Brother-Captain Cynewolf the Deathwatch chapter, formerly of the Black Templars, skulked through the dark corridors of the Nebuchadnezzar, racking his bolter hungrily in his paw-like hands.
The Deathwatch chapter's prize flagship had been drifting through the Immaterium for forty days and forty nights. All but crippled after a fierce attack by Emperors Children, the vessel had been infested with all manner of unspeakable horrors and warp-spawned filth. Squads of Emperors children had also boarded the ship. But by the Emperors holy throne Cynewolf would be dammed before he saw these things crawl around this blessed vessel.
For Forty days and Forty nights, he had stalked these minions of Chaos, hunting them ruthlessly. He was one of only a hand full of resistors left alive on the ship and now he was on his own. Still, the warp-spawned bastards hadn't killed him yet.
As he continued to creep along the ships corridors his bolter searched the shadows hungrily. The faint sound of gunfire echoed down the passage and he could smell the stench of chaos and death even through his helmets sophisticated rebreather unit. It was the smell of battle.
He broke out into a run towards the sound of the conflict. The screams of men and the roar of guns grew louder in his ears until finally he burst through a ships maintenance hatch and into the Nebuchadnezzar's titanic engine room.
A group of resistors had blockaded themselves on the walkways that surrounded the ships enormous God-engine. They were a ram-shackle group of Battlefleet guards and crew workers. . . along with four of his fellow Brother marines. They were being relentlessly assaulted by a squad of six Emperors Children, and Cynewolf saw how the enemy's accursed bolters were peppering his ally's position with gunfire. His comrades were hopelessly outgunned.
Time to even the odds.
Ululating a deafening battle cry he tore towards his opponents, letting his bolter chatter violently in his hands.
As his humongous armoured feet pounded along the walkway it shook violently. The traitor marines were directly ahead of him and he blew away one of them with several hits from his trusty weapon.
He watched with glee as its unholy corpse tumbled off the walkway and fell, spinning in the air, into the abyss of the engine bay below.
His companions turned, sensing this new threat, and Cynewolf saw their twisted faces contort into perverse grins as they relished this new opportunity to destroy a marine of the 'Corpse-Emperor'. He unleashed another barrage of rounds at them, and the chestplate of the front most marine exploded in a shower of armour and gore.
The traitor marine behind him jumped over his comrade's corpse and charged towards Cynewolf, his garish purple armour shining and his sinister sword he wielded dripping with blood. Meeting the foolish marines challenge Cynewolf dropped his bolter and it clattered off the walkway. He drew his blessed chainsword from its scabbard and revved it menacingly.
"No Pity! No Honour! No Fear!" He bellowed the Black Templar cry as he pounced on the charging foe.
They came together in a titanic clash of Black and purple armour. Sparks flew wildly in the air as the revving sword and the traitor marine's blade locked together, each marine putting tremendous force behind their blows. Cynewolf took a step back and lunged wildly at the purple clad warrior. The thing sidestepped and sliced down with its own blade, cutting a deep bloody gouge into his chesplate.
He screamed out, more in anger than pain, and swung his sword upwards. It's spinning teeth hit the Chaos filth right under its chin, and as Cynewolf followed through on his swing the blade sliced the marines face clean in half.
The Emperor dam thing simply stood there and cackled pleasurably through what little mouth it had left, it's face malformed and unreadable.
Sickened by this display of sheer insanity, he backhand the traitor marine with one huge, metallic fist. Spinning round the marine flew straight off the platform and fell at great speed. Several levels down its head smashed off another walkway and come clean off.
"Lets see you laugh at that" Cynewolf retorted.
The remaining three Traitor marines had advanced further down the passage and were now engaged in fierce close quarters combat with the blockaders. He looked on helplessly as one of his battle brothers was impaled on the long-blade of a howling Chaos marine. The remaining three Deathwatch warriors had all dispatched their foes and turned on the last, foul beast. Charging it in unison they hacked it to pieces in vengeance for their fallen comrade. As there swords tore into it, it laughed and squealed with delight. Even as Cynewolf arrived at the blockade and the thing was lying in its own blood he was sure he could still here its patronising cackle.
"Greetings Brother Captain." The first marine saluted him.
"Greetings my battle brothers." He replied.
"How long have you been here for?" Cynewolf questioned immediately.
"Almost six days now sir." The second marine replied. "We have had no rest, the fighting has been relentless and many of the ship's crew have simply just died of exhaustion."
Cynewolf briefly looked at the cowering, terrified crew workers who had joined the marines on the walkway. Many looked close to death, others were weeping in fear. Behind his un-flintching facade he felt a twinge of remorse for them. It was never pleasant to see a servant of the Emperor cower at the site of pure Chaos. Many could not handle the truth that Cynewolf had to face every day as a Deathwatch marine, Chaos hides everywhere and when it strikes, there is no mercy.
"You have fought valiantly my brothers. The Emperor has truly blessed you." He praised.
"Nevertheless sir, we have lost ten battle brothers at the hands of these warp spawned scum." The third marine informed.
"As I said you have fought well, and our brethren are with the Emperor now." Cynewolf told them.
A menacing battle-cry echoed across the entire engine bay and the the roaring, deafening sound of several noise marines sonic blasters reached the ears of the blockade. Several crew members began to weep again.
"And I fear we shall soon be joining them." He added direly as he revved his chainsword again.