creature who is still about a galaxy away and has consumed countless trillions of worlds and species? ... Who the fuck is this guy, stronger than a god showing up out of nowhere? Mysteries abound.
9244194
Fair enough. I can live with that.
9244386 They do indeed.
Pity I can't tell anyone until probably the very end of a long story
9244132
However, Khornate demons favor red and gold, not red and silver which is typically something the Word Bearers favored. Also, the behavior is wrong, A daemon prince of Khorne wouldn't bother saying "Come to Chaos!" It would likely just charge forward and brutally murder. Lorgar however is a preacher at heart and would give a sermon.
Lastly, Daemons of Khorne have different weaponry, usually axes or swords. I cannot even recall a time where a khorne daemon carried a mace. Lorgar however, favored one. And on top of that, the daemon was described as carrying a book, something else Lorgar was known for, likely the Book of Chaos.
Also, side note, I highly doubt a daemon prince ofKhorne would bother killing the hive mind of the tyranids, it means less skulls to claim in combat.
Am I correct in interpreting this as Judith getting Gibbs-slapped? Or Ruth-slapped, I suppose.
Twilight's speech is truly incredible, by the way. Best pony is all grown up and rallying armies. *wipes tear* I'm so proud!
9245093 Judith: Isn't she supposed to rally the troops?
Ruth: *slap!*
9245141
It's always nice to see that impending destruction can't keep comedy down.
Didn't see that coming for an ending, still out of the Frying Pan and Into The Fire.
9247673
We could only be so lucky for it to be the Nightbringer. Lorgar mentioned the Dark God Ascendant. We're looking at a brand new Chaos God from the looks of it, and it seems to be in a league of its own.
I swear to the Old Gods, if it's fucking Malice, that's gonna be...
interesting.
9248560
You definitely have a point. Destroying all of Chaos, himself included, by wiping out all soul-bearing life would fall within Malal's purview, and given the rather impressive power wielded by his champions, even by Chaos' standards, he might have the power to do what was done in this chapter.
The only issue I have is age. Lorgar called this Chaos God the Dark God Ascendant, implying that this Chaos God was once either mortal or a daemon, or the former and then the latter and then recently ascended to Godhood. Malal, while obscure, has been around for quite some time, perhaps even as old as Chaos itself given what he represents.
At this point, all we can do is guess. What we know right now is that this new Chaos God is powerful enough to one-shot the Tyranid Hive Mind, considers Celestia a nuisance, and seems to recognize Celestia. I would have thought it was Sombra, but this story place after The Crystal Empire, well after he'd been destroyed. But then he is a daemon prince of Tzeentch in this continuity, so who knows...
Holy dooley!
I have a criticism however. I did not get a clear picture of the environment. I know there was a river but I did not know if they were in a city , a forest or such. They were fighting, jumping, taking cover and so on but were they were was not clear to me.
I SEE YOU. Don’t even pretend to be innocent, I saw that reference!
An Acendant just killed the ENTIRETY of hive fleet Cetus? Holy crap. I smell heresy on the horizon.
9247673
Not a C’Tan. Star Gods have no presence in the Warp, it’s actually their major weakness. In the materium they could probably 1v1 a Chaos God no sweat, but place one in the IMMATERIUM and they basically wink out of existence.
Whatever this is, it’s stronger than the Chaos Gods, stronger than Discord (who we still don’t really have an explanation for), and unrecognized by Celestia. This is some deep shit.
9254524
Heresy is practically a given next chapter, possibly Extra Heresy given that Lorgar's involved. I'm half-surprised that Mattias didn't immediately issue a fire-at-will order after seeing Lorgar; considering what Lorgar's capable of, the last thing a loyal servant of the Imperium wants him to do is start talking.
9263538 Lorgar's got one thing going against him in this case: Twilight is here, and she likes to talk too.
And for the sake of time/my own sanity, Lorgar's not going to get a three hour "I am
John GaultLorgar Aurelian" speech. Probably just enough to get his point across.We need a bigger autocannon for this heresy
9263731
Twilight and Lorgar get into the deadliest debate in all of history
9263538
I doubt the forces as they stand could do fuck all to a Daemon Primarch, at least not without INSANE losses
9254531
Maybe its Malal?