The Hive and Fallen war
Written by a Hive veteran
Chapter 1
The foundations of a new order
It all began after the seeding of Earth. I was stationed in the Cosmodrome in what the humans called "Russia". At first, I didn't understand the value of such an area but as days turned into months, I began to see that being stationed in the area could have benefits to our cause. It was a strategic location. The buildings could make way for a new base of operations instead of the Seeders. And the local "Fallen", as they call themselves, will keep us occupied with combat when we are bored. Other than that, there was nothing else to consider. All we did was fight and plot the downfall of this planet in the comfort of the Seeder.
As time went by, our commanding officer, a Wizard, believed that the time to expand has come and that we should be more on the offensive rather than the defensive. So, we were broken into squads of six Acolytes and four Thralls. I was to lead my squad up a nearby hill to face a slightly larger force consisting of what the Fallen call "Vandals" and "Dregs". From what I understand, the Vandals were tough and more tactical in combat and I was well aware that Dregs are easily killed unless packed in groups, so this is going to be an interesting skirmish.
After I gathered my small force, I led my squad out of the Seeder and ran towards the hill. When we reached our destination, the Fallen were preparing for another offensive attack but I ordered my men to take cover and attack first. The Fallen was caught completely off guard to this surprise attack so we managed to take out a couple of the Dregs but the skirmish that ensued lasted for quite awhile. The numbers were equal now and the Acolytes took positions behind cover while the Thralls charged into the enemy and engaged the remaining Dregs in hand to hand combat while the other Acolytes fired from a distance. As the battle progressed, I ran over to two other Acolytes who were positioned behind a rusted tanker.
"You two, I need you to come with me! We need to flank those Vandals before they can take out our Thralls! The other Acolytes will provide covering fire as we move!"
Nodding in approval, the two Acolytes and I moved around our line and around a small building. On the other side of the building were two Vandals and three Dregs. I turned towards my two Acolytes.
"This is my plan, when I say go, you two are going to attack the Vandals and I will quickly dispatch the Dregs. Afterwards I will help you with the Vandals. After they are dead, we will finish the fight and go back to base, got me?"
The two Acolytes looked at each other and looked back at me and got into position and waited for my order. As I waited for the right moment, a Dreg turned around and started shooting after realizing they were gunna get flanked. The Vandals also took notice and started firing.
"Our cover is blown! Attack!" I yelled.
After hearing their order, the two Acolytes and I attacked the Fallen soldiers and took them out one by one. The remaining Dregs, knowing they were going to die, decided to retreat only to be tackled by my Thralls. It took only seconds to be ripped apart by the sharp claws of the Thralls.
After making sure that all the Fallen were dead, I sent one of my Acolytes back to the Seeder to have reinforcements sent to secure the hill. I also decided that the Thralls should carry the dead Fallen troops back to the Seeder for resurrection and servitude. Our numbers were going to increase and with it, our chances of securing this Cosmodrome quicker. This was but one step to laying the foundations of a new order.
Chapter two
Base of Operations
It took my Acolyte half an hour to return with my reinforcements. He was accompanied by two hulking Cleaver Knights, five more Acolytes, and a few more Thralls. Added with my Thralls, who were taking care of the corpses of the Fallen, I now have a suitable force. The Acolyte reached me and with him, orders from our commanding Wizard. Apparently, I have been ordered to leave the area immediately with all the troops in my command to reinforce another squad that is suffering major casualties against the Fallen. The squad was ordered to scout a potential base of operations and stumbled upon a Fallen stronghold instead. I threw the letter on the ground in frustration.
"Damn it! Now we have to forfeit this position and redirect our forces towards this stronghold! It doesn't matter, we can come back for it after we capture the base. Let's gather our forces and march towards the stronghold."
I looked towards a distant building where the battle was taking place and began to run the whole distance. As we ran, I ordered the Thrall to run and reinforce the other squad until we got there. They ran with all their speed and I can hear, over all that gunfire, the screams of the Fallen being torn apart as well as my Thralls. By the time I got there, the Fallen defense was is shambles with only a few Fallen soldiers holding position. I ordered my Acolytes to provide covering fire for my Knights to make way into the Fallen ranks. As the battle ensued, I went looking for the squads leader only to learn that he was killed in battle. So, as any other leader would do, I took in the remnants of the other squad and ordered them to secure the entrance to the stronghold.
One of my Knights came over to me as I entered the complex.
"Sir, the area is secure. I advise caution if we continue to move in as well as establish a command post here. I would also advise that we hold here until we get additional reinforcements from the Seeder" he said to me.
It was not a bad idea. We could use the additional troops and the dead Fallen soldiers we faced earlier could prove beneficial. The numbers would certainly help.
I looked to the Knight.
"You are absolutely right". I said to him. "It is crucial that we get another Wizard down here to resurrect these Fallen as well as get the reinforcements from the Seeder. Take two Acolytes with you and ask if a Wizard can be spared as well as some more troops."
The Knight nodded and ran towards the Seeder. Meanwhile, I took the liberty to use the storage crates as a small defensive barrier so if any of the Fallen come for a counter attack, they can be met with stiff resistance.
As I was waiting for my Knight to return, I got to thinking. If this is indeed a Fallen stronghold, then one of their Barons should be here. If the Baron were to be killed, then we could've dealt a serious blow to the Fallen. But if we can capture him, the Fallen will have no choice but to negotiate for the return of their Baron, which we can use to secure dominance in this region, or we could manipulate him to serve us and thus make the rest of his Fallen serve us. A forced partnership. Both have advantageous but if he were to be killed, then the Fallen could attack in full strength, in a show of anger, which could destroy our operations in the Cosmodrome. One step at a time though. Do what is necessary to survive.
While I was in the middle of thinking, I heard the sounds of footsteps coming from behind me. It was the reinforcements I had ordered. Three more Knights, one being a Boomer Knight, ten more Thralls, and twelve Acolytes all of which was accompanied by a Wizard. The Wizard looked at me and came towards me.
In a raspy voice, she asked "Are you in charge of this assault?"
I looked at her real quick and replied "Yes, I am leading this assault. I suspect you know what to do?"
She didn't say anything. All she did was nod and started the resurrection of the Fallen. In no time, the dead Fallen soldiers stood upwards and saluted me. I immediately ordered them to charge into the halls of the complex and kill anything that wasn't Hive. Without even thinking, they charged through the flimsy make-shift barrier and screamed the whole way until we heard gunfire. After knowing there were Fallen further inside the building, I ordered the Wizard and two Knights to stay behind while I led the rest down the halls. I ordered my Thralls to follow the gunfire and engage all Fallen while my Acolytes followed from behind.
We marched in tight formation with my Knights at the rear and I at the front. We eventually came upon what looked like a warehouse. Inside was where the fighting took place. Upon entering the warehouse, I saw dead Fallen soldiers, mainly Dregs, and a few dead Thrall. I ordered my men into a loose formation and to move forward until we found suitable cover. As we came closer to the source of gunfire, I could hear my Thralls screaming. I ordered my men to hold position and to find cover and provide supporting fire while my knights began to assault the enemy lines. The Fallen were against a steel wall so they had nowhere to go. A slaughter was underway. And I swore, for a brief second, I saw a large figure behind the Fallen ranks but it could've been nothing. The final stand of these Fallen was about to begin.
As the fighting progressed, the number of Fallen casualties began to rise as well as the number of my men began to decrease. I heard an Acolyte call my name.
"Sir! I believe we can move up to increase the pressure we are giving onto the Fallen!" Yelled one of my Acolytes.
I yelled back "Good idea! Take five other Acolytes with you as you push forward. I will redirect the Thralls to aid you by flanking the enemies right! That should give us a chance to fight on two flanks!"
The Acolyte nodded and ushered five other Acolytes to follow. Meanwhile the Knights were clearing the left flank. A few more minutes and the left will be ours. I look around to see if there is anything that we can use to give us another advantage. I then noticed a cat walk above us that could give us the advantage we need. I looked around and saw Acolytes behind me acting as a rear guard. I ordered four of them up and they came. I looked at their weapons to see if they could do the job.
"Listen very closely, see that catwalk? I need you four to climb up there and fire at the Fallen! We almost won this battle, so this is going to win it! Go!"
In a hurry, the Acolytes ran off. Eventually, they reached the catwalk and began to fire at the Fallen. As for the right flank, the Thralls managed to break past the Dregs and Vandals and secured it. The battle was almost won. All of a sudden I see one of my Thralls flying through the air and crash into storage crates, killing it on impact. What could've done that? Next thing I see is a large, four-armed creature come out. While my soldiers kept the nearly depleted Fallen occupied, my Knights saw this threat and attacked. My rear guard also moved up to face this Fallen creature. I, personally, went in to fight the rest of the Fallen and, when all was done, ordered my troops to secure this...thing. About several minutes in, I lost half my remaining Thralls, a quarter of my Acolytes and one Knight to this creature before it was subdued. I went up to it and realized, this Fallen creature was a Baron. I ordered my men to escort this Baron to the Seeder to be presented to my commanding Wizard.
Though I suffered many losses, I managed to capture a Fallen stronghold that will now be put to use by Hive soldiers. Plus, I now have new soldiers that I will have resurrected to serve the Hive.
After taking security measures to make sure no Fallen remained in the complex, I returned to the Seeder to be greeted by my commanding Wizard. She seemed like she was in a good mood. In a raspy voice, she said to me "Acolyte, you have done well. Not only did you clear that hill, you also took control of another squad, made good use of reinforcements, and captured both a Baron and a strategic stronghold. By my right, I now promote you. You, as a fitting reward for such a feat, will be given that stronghold. All troops that are already in your command, both resurrected and reinforcements, are yours to command. Plus you will now have access to tomb ships. They will turn the tide of battle in your favor. And you have no need to worry about that Baron, I already took care of it. So, what will you do now?" She asked.
I looked at the ground and up at her and said "My duty. I believe the Fallen will no doubt try and attack to regain control of this area. So I will need more troops to defend the Seeder, the stronghold and that hill we took earlier. The dead Fallen will be useful for that hills defense for they are expendable. The Fallen will attack in larger numbers and will no doubt storm this area but with me in command, that won't happen."
I was now in command of a large force and have my own base of operations. I think I will call my base "Acolytes Rise."
Chapter three
Invasion
One of the toughest things about being part of an undead empire is that everything is your enemy. We make no allies except from the remains of our enemies. And now that the Fallen's stronghold has been turned over to the Hive and that one of their Barons are dead, it is only a matter of time before the Fallen strike back. We fought with the Fallen long enough to know that they will take revenge. As acting stronghold commander, it is my duty to make sure that all Hive occupied lands stay in the hands of the Hive so, I started building defenses out of shriekers and placed my heaviest troops at strategic positions with ranged Acolyte support. I also made sure Tomb Ships filled with Thralls and Acolytes were on standby in case any Fallen try to invade which is likely to happen. I also deployed scouting parties to known Fallen held areas to watch for any signs of trouble. They all check in hourly via tomb ship pickup and so far nothing. I see a Tomb Ship drop off an Acolyte. This Acolyte was running with a very noticeable limp and shown signs of battle. I ran to him to save him the struggle.
"Soldier, what happened to you?" I asked.
"We were overrun by an unknown force. We were scouting the mountains when we were engaged from behind from what sounded like Fallen. They were heading this way and I managed to get a quick look at their force. It is a rather large force led by the Devils. I saw two Devil Walkers and a lot of skiffs and pikes. I'm sorry I couldn't get any more information."
I looked at the soldier and could tell he wasn't lying.
"Good work soldier, go towards the stronghold and talk to the Wizard. She will fix you right up."
The soldier left with haste and I began to head towards the Seeder. If the Fallen are attacking with a large force, then we would need to even the playing field a bit. We would need Ogres, more Acolytes, a lot of Thralls, and Knights. Maybe my commanding Wizard can help with that. We already have the stronghold armed to the teeth with some of our best weaponry so I won't have to worry about that, but there is still the Seeder to worry about.
I get to the Seeder and entered to talk to the Wizard. I can see that she is upset.
"Ma'am, what's wrong?"I ask her.
"I just heard about the invasion force marching towards us. What do you plan to do Commander?"she asked me.
"Well, I hope you could bring us a few ogres and reinforcements of all of our varieties. That could level out the playing field for us big time." I start to pace nervously.
The Wizard took a minute to take this in and looked up at me.
"That would be a nice help. I will try to commune with Crota to send us the aid we require but it will take some time. Can you stall the Fallen until we get our aid?"asked the Wizard.
I look at her, stared deep into her lifeless eyes and said to her,
"I can try."
Not soon after, I began forming the rest of the defense. While I was doing so, I can hear marching. And the marching keeps getting louder and louder every few seconds. I could also hear yelling. As if orders were being barked to the troops. It was a Fallen attack force. I immediately ordered my soldiers into cover and to wait until the enemy was in attack range. The Acolytes hid behind makeshift steel barriers and my Thralls waited in dark areas. I had my servitors placed in high areas to cover a larger area of attack and my Knights are waiting from atop high buildings so they can jump into the enemy ranks. The first stage of the battle to come was about to begin.
We waited for what seemed like ages. The calm before the storm. My soldiers were itching to fight. I can see it in their movements. All of a sudden, a loud scream is heard. It is definitely a Fallen soldier. Next thing I see is rank after rank of Dregs and Vandals pour over the hill like water over rocks. I yell for my men to wait. They are getting nervous. As seconds passed, the Fallen were in firing range. I give the order to open fire and all at one, Acolytes, Servitors, and Thralls engaged the enemy force. After hearing that the fight began, the Knights jumped off the rooftops and fell into the enemy lines. The Fallen had to change tactics. They dove for cover, fought the numerous Thralls, even tackled some of the distracted Knights in groups of seven and ten. It was a catastrophe. Eventually, the Fallen started firing back at the main battle line. One of my lieutenants, a Cleaver Knight, ran towards me and pulled me aside.
"Commander, we are starting to suffer losses on the front! Our Knights and Thralls are almost spent and soon we will be overwhelmed! We should retreat into the stronghold while we can!"
"I'm sorry lieutenant, but I cannot allow the Fallen to take control of the Seeder! There is no retreat but we do need reinforcements now! Send an Acolyte to the stronghold for reinforcements and call back all our troops to the battle line! Also send for the Wizard! Tell her we need new troops now! I already have Tomb Ships on the way and they should be here any second with additional troops! Go on!"
The Knight ran back to his troops and sent an Acolyte as ordered. At that exact moment, four Tomb Ships entered the area. While they unloaded troops onto the battlefield, they provided much needed fire support. The newly arrived Acolytes and Thralls are a welcome sight and will help reinforce the flanks. I run back and forth from flank to flank only to see more and more wounded or dead Hive soldiers being pulled from the fight. The newly arrived Acolytes took positions behind the barriers and engaged. In the distance, I can see my lieutenant having trouble with the left flank. I gathered the men I could spare and went towards him. As I ran towards my comrade, I see Acolytes pulling a severely wounded Acolyte away from battle. Black ooze spewing from the area his legs should be. I take a quick glance and return to the task at hand. Eventually I get to my Knight. He seemed to have stop a failed charge all by himself for every single Fallen soldier was cut in half. The Knight looked at me.
"Sir, we need to do something. This is the third charge I stopped in a short amount of time. I can see these Fallen being organized up top of that hill. I think a Fallen officer or Captain is up there."
I don't want to risk leaving the line to have it fall but the Fallen are slowly getting more and more coordinated in their attacks. There was only one thing left to do. I had to lead a counter strike against the Fallen and take out any commander I see.
"Lieutenant, I have a task for you. Your going to accompany me and my Acolytes in taking out their leadership. Are you up to the task?" I ask my comrade.
The Knight grabbed his sword and threw it over his shoulders. He was ready. I quickly took my Acolytes to the armory inside the Seeder and refitted them with swords and better armor. I too took the same gear. We were all ready to fight to the death.
After gathering at the left flank, my Acolytes, Knight and I charged into the enemy. We hacked and slashed our way through hundred of Fallen by the time we reached the top of the hill. The Acolytes at the battle line saw this act and followed. They too fought their way through the ranks of Fallen that still stood. Punching, biting, shooting, cutting every Fallen soldier that stood in their path. The perfect offensive push. As me and my men reached the peak of the hill, we saw the Captain. Tall and alone, he challenged us to fight him. I gave the honor to my lieutenant. He made short work of the Captain with his cleaver. The battle was won but at a great cost. My forces were split in half. We might not even make it past wave two.
In the background, my men were cheering. I decided to join them. But in the middle of our celebration, we heard a loud thundering noise. We looked up to the sky to see a Skiff fly over the hill. As it passed it dropped off...a Devil Walker. It activated itself and turned towards us. This was it, I was going to die. As it lowered its body and pointed its cannon at me, a flash of purple light hit the main reactor instantly destroying the machine. Where and who did it come from? I looked around and saw three ogres. Out of the side caves, Acolytes and Thrall started pouring out. I looked at the sight and heard a voice. It was raspy and had a sense of joy about it. It was my commanding Wizard. I turned and bowed.
"My, what a mess. You did good in preventing the Seeders capture. Even Crota was amazed at the leadership of an Acolyte and how well you handled the situation. He enjoyed it so much, he wants you to become a Knight. Not just any Knight though. He wants to make you his personal soldier."