My first 40K fic. Planning a mini series of these; a loosely connected collection of stories, based around a homebrew system and the conflict therein. All rights to Games Workshop etc.
Beneath the three suns of the Yggdrasil system, a city was burning. Thick pillars of black smoke filled the sky, almost blotting out the shape of the colossal warship that hung in orbit, high above. How much things had changed in just a few days, Planetary Governor Miquell-des mused. In less than one local solar cycle, the entirety of the planet had gone from a peaceful agri-world, into a cauldron of fire and chaos; its inhabitants rising up in a bloody revolt against its Imperial rulers in an orgy of murder and ritualistic sacrifice. The revolt had been swiftly put down by the local PDF forces and regiments of the Imperial Guard but even now, there was one heretical holdout. It was this city: the spaceport of Mirifta, a sprawling factory-city that covered dozens of miles of the surface of the planet's Northernmost continent. Here not so long ago, the great trains would seasonally roll in from the south, carrying their loads of grain and grox meat, which would here be processed into high nutrient food pellets, which would then in turn be shipped off across the system. Now though, all of that was in ruins, as the traitors fought a desperate battle to hold back the advancing Imperial forces. Miquell-des winced as a salvo of artillery shells rained down and struck a traitor position, located within one of the processing plants. The barrage's aim was true and he watched with a grim snarl upon his face, as the factory was leveled, further crippling his city. With a low growl, he turned away from the window, which looked out from the Governor's palace and strode across the room, his corpulent belly bouncing with each step, as he headed towards his holo-projector.
"What is taking so long?" he demanded, as he turned it so that he was able to focus on the flickering image of the stationary battleship that still hung above the city. "In the Emperor's name! I called for those blasted Sororitas to come to our aid days ago! They should be here by now!" It was at that moment, almost as if they had been summoned, that he spotted the first faint glimmer of assault ships and landing craft and for the first time, he gave a smile. "Ah... so they are here... there might in fact be something worth saving after all!"
Cannoness Freya of the Order of the Valkyrie Guard, whispered an litany of protection, for both herself and her troops, as they dropship plummeted through the sky and down toward the planet below. The ship bucked wildly, as it hit a pocket of turbulence and the Cannoness was thrown forward a face, only to catch herself against the makeshift shrine, which had been set up within the ship's cargo bay.
"May the Emperor have mercy on us" she finally whispered and made the sign of the Aquilla, as she heard the door behind her slide open and the heavy thump of armoured feet across the deck.
"My Lady" said Sister Clarisa. "We will be touching down shortly". Freya stood silently and gave a nod, the servos of her power armour whirring as she took a step toward the battle sister.
"Very good" she said softly. "Did the message go through to the Imperial Guard yet?"
"Indeed it did... I can say that they weren't happy about it".
"They're never happy about anything" the Cannoness said and the couldn't help but give the woman a small smile; a rare courtesy that the younger warrior appreciated. "Gather the Sisters together. We must make our perpetrations for battle". The younger warrior nodded and saluted the Cannoness, before turning and heading back out of the room, at which point the older woman gave a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. The woman looked to be at least fourty or so years old but in truth, she was closer to two-hundred and fifty standard Terran years, thanks to her mandatory rejuvenat treatments. She had a lustrous, golden mane of hair, which she obviously took great care of and her eyes were dark green, with her order's symbol, a black "V", tattooed beneath her left eye. She was a warrior in every way and had led her Sisters to victory on countless worlds across the Imperium. Now however, in her home system, she was disgusted to find that their defenses had be neglected by blustering fools and strutting morons and as such, an entire world had been fully corrupted by the powers of Chaos. True, one mobilized, the local Guard had destroyed the majority of the traitor forces but even so, it irked her that such an infestation had been allowed to occur. To make matters worse, the fools had failed and now, her Sisters would die to cleanse this mistake.
"May the Emperor have mercy on their souls... for I sure as hell won't!" With that, she paused and took a moment to collect her helmet, mag-locking it onto her hip and then hefted her weapon of choice; a colossal Eviserator chainblade, which she cradled over one shoulder, as she strode into the dropship's main troop compartment. Before her was a sight that caused her heart to swell with joy; a contingent of her battle sisters, all arrayed in their full battle gear, their heads bowed in prayer. They all wore the same silver power armour as their Cannoness, with dark blue combat cloaks upon their shoulders and yellow highlights upon their pauldrons and their fleur-de-lis markings. More of them carried pale green bolters, mag-locked to their hips, although a handful carried melta-guns of flamers instead and the Cannoness couldn't help but give a grim smile, as the Sisters completed their combined prayer and with a call of "Ave Emperor!", they all turned to face their Cannoness.
"My Sisters!" she called out and the collected Sororitas bowed their heads to her. "Battle is upon us once more! We are about to bring fire and faith to the forces of Chaos and together, we shall rid this system of their taint!" A cheer went up and Freya could not hold back a smirk, her warriors drummed their feet on the deck of the ship and thumped their chest with their armoured fists. "It pains me in the circumstances that have brought us to this world; the fool that calls himself the Planetary Governor has fallen prey to his own sloth and hubris and as such, he has allowed the foul forces of Chaos to taint this planet... now it is our task to burn the fiends from their nest, and in the process , we are to save that fool of a Governor..." There was a growl of disapproval from the Sisters but they were silenced by a raised eyebrow from the Cannoness , causing them all to slowly go quiet once more. "What we are facing is nothing we haven't faced before; the bulk of their forces are made up of undisciplined heretics, cultists and mutants. However, local intelligence suggests that they have seized a quantity of local Defence Force equipment and vehicles, while a sizable number of Guards have turned traitor and joined them. As such... we have but one mission!" She raised her spare hand and punched the air, as her Sisters joined her cry. "Smite the enemy! Burn the heretic! Kill the mutant! In the name of Saint Trista and the Emperor, we shall strike them down!"
The Salamander's engine growled, as the tank slid to a halt just short of the tree-line.
"Ok! Fan out and keep your eyes peeled! Those Imperial dogs will be advancing through this sector any time now! When they're spotted, vox it in and then prepare to high tail it out of here, before the bombers hit!" There was a cry of affirmation from the assembled scouts, as they leapt down from the back of the tank and together, they slowly started to advance into the trees. The land around the city of Mirifta was dotted with orchards and plantations, perfect hiding places to set up ambushes as both sides had discovered during the short war. That particular orchard was important though; it was located right next to the main road which led up to one of the city's main gates and as such, it would undoubtedly be the main route along which the Imperial reinforcements would be advancing.
"Keep your eyes peeled" growled the commander of the second Salamander, as it and its small rifle team started forward as well. "We can't afford to let these bastards pass...".
"Roger that" the first commander growled, as he gunned the engine of his scout tank and spurred it forward. The Salamanders, light, turretless scout tanks, had once belonged to the local PDF forces and had proven to be very effective at suppressing Traitor cults in the planet's more remote regions. Now however, their dull green and gray camouflage had been replaced with a with an all-over shade of dark grey and where once the holy Aquilla of the Imperium had once adorned their hulls, the tanks now bore the eight-pointed star of Chaos, crudely daubed on their hulls in blood. Together, the traitorous vehicles rolled forward into the orchard, crushing the small trees beneath their tracks. Their troops fanned out on either side, treading carefully as they worked their way forward, until they reached the edge of the woods, overlooking the road, where they spotted their targets.
"This is scout team one to forward air command, do you copy?"
"Air command copies" came the static-laden reply. "What've you got for us?"
"We've spotted a column of Imperial armour on the main road. They're not the usual tanks though... I suggest sending in the heavies".
"Roger that". With that, the radio went silent and the scouts turned their attention back to the column.
"I don't recognize those things" the Salamander's gunner said, as he nodded towards a detachment of silver and blue Rhinos. "I don't see any Guard patterns".
"They must be Sororitas" the commander growled, as he spied the fleur-de-lis on the side of of the rumbling tanks. "Those are Rhinos and Repressors, like the Arbites use but only the bolter bitches use those things Immolators..."
"They sent the Sororitas?" one of the other crew asked nervously. "If they take the city-"
"They won't!" the commander snapped. "They will never break through our defence lines and even if they did, they would still have to breach the main gate into the city; something which they would never be able to do! For crying out loud, these stupid fools don't even know that we're he-" He never finished his sentence. He was too busy exploding, as his tank was blown out from under him...
With a roar and a cry of victory, the Sisters charged from their cover deep within the wood, their guns blazing as they attacked.
"Onward my Sisters!" cried their commander, as she lifted her power axe high above her head and watched the first Salamander burst into flames, as her Dominion's let fly with their melta-guns. "Let us smite our foes in the name of the Emperor!" Together, the Sisters let out a cry and fell upon the Traitor scouts, their bolters and metlas making short work of them, even as they turned to face them. Most died before they could even raise their weapons, although one managed to squeeze of a burst of fire at the Sister Superior with his autogun. The shots bounced harmlessly off of her power armour however and he had just enough time to register her helmeted face, just inches from his, before her axe swept down. He raised his autogun and attempted to block the blow with the barrel, only for the axe to pass cleanly through it, leaving a molten trail through the metal as it went and knocked the traitor flat. He raised his hands to protect himself and found himself looking down the barrel of the Sister Superior's inferno-pistol.
"Please! Have mercy!" he begged but the Sister simply squeezed the trigger of her gun, blasting the man into dust.
"There is no mercy for Traitors!" she snarled and turned to watch as the second Salamander started to turn towards them. The tank's autocannon barked, as it was trained on the Dominions but the shots went wide and the machine exploded, as four meltas were emptied into its lightly armoured hull. The tank went up in a cataclysm of fire and the Sister Superior gave a grim smile as she removed her Sabot pattern helmet and shook out her graying hair. "Well done Sisters; the heretics never knew what hit them!" The Dominions all bowed their heads to her and while one with a flamer set about incinerating the remains, the Sister Superior turned to the sound of a pair of approaching Immolator tanks.
"Congratulations Miriya" Cannoness Freya said, as her Immolator slewed to a halt and she vaulted down from on top of the tank. "You cleared them without much trouble I see".
"These traitorous scum never even saw us coming" the Dominion's Sister Superior said and nodded her head towards the two burning Salamanders. "If this is all the resistance that they can muster, it won't take long for us to overrun that city".
"I doubt that was it" the Cannoness said darkly. "We intercepted their vox communications and it would appear that they were providing guidance for the enemy's strategic bombers..."
"So we can expect hostile air power soon?" Miriya demanded. "Let me take my forces forward then and we can punch a hole through their defences before they can strike our convoy!"
"Patience Sister" the Cannoness said and nodded toward one of the Immolators. "You'd best mount up and rejoin the column. There should be plenty for you and your squad to burn, once we reach the enemy lines". The Domminion grinned and slipped her helmet back on, snapping it back into place as the Cannoness turned her eyes skyward. "Ah... I see that the enemy airpower is here..." she muttered, as she spotted the fast-moving specks on the horizon, then keyed in her vox key to the Seraphim. "Sister Chloe: it's your turn. Bring them down!"
The Marauders growled as they swept in low over the trees, their enormous engines tearing off leaves and branches as they went. There were two of them; dark green and deadly as they howled toward the Sororitas column, ready to drop their payloads in a sea of deadly fire. There was a problem however...
"We've lost contact with the forward spotters" the ground controller voxed. "We don't have a clear picture of what we're facing, only that it's an armoured force on the main road".
"Roger that!" the commander of one of the bombers called back. "We can't see anything yet but- no... wait... target in sight!" He grinned and thumbed open the throttle, as the bombers both lifted slightly to begin their bomb-run. It was then that they heard the desperate shout and watched in horror, as dark shapes fell upon the two bombers, spitting fire as their turrets tried to fire back. The heavy bolters mounted on the backs of the bombers crashed, spitting tracers into the sky but the dark shapes which were falling towards them like avenging angels, were undeterred and he heard the sound deep thump of armoured boots, as they slammed into the hull of his jet. His heavy bolters fired wildly but were quickly silenced harsh snaps from Seraphim bolt-pistols. It was then that he saw his wingman go down, as a melta-bomb was detonated against his fuselage, blowing the plane apart in a colossal fireball. Then he heard the thump as a melta-bomb was slammed into place and he uttered a silent prayer for forgiveness, as he and his remaining crew went up in smoke.
Freya gave a shout of triumph, as she watched the Marauder bombers go down, without ever even having gotten close.
"See my Sisters! The enemies of man can never hope to stand against us, no matter what they bring to bear!" Her cry was met by a cheer from the few Sisters who were dismounted and all watched as the Seraphim descended toward the convoy, touching down lightly on top of the Rhinos.
"Piece of cake" their Sister Superior Chloe said, as she shook out her blue hair and grinned."And I can tell you what we saw ahead!" She turned and with a nod from Freya, she addressed assembled Sisters. "The enemy have three main forces ahead of us: one force of Leman Russ tanks in the open, just outside of the forest, one fore of tanks taking cover in the woods and a force infantry, dug in and entrenched around the walls. It will be..." She paused and licked her lips in anticipation, "a massacre!" The Sisters all gave another cheer and together, they boarded their Rhinos in preparation for the main attack.
"That was well said" Freya muttered to the Seraphim. "We shall make a Cannoness of you yet..."
"We'll see" Chloe said and then turned, steadying herself as the Immolator they were stood upon started to roll forward. "So I'm guessing you have a plan to deal with the enemy armour? I doubt that our meltas can take them out, without us taking heavy casualties first..."
"Indeed" Freya said with a nod and tapped her vox bead once more. "I think it is time that we show these fools what real air-support looks like".
As the column emerged from the woods, the Sisters got their first good look at the city. The vast industrial complex was surrounded by a high rockcrete wall, which had once sported many holy Aquilla, as well as other Imperial symbols. Now however, most of them had been either blasted off or painted over, leaving just the blasphemous signs and symbols of Chaos, while the hanging corpses of unlucky Guardsmen and Arbities provided a grim warning for any who might attempt to break through to the gates. Around the city, line after line of trenches had been dug, each filled to the brim with Traitors and Cultists, all of whom were waiting for the oncoming wave. And before them, were the tanks. There were a dozen Leman Russ and they started forward as the Rhinos and Immolators rolled onto the wide, flat plain which encircled the city, their turrets spinning so as to train themselves onto the onrushing vehicles. The first few fired and while most missed, as few got lucky and a cheer went up as several Sororitas transports went up in flames. Cannoness Freya was undeterred however, as her Immolator's heavy bolters barked and spat its shells into the ranks of cowering Traitors, she stood atop the lurching vehicle, reciting the litanies of faith and gesturing with her Eviscerator.
"Onward Sisters!" she cried and gestured toward the nearest Leman Russ. "Let us burn these Heretics where they stand!" At that moment, one of the other Immolators opened up with its multi-meltas and blasted the tank into a burning heap of oblivion. At that moment, the sky turned dark and the Sisters cried out as their Avenger fighter-bombers swept in low over the field, their Bolt-cannons and Lascannons tearing great chunks out of the heretical tanks. One of them, an Exterminator, turned its twin-linked autocannons skyward and attempted to bring down one of the fighters. It met its own end however, as a distinctive red and blue Avenger screamed in, its guns blazing and tore the tanks to pieces, blowing its turret more than a hundred feet into the air, as the fuel and ammunition cooked off inside. The aircraft's name was Hagall and its name was stenciled on just below the cockpit. To the Sisters however, it was known by another name.
"Behold!" Freya cried, as she waved her sword in the direction of the red jet. "The Wrath of Saint Trista has come!"
"Praises to the Emperor!" her Sisters called out and there was a roar, as the tanks slewed to a halt, just in front of the trenches. The Traitors within were firing frantically, their Autoguns, Lasguns and Stubguns peppering the tanks with fire. The shots were next to useless however and they watched in horror as the nearest Immolators bore down on them and filled the trenches with liquid fire. Behind them came the Repentia, who vaulted from their tanks and set about hacking the remaining Cultists apart with their Evicerators.
"We shall strike you down!" Freya roared and she joined the charge, leaping down from Immolator and into the midst of the fray. One cultist came at her with a crude mace, which she caught effortlessly on her Evicerator and she leaned in, slicing the man in half. All around her, the other Sororitas were joining the fight, their bolters and flamers driving back the Heretics with ease, while some resorted to their bayonets to get the job done. Some went down, overwhelmed by the weight of fire coming from the Traitors and their weapons, while others were simply beaten down or caught an unlucky blade into an exposed joint. There losses were light however and it wasn't until the brute appeared that things became desperate. It appeared suddenly, almost as if out of nowhere; a hulking mutant with a foully rotted left arm and a brand across its chest, declaring its loyalty to Nurgle. It roared as it charged and the other Traitors charged with it, rallying around the hulking beast, as they swarmed toward the massed ranks of the Sororitas. The Repentia met it first and they hacked at it with their massive chainblades but the beast just shrugged them off and contemptuously swatted them aside with the maul it was carrying.
"Clear a path Sisters!" Freya roared and she hefted her Eviscerator in a challenge, as the mutant roared and spat a glob of greenish bile. "I shall deal with this beast myself!"
The monster roared as it met the Cannoness in combat, its clawed hammer coming down in a wide arch to crush the smaller woman. Freya easily side-stepped the mutant and hacked into its side with her sword, spilling grease and green slime into the trench. The beast ignored the pain however and swung again, missing by just an inch. The Sororitas snarled and drew an ornate Bolt Pistol from where she had mag-locked it to her thigh. She squeezed the trigger twice and put two rounds into the beast, then spun away as it lumbered after her.
"Foul thing!" she snarled and swung her blade once more, as it brought its maul around in a sweep which would've taken her head clean off of her shoulders... if not for the fact that at that second, the Avengers swept in once more. The fighter-bombers opened up with their boltcannons and autocannons, shredding the traitors by the hundred and sending the remainder reeling back as the jets swept overhead, their defensive stubbers picking off any who survived and attempted to run. The sudden assault was enough to distract towering mutant and Freya was able to dodge to one side, then brought her Eviserator around in a wide arc, which caught the beast just above its right knee. She squeezed the trigger and her blade's adamantium teeth bit deep, cutting through flesh and bone with ease. The mutant roared in pain and indignation and swung its maul around once more, only come crashing down, as Freya's blade severed its limb in a gout of gray-green puss and slime. Freya snarled and brought her bolt pistol up and contemptuously put a bolt shell into the creature's skull, scatting what little remained of its brain across the trench, which served to scatter what remained of the Traitors, as they they fled before the Sororitas forces, back towards the city.
"Well played my lady" Chloe called out, as she and her Seraphim swooped low across the battlefield, picking off the last few stragglers. "The gates to the city are clear!" Freya simply grunted and mag-locked her ornate pistol to her thigh, then turned to survey the scene. They had lost a number of Sisters during that fight... almost too many. But it had been a victory none the less; the traitorous infantry had been thoroughly routed and even as she watched, she could see pillars of flame blossom from a nearby wood, accompanied by the distant sound of organ music and the deep, resonating booms of artillery fire; evidence that the remaining Leman Russ tanks were being dealt with by their Exorcist artillery. She gave a grim nod of satisfaction and then turned away, toward the city gates, which were now opening to allow the fleeing Traitors back inside.
"See my Sisters!" she cried and gestured toward the retreating enemy. "These cowards flee before the Emperor's wrath! They think that their high walls will protect them from our divine justice!" She turned and faced her Sororitas with a smile on her face and licked her lips hungrily. "Let us show them what happens to those who dare to-"
"MY LADY! AT THE GATES!" The shout was sudden and instantly snapped Freya out of her rhetoric, as she tore her gaze away from her Sisters and toward the city gates... and then realized her mistake. The enemy hadn't been retreating; they had been merely been preparing to deploy their trump card... and now the Sororitas were in for a world of pain. Freya had just enough time to call out a warning, as the first Demolisher shell screamed down on them and the world went dark for them. Fire and death had come...
The tank was a relic, almost an antique even to the Imperium: a massive Malcador Defender, which had been dragged out of storage just for this battle. It outmassed the smaller Leman Russ tanks by a wide margin and despite its weak and unreliable engine, it was more than suitable to the task at hand. Fleeing Traitors screamed as they crushed beneath its iron tracks, while those who were lucky enough to survive were unceremoniously gunned down by the tank's batteries of heavy bolters. The tank's machine spirit growled and hissed, hungry for blood, as it lumbered into position, parking itself right in the middle of the open gateway and then turned its massed firepower on the Sororitas below. It had just one purpose now; to act as a one-hundred ton roadblock, killing as many Sororitas as possible, before it was overwhelmed through weight of numbers. As such, as soon as it was in position, it opened up with every weapon at its disposal, raining fire and death onto the Sisters of Battle, as they scrambled for cover. The tank's Demolisher started to drop its shells indescriminatly into the trenches and with each shot, more than a dozen Sisters were blown apart by the resulting explosions. At the same time, tank's Lascannons took a heavy toll of Sororitas armour, driving back the remaining Rhino and Immolator tanks, while the heavy bolters ripped into any who attempted to flee. It would be only a short-lived battle, for the crew knew it was only a matter of time before the Sororitas returned in numbers and their tank was torn apart by their furious wrath. But that mattered little, so long as they bought time for their comrades at the Governor's Palace. After all, they had a Governor to sacrifice.
"Bastards!" Chloe snarled, as she deposited Freya behind a burnt-out Rhino hull, just out of range of the Malcador's guns. "TO think that they would use such a thing against us! Are you alright my lady?" Freya was silent as she wiped some of the muck and gore from her armour, then turned to face the Sister Superior with a grim look on her face.
"I'm fine... and this is my fault. I should've known that the Traitors would have such machines in their arsenal; they have been listed as part of the PDF forces yet none were encountered by the Guard, so it would make sense that they were keeping them for this final battle... it is through my hubris that our Sisters were made to perish".
"Don't be foolish" the Seraphim said with a shake of her head. "You were not to know that they would use such tanks to defend the city. Besides, what has happened has happened. You cannot change the past. We must instead look to the future".
"I have to agree with the other Sister Superior" Miriya said, as she appeared from behind another burning wreck. "We must retake the initiative from these Traitors while we can!"
"It's good to see you alive Miriya" the Cannoness said but then frowned, as she spotted red-stained hole in the side Dominion's armour. "Are you hurt?"
"It is but a scratch" the Sister said and shrugged, only to wince as she did so. "I was... careless, with an enemy who had a Heavy Stubber".
"You should have the medics take a look at it".
"The nursemaids have more important things to worry about than tiny cut" the Dominion said with a growl. "Instead we should focus on the task at hand. Order me to lead the Dominions against that blasphemous armour! Our Meltas will make short work of that armour and then we can move on the city with no trouble!"
"You and your girls will be cut down before you ever get close" Chloe said snidely. "No my lady, allow me and the Seraphim to take it out! We can strike from the sky and-"
"You've used your Melta-charges, have you not?" Miriya demanded. "How do you intend to take out a tank without them? Punch it to death?"
"At least it would be more effective than what you are suggesting!" the Serpahim snarled and fixed the other Sister Superior with a glare. "At least my plan has-"
"Enough!" Freya barked and gave them both an icy look, which cowed both Sister Superiors in an instant. "I am in command here, am I not? I will make the decision as to how to defeat this menace, not leave it to a pair who squabble like an old couple!"
"Yes my lady" both Sisters said and they bowed their heads apologetically to her, as Freya turned away for a second and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I swear... what is my Order coming to these days?" She shook her head and sighed, then turned back to them both. "Where are the Exorcists? They should have enough firepower to destroy that beast".
"The Exorcists have had to withdraw" Miriya said. "They are in need of ammunition and it will be quite some time before they are able to return".
"The same is true of the Avengers" Chloe put in. "They are almost out of fuel and have had to return to base for supplies... not to mention the fact that several of them have been damaged by ground fire".
"And with our losses, we can't risk a full ground assault on that tank" Freya muttered to herself, then frowned. "Well then... it would seem that there is only one option". With that, she keyed in her vox channel and spoke into her mic. "It is time to bring the Emperor's wrath to these Traitors! Bring up the Valmeyar! Let us see how they fair against its cleansing fury!"
The crew of the Malcador whooped and cheered as they watched the last of the Sororitas retreat back towards the forest, their tails between their legs.
"It would seem that the False Emperor's sluts have no belly when it comes to a real fight!" the commander shouted and his crew laughed, slapping each other on the back, as a couple of them dropped their trousers and bared their backsides to the retreating Sororitas.
"And don't come back!" one of them shouted and they all shared a grin, until they spotted something coming through the trees. They couldn't be sure as to what it was, only that it was very big... and it was heading their way.
"All crew, back to your posts!" the commander barked. "It would seem that these Bolter Bitches might be up for a fight after all!"
Trees crashed to the ground, as the colossal tank pushed through the wood and out on to the open plain before the city. It was massive; a three-hundred ton behemoth, painted in the same silver and blue as the rest of the Sororitas's vehicles. Once it had been a Shadowsword Titan hunter but during the battle for the Sororitas's homeworld, the tank had been knocked out and almost destroyed. The Sisters of Battle had salvaged it and with the help of the local Mechanicus forces, they had rebuilt the machine in the best way they could, which had included a unique weapon, never before seen on a tank. It's true name was known only to the Mechanium but it was known colloquially as the "Continent Carver" and it resembled a Hellstorm cannon, such as might be found on the largest of Titans. This one however, had been much reduced in size and the number of barrels had been increased from six to twenty, to make up for the loss in power. Taken together, the tank was far more powerful than the Shadowsword it had been based on, capable of vaporizing whatever lay in its line of sight with a single shot. It was the Valmeyar. The chooser of the slain. The striking blade of the Sororitas... and now, it was lining up on the Malcador.
"What does it take to destroy this thing!?" one of the crew demanded, as the Malcador's Demolisher thumped once more and spat a heavy shell toward the Valmeyar. The shell struck the front of the tank and exploded with colossal force but much to the crew's horror, the bigger tanks simply shrugged off the blow and continued towards them.
"Keep firing!" the commander barked and watched with disbelief as both Lascannons struck the behemoth, scorching away some of the paint but otherwise leaving it unharmed. "Damn damn damn damn!" he snarled and then barked an order to the driver below. "Full reverse! We need to fall back!"
"Roger that!" the driver called out and the tank started to roll backwards, only for a loud bang to echo throughout the crew compartment. "Oh shit! The engine's blown!" At that, the blood of every man in the tank ran cold. The Malcador tank had always been known for having an unreliable engine, theirs included and now, at the worst possible time, it had failed them. There was only one thing to do...
"Everyone out!" the commander roared. "We have to get out of here!" The other crew called out in affirmation and started to clamber out, as the commander took one last look toward the monstrous machine that was coming for them. He had at least done his job; the way was blocked for now and not even destroying the Malcador would remove it as an obstacle. He gave a grim smile, as he watched the Valmeyar raise its gun toward them and leapt down so that he could run. All that they needed to do was get back into the city, maybe find another tank, then they would be back in the fight. They could outflank the beast, put shots into its sides and rear and- He never made it.
With a shriek like a thousand angry souls in torment, the Valmeyar's cannon fired. The amount of energy discharged in that instant was vast, so much so that it threatened to vaporize the tank itself, as fuses short-circuited and generators malfunctioned, overloaded by the shear rush of electricity leaving them. It didn't matter however, as a bolt of pure starefire shrieked from the tank's muzzle and slammed into the point where the Malcador had been parked. The tank didn't explode; there wasn't time for that. Instead the machine was simply vaporized, blasted into plasma by the shear brute force of the weapon. On either side, the city's gates, made of starship grade metals, started to glow and bubble, until they finally melted away by the force of the blast, while the ground beneath the Malcador was vaporized to the point that it turned into glass. The walls were also caught in the attack, in some places melting away into glass, in others simply shattering under the intense pulse of light and fire. This all took less than a second and afterward, all that remained of the once mighty Malcador and its crew was a dissipating cloud of gas and plasma. The Valmeyar crackled softly, as it seemed to settled down on its tracks, its purity seals fluttering gently in the wake of the gun's massive discharge. Its job was done and the way was clear. It was time to strike.
"Forward my Sisters!" Freya roared and gestured toward the ruin of the city gates. "Let us burn out this nest of Heretics! For the Emperor!"
"FOR THE EMPEROR!" they all shouted and together, the Sisters of Battle charged toward the city. Only two didn't go immediately. Miriya and Chloe were still behind the Rhino wreck as the Sisters swarmed past and both gave a sigh as Freya led the charge into the city.
"It would seem that our Cannoness has been taken by the Black Rage" Chloe muttered, only to earn herself a disdainful look from Miriya.
"Don't speak of the Blood Angel's curse Sister" the Dominion scorned. "You never know who might be listening..." Chloe snorted but bowed her head and muttered a prayer of forgiveness, then turned her attention to the city once more.
"We should get going" she said and lit up the engines on her jumppack once more. "I'll see you inside the Governor's Palace, ok? So try not to die".
"You too, you fool" Miriya said and pecked the other Sororitas on the lips. With that, they turned away from one another, with Chloe taking to the skies once more and Miriya hurrying to catch up with her squad once more. There was a city to burn after all and anything else could wait until afterward, with the Emperor's grace.
From the top of the tower that jutted up from the Governor's Palace, Miquell-des watched with a snarl on his lips. The Sororitas were in the city now and were burning indiscriminately as they went, setting vast areas of manufacturing plant alight. The Traitors were putting up a fight but in now, it was only a matter of time before the Sisters of Battle reached the center of the city.
"There will be recompense to come" he growled, as he watched a mile-high processing vat go up in flames. "These fools of the Sororitas are causing far too much damage! Throne damn it, I might as well have called for Space Marines! At least they might leave something standing afterward!" He shook his head but then flinched as an explosion echoed up the tower from below.
"My lord" a voice wheezed and he turned his attention to the wizened old scribe who was sat in the corner. "It would appear that the Heretics have broken through our last defence line. It will not be long before they reach our central chamber". Miquell-des snarled and then flicked a nervous glance toward the door to his office. It was made of reinforced adamantium and was built to withstand even a direct hit from a melta-charge without even taking a scratch. That had been true off all of the tower doors however and now, the heretics were only a few floors away from arrival.
"Damn it! Where are these Sisters? I need them here now!"
The fighting in the city was brutal and vicious. Snipers and sharpshooters roamed the rooftops, while from the sewers came vast hoards of mutants and heretics, armed with broken bottles and bits of wood and chain, while the streets themselves were filled with Heretics and Traitor Guardsmen, some still in their original uniforms and all hungry for Imperial blood. The Sisters were unwavering in their assault however, cutting down their foes with massed Bolter fire and cleansing their strongpoints with Flamers. On the rare occasion that they came across a vehicle, it was quickly dispatched by concentrated Melta fire. And always at the fore, was Freya. She chanted and sang as she went, cleaving apart her foes in an orgy of sanctified violence. Foes fell all around her and soon, they had reached the Palace. There however, they faced a problem.
"My Sisters, the enemy have fortified this position!" Freya snarled and gestured with a gauntleted fist toward the Palace, where the enemy had set up an Aegis Defence Line, along with several heavy weapons, in preparation for the assault. "I will not lie to you; we are about to take heavy losses. But do not fear death! Those who die will do so in the Emperor's name! Now forward! Let us purge these fools and cast them into oblivion! CHARGE!" The Sororitas screamed and together, they chanted their war-cries, calling on the Emperor to guide the aim and to punish their foes. It was also then that Freya unleashed her final weapon; at the head of the charge were a pair of Penitent Engines, the drivers of which moaned and screamed as they charged, their flamers unleashing great gouts of liquid death onto the enemy. One of the machines was brought down, its hull punctured by an enemy autocannon and its pilot torn apart with ease. The other hit home however and struck out with its massive circular saws, hacking the Traitors apart with ease and quickly clearing a path for the Sororitas to hit home. Freya hit home hard, her blade biting deep into a Traitor's belly and nearly hacking thee man in two. She drew back and swung again, sliwing clean through the barrel of a Lasgun and into the skull of its unfortunate wielder. Another man came at her with a long piece of sharpened metal but she casually side-stepped him and gave him a kick, which in turn sent him sprawling on the ground. He had just enough time to register what had happened, before he was crushed by the Penitent Engine's stomping feet, scatting his guts across the square. By then, Freya was clear of the lines and with her, were a handful of other Sisters. She saw Miriya and Chloe amongst them and called them over, as she led the small party into the tower.
"This way!" she said, not bothering to wipe the gore from her face. "We must hurry! I can hear the Traitors above us! They may already be at the Governor by now!"
Miquell-des screamed as the door to his office exploded off of its hinges and slammed into the wall, with such force that ended up embedded there. Before the smoke had even cleared, the roomed was filled with Cultists, each of them carrying a blade and an Autoweapon. The scribe tried to pull himself up but he was unceremoniously gunned down, as a huge, dark shape filled the doorway. It resembled a Space Marine of the Crimson Consuls but his armour bore the unmistakable symbols of Chaos, burned into his armour.
"S-stay back!" the Governor stammered, as he fumbled his ornate Laspistol from its holster and drew a wavering bead on the towering Marine. "I'm warning you!" The Space Marine said nothing, instead choosing to slowly cross the room towards him, while the Cultists bowed their head to him and after a second's hesitation, Miquell-des squeezed the trigger. The Laspistol jerked in his hand and his aim was well of true but against such a large target and at such short range, it was almost impossible to miss. The bolt struck the Marine squarely on the chest, searing tiny patch of armour clear of paint but otherwise doing nothing at all.
"Was that really necessary?" the Crimson Consul asked with what might have been a sigh, although it was hard to tell through his heavy helmet. "You know how hard it is to find that particular shade of red paint in this sector?" With that, he reached out and as Miquell-des went pale as he wrapped the Marine wrapped his hand around the Governor's, gun and all. He tried to pull free and to fire but the Marine's grip was like a vice and he couldn't move so much as a fraction of an inch. Then the Crimson Consul flexed his hand and Miquell-des screamed, as both hand and gun were crushed into oblivion. "There... that's more like it" he grunted and let the Governor drop to the floor, clutching his mutilated hand. "Now take him! Our Master wants him alive!"
"Not today!" was the answer and the Marine only managed to make a half-turn before a melta-shot punched a fist-sized hole through his skull. In an instant, the room was in chaos, as shots were exchanged and soldiers fell, while the Governor crept behind his desk. It was many long moments before the sounds of fighting faded and it was only then that he heard someone calling his name.
"Miquell-des? Governor Miquell-des, are you here?" The man nervously peered out from his hiding spot and gave a sigh of relief, when he saw a small group of Sororitas had entered the room. At their head was a blond-haired bombshell, carrying the biggest Chainsword he had ever seen and she raised an eyebrow at him, as he pulled himself to his feet and feigned a smile.
"I'm fine" he said and gave her as best a bow as he could, considering his rather large belly. "Do I have the pleasure of addressing the most esteemed Cannoness of the Order of the Valkyrie Guard?"
"You do indeed" the woman said coldly. "I am Cannoness Freya and I am-"
"Late!" he suddenly snarled and pointed a finger from his good hand at her. "I asked for your assistance several standard days ago! You have been here lo-" He didn't get to finish his sentence, as the Cannoness took two steps forward and slapped him across the face with her armoured hand, so hard that she knocked out two of his teeth.
"Be silent!" she snapped, as he was knocked flat on his back by the force of her blow. "You do not get to speak here, you wretch!"
"What is the meaning of this?!" he demanded indignantly. "You cannot treat me like this! I am-"
"You are the fool who allowed a cult to take hold of this world and it is through your lack of action that they were allowed to spread, until they had corrupted this world! And you DARE to chastise me for being late? YOU were the one who allowed this to happen in the first place and because of you, many of my Sisters now lie dead or dying, both within and without this blasted place!" With that, she drew her Bolt-pistol and trained in squarely on the man's trembling face, her while own was as cold and calculating as a Mechanicus Adept in a nitrogen bath. "You have committed the ultimate heresy! For that, there can be NO forgiveness! REPENT MOTHER FU-" *BLAM!*
The room was silent as Freya turned away from the Governor's corpse and she bowed her head to her Sisters.
"The deed is done. Now let us purify this damn city and be gone from this place..." The others nodded and Miriya keyed in her vox link to the battleship that was still hovering above the surface of the planet.
"This is Miriya to the battleship Saint's Hubris. We will be out of the city in fifteen minutes. You are free to commence orbital bombardment from that point on. Cleanse this place!"
From a hilltop outside the city, a figure in blue-green Terminator armour watched as the great battleship let pounded the city into dust. Pillars of fire a mile wide rained down, each flattening an entire district with ease, blasting the into utter oblivion. So much dust was being kicked up by the bombardment that it would likely permanently alter the planet's global ecosystem, possibly even rendering the world useless for the very thing it was used for; agriculture. This however, was a small price to pay for the total eradication of Chaos... the fools.
"So it would seem that Freya is more determined than ever to wipe us out" the armoured figure muttered, as he leaned slightly on his sorcerer's staff. "Good..." He paused, as he heard the sound of footsteps behind him and he turned to see a warrior in the same blue-green armour approach him through the trees.
"Lord Loki" the Chaos Marine growled. "The deed is done; we have the artifact and are ready to make our move of the Mechanicus base".
"Excellent!" Loki said and grinned beneath his heavy helmet, as he turned and traced a finger across a gash that ran across surface of one of his pauldrons, bisecting the green hydra that lay there. "It won't be long now... a pity that our pet couldn't take the Governor alive though".
"The Crimson Consuls are weak" the other Alpha Legionnaire growled. "You should've sent one of ours, instead of one of them..."
"I will not risk Alpha Legion blood for such a trivial thing" Lord Loki growled. "The Governor was little more than an interesting side-mission. We got what we came for and that is what matters". With that, he turned away and started back down the hill, to where his Landraider was waiting for them both. "Now come! There is still work to do, if we are to find and release Angrboda from her prison... and when that time comes, the Order of the Valkyrie Guard shall truly know the meaning of suffering!"