Barricades were erected within and without the massive citadel at the center of massive space station, High Charity. The elite Honor Guard of the High Prophets prepared for their foes with a rushed demeanor. Some even felt trepidation from earlier battles that had cost the lives of their comrades. Wraiths and Spectres were setup around the main entrance, barring entry to anything but focused assault. Heavy shade turrets and man-portable light plasma cannons were emplaced along walls and choke-points. Plasma generators that had been erected millennia prior to support the extensive defense network around the citadel were activated for the first time. Whirring to life and pumping energy into the multitude of facilities, turrets, and shields that dotted the massive facility. Thousands of honor guards took up positions, sporting the finest in armor and weaponry the Covenant could provide. With a readily able defense established, they waited.
Loud salvos of fire were exchanged within High Charity's main hangar bay, capable of housing even Assault Carriers within its cavernous space. However, whatever ships had been here were charred hulks that had been carved up and destroyed, a testament to their opponents brutal firepower. Some even sported wounds from what seemed to be harpoons jutting from their hull. Massive ships with brutal features took their place in the docking areas, unloading regiments of human warriors in the hundreds of thousands. They charged forward with viscous war cries baying for xenos blood. Towering among the countless human soldiers, the Red Angel and his World Eaters led the way through the multi kilometer complex leading to the center of the massive station.
Litanies of fury and retribution were sung as the vengeful army marched forward in the face of heavy plasma fire. Buildings and temples dedicated the Covenants' gods were torn down and eradicated, civilians were torn apart mercilessly as the Angels of death descended upon them with a merciless frenzy. "Blood for the Emperor" could be heard as massive Astartes threw themselves into blood orgies without a second thought for their own well-being. Their Primarch moved forward smashing tanks and vehicles with uncaring intent and effortless force. The Covenant military continued to reel as the seemingly invincible human forces continued their march toward the center.
It has all started when a massive fleet has exited FTL within fifty-thousand kilometers of High Charity. The entire defense fleet was taken by surprise as over half their number was destroyed in the mysterious enemy's opening shots. Both Super-carriers present were destroyed, all coherency lost among the fleet as they tried to return fire and protect the most holy of holies. The Imperial fleet did not care about the Covenant and their holies. They only wished destruction and death upon the Covenant, for not long ago, they had discovered the UNSC and reconnected with ancient humans. Both sides were overjoyed to meet each other, but once it had been made clear what had been enacted on the humans of Earth by the Covenant for the past thirty years, the Emperor was furious. He ordered that the World Eaters be unleashed upon the Xenos and that their populations be purged from existence. A man by the name of Ackerson and rank of Colonel and come forward and offered information on the exact location of the Covenant's center of power. Angron had simply smiled.
Remu ran faster than he had ever thought possible. He cried and cried as he ran down the street to the waiting convoy, only to find it slagged. A ten-year old Sangheili, Remu was the son of a powerful Field Marshal and Swordsman. His father was respected and admired throughout the Covenant military. However, he was but a memory now. As Remu ran, his mind kept replaying the horrific events of his birthday. One moment he was enjoying the valuable time his father had been able to acquire to spend with him, the next alarms were going off due to a massive fleet of unidentified warships. His father had left to find out what exactly was happening. Later that day, his father returned out of breath telling him and his mother to grab what they absolutely needed and run. The look in his eyes was one of foreboding terror.
His father had acquired a Spectre and driven them to a docked CCS-Battlecruiser only to have what seemed like massive warriors in blue and white armor running toward them screaming vulgar phrases in human tongue.
"Run son! Run!" His father had shouted. His father stepped forward activating two plasma blades and the shields of his resplendent golden armor. As his mother carried him away, he watched over her shoulder as his father made a defiant stand against the superhuman warriors. His father expertly defended himself, taking three before a massive being, bigger than even the armored beast attacking him attacked with amazing speed. Cackling, the massive human cut through his father with ease, sending the broken body flying directly over them as they ran through a back alley. The body landed directly in front of them, dead and cold to the world around it. The large cracks of human gun fire began to hit the back of the alley way, only to cease as his mother took the brunt of one round, blowing her head apart and dropping him in the process. He fell to the ground, his head hitting the pavement.
Remu had awoken later only to find the dead bodies of his mother and father, openly weeping for them. The young Sangheili quickly pulled himself together and ran towards the massive Citadel in the center of the great city. Two days of scavenging and through sheer luck, he managed upon a beaten and bruised squad of Elites, who quickly took him to the nearest civilian area. Once there, he was recognized for who he was and place with urgency in a safe house of other high class citizens to await a convoy. This convoy would have taken them to a waiting ship to be evacuated from the station. Unfortunately, Imperial forces had other plans for it.
Astartes with jump-packs had made their way into the secure zone for civilians and had begun a massive slaughter of the temporary residents. Drop pods from ships that had penetrated into the inside of the massive station begun to slam into military cordons and other facilities. Hundreds of massive armored figures rushed anything that was not human and eliminated them with extreme prejudice. Bolter fire ripped through air as bones and biomass flew apart and collided with each other. Chain axes cut through everything with a pulse, the blue and white armor stained blue and green with xenos blood. But from the temple to the south of the courtyard from which the safe house (really a massive museum housing thousands of civilians) marched the Imperial Admiral himself and his Honor Guard.
Standing at an impressive eleven feet, this Sangheili was not one to mock. Seeing the slaughter of civilians before him, the Admiral and his honor guard lashed out at the Astartes, being more than a match for their new foes. The Astartes and Elite Honor Guard clashed in visceral combat. Energy swords and Axes met in a tango of clashing material, their wielders vying for an advantage over their opponent. The brutish strength of the Astartes versus the agility and grace of the Honor Guard and the Admiral was a breath taking scene. The Admiral and his guards cut through a score of Astartes even with a solid loss in their own number taken. The defense of the civilians seemed certain until a shockwave through everyone on their backs. The Red Angel had slammed into the ground not 20 meters from the Admiral, a smile upon his face.
"Finally, an opponent of worthy of my attention." Angron stated.
"You assault our innocent you dirty human, but I will humble you before your own." The Admiral bandied no more words and charged the Primarch.
Angron smiled and met the admirals blows, casually deflecting each and every strike and not moving back and inch. Then with un-nerving speed, sliced the admiral in half from head to between his legs. Remu gasped and begun crying again and was about to turn to run when the Primarch met his gaze, smiling a blood curtly grin.
"Let that one live." He told his Astartes, "I want him to see how this all ends."
Remu ran for dear life as the Astartes chuckled and cackled at him. He ran until he couldn't run anymore. Behind him, bolter fire and screams could be heard in the distance as his people were butchered in the night. The lighting above having gone out as World Eater Assualt Squads destroyed or disabled plasma generators. Remu collapsed in a deserted home, the inhabitants having long vacated the area.
He found a cup and water basin, taking giant gulps and eating bread from their pantry. Once full, he walked over to the couch and passed out, incredibly tired from the past events. Later, Remu awoke to gunfire and the vigorous roars of hunters. He crept the window and washed as a hunter was bum-rushed by regular human infantry. The worm colony, acting as one, swung its shield out in a wide arc sending several flying and then leveled into the stomach of another. Its companion charged out of a nearby building only to be blasted apart by an unseen tank. Its partner became enraged, brazenly rushing the mob of humans around the tank. The Leman Russ' crew panicked, unable to load another shell before the hunter jumped upon the tank's roof , proceeding to aim its plasma cannon down the commander's hole. The resulting explosion incinerated everything in twenty meters, including the hunter.
Remu had already left the scene and had kept running toward the citadel, trying desperately to find help, tears flowing from his eyes. Artillery was falling in the distance, distant staccato could be heard with accompanying screams of Covenant Civilians. This was an extermination, just as Father had mentioned about the humans. They had come to do the same to them, how ironic Remu thought. He had grown up hearing of the Covenant's invincibility and the humans who were of no match for it. Yet his father had always spoken respectfully of the humans, stating their steadfast discipline and courage won them stubborn victories against superior technology. Now it seemed, the tables had turn and the humans had somehow gained the resources from virtually no where to field a military capable of invading High Charity itself!
The young Elite had finally made it to the front lines again, as a column of Wraiths and Specters moved passed him. The Specter in the front stopped and pulled to the side. A Zealot stepped out and walked up to him.
"Remu? Is that you?" The Zealot asked. Remu immediately recognized his uncle Soha 'Qorahee and ran up to him, hugging and crying.
"Uncle, they killed mother and father!" Remu cried. "The big one with big axes. I saw him kill the Imperial Admiral too!"
'Qorahee's face became grace as the news of his sister's death became apparent. He had lost his entire family as well and all that seemed to remain was his nephew. "Quickly, we must get you to the refugee camp."
'Qorahee turned around and gestured to one of his Rangers. "Take my nephew back to the refugee camp and make sure he gets on the most secure ship out of here before the humans finish their blockade of the system!"
"As you wish sir." The Ranger grabbed the young elite and activate his back thursters, propelling them into the air. 'Qorahee watched as his only surviving relative was taken far away. There was no time to dwaddle, however there was plenty for avenging the dead.
"Move us forward commander. We have an appointment with the Human's new demon pets." Qorahee ordered.
Remu viewed the terrible battles throughout the holy city from his high view. Smoke rose from the city in great columns, clogging the vents at the top. All types of aircraft still dueled for control of the air space as Humanity's ground forces continued their onslaught. Towards the back of the city he could see a massive metal like humanoid object. In what should have been its right hand, was a massive cannon. He could see it charge and then point in his general direction realizing it was aimed for his Uncle's convoy. The ruby red laser fired, blinding Remu and rending a massive scar through the area he had once been.
The Ranger propelled towards the awaiting Phantom as it readied itself for lift off torwards a waiting Battlecruiser. Sensing that he was near the landing pad, then Ranger disengaged his rockets and dropped 10 meters to the ground, bending his legs for the impending impact. Once grounded, he rushed Remu into the waiting Phantom, filled to the brim with Covenant civilians.
The Phantom began its take off sequence, thrusters powering up as they received fuel from the plasma reactor. The Ranger checked with the pilots in the front cabin before coming back and sitting down next to Nemu.
"I am Wervas 'Rafnikee. I served as your uncle's bodyguard. I will now serve as yours as to honor his death." The Ranger introduced.
Remu wiped his forearm across his face and looked at Wevas. "Where are we going?"
Wervas held him as he would his own son, "Somewhere safe, I promise. My own son is gone, trampled by panicking Civilians. But I will watch over you as if you were my own."
The phantom began to lift off, its engines lighting up as it ascended with its banshee escorts to the awaiting Battlecruiser. Beyond the Refugee camp, the Red Angel watched just beyond the perimeter of the Refugee camp, his entire first company assembled behind him. Before him, a mass of over three million Covenant civilians with a several Covenant Legions to protect them. The refugee camp's entrance ran directly parallel to the grand entrance to the Citadel in which the leaders of the Covenant found themselves holed up in. He had trouble deciding which to attack first. Both were appealing: He could kill all these refugees and demoralize his opponent or simply charge the Citadel and eliminate their leadership, cutting the head off the snake.
He rather liked when the blood flowed, but Valdor had arrived last minute issuing orders of mercy and restraint straight from the Emperor. Angron would not have it, if he were to be unleashed like this and then tied up in the daring moments before the climax, why send him at all? Why not one of his brothers? Indeed though, Horus had arrived to take all the credit and sieze the day. It would not be this day though, Angron would have what he perceived as rightfully his: the blood of his enemies. The Red Angel charged forward with a viscious howl, most of his legion in tow behind him. He would leave the Citadel to Horus and his Luna Wolves, but the innocent were his.
At the gates of the Citadel, hundreds of grey Armored Astartes charged, a massive figure among their number hammering the gate with his mace. Horus Lupercal, Primarch of the Luna Wolves had arrived when news had reached his father of the bloody atrocities his son, Angron. Angron was ordered to eliminate the military completely and spare the civilians with an olive branch. This was to be a time when Angron could prove himself capable of mercy after the near genocide of the Batarians. Obviously he had botched this opportunity and now it was time for someone with a bit of a more stellar record to take the reigns. Horus had ordered nine companies under Sejanus to relieve Angron of his positions, but the Red Angel would not have it and had charged into the Legions defending the last of the Covenant civilians on the station.
Horus sighed as he continued to casually bang his hammer into the massive gate, each blow causing it to shudder and deform. Finally fed up with the damnable gate, he let out a bellow and lifted his hammer for a final strike. The massive mace nailed the gate center and sent it flying back into a wraith, causing an explosion which another wraith and surrounding infantry with it. A formation of hunters rushed to the fore as Horus and the rest of his mournival rushed forward into combat. The Primarch twisted and lifted his mace all around, sending hunter flying dozens of meters. The first company behind him fanned out and rushed the oncoming Brutes and Elites; hundreds of Honor Guard rushed forward into the fray, meeting the Astartes in melee combat.
Against your average marine, an elite or brute might have a chance, however even normal Astartes was normally beyond their abilities. But when matched against Terminators of the finest Legion, well the after effects were gruesome. Bolters and plasma spewed all over as warriors on both sides fell to withering barrages. An Important brute chieftain swung his hammer straight into the face of one terminator, killing the Astartes instantly only to be blown apart by a Dreadnaught's melta. The first wave of Honor Guards was quickly defeated, along with several following waves. Once no Xenos remained outside, Horus and the first company began their assault on the shielded entry way. Once that was down, the Primarch banged down several more barriers and gates before finally reaching the outer sanctum. Here, the Honor Guard put up a much better fight, due to the presence of several Prophets. Regardless of their bravado however, the Primarch would not be dissuaded from his goals.
"HERETIC! YOU DARE ENTER THIS SACRED SANCTUM?! YOU WILL BE PURGED FROM THIS WO-" The Prophet of Remorse was silenced from over thirty meters away as Horus non-chalantly finished with a Brute Cheiftain and aimed his wrist bolter at the prophets head, the latter exploding in a vivid show of gore. Horus sighed and proceeded to start banging on the next series of Barriers. Beyond these, lay the High Prophets themselves.
Angron and his legion made short work of an entire legion in the wee hours of the morning, having basically told Sejanus not to get in his way or end up as the Covenant before him. Sejanus then opted to lead his nine Companies against the last remaining Spaceport in the Station. Having been under siege for well over two weeks, the shield protecting the area within the spaceport showed signs of strain. Sejanus ordered a massive artillery barrage onto a specific section of the shield before having assault marines jet up onto the walls and secure them for their brothers. Once secured, Sejanus and his marines climbed the walls and began the process of brutal close combat with the Spaceport's guards. From his vantage point, he could see the devastation wrought by the Red Angel and his legion throughout the city. He turned his gaze to the slaughter of civilians. The Emperor would not be pleased, Sejanus frowned and turned back to continue his task.
Remu watched as grey warriors leapt from the walls and charged forward against the spaceport guards. Grunts and Jackals were blown apart as they waddled from cover. Elites and Brutes only survived scant seconds before being turned into meaty confetti from the exploding rounds these warriors used. The Ranger led him to a nearby Spectre and drove to the docking station of the cruiser. Before being able to reach the ship though, a ruby laser ripped across the air with blinding speed, impacting the unshielded cruiser. The CCS-Battlecruiser was torn straight through its middle before the engines kicked on and propelled it away. However, the cruiser was still attached to the dock and ripped the docking lines out, causing cracks throughout the platform. Over the wall stepped the Dies Irae, intent on fininshing its prey. It fired again as the cruiser listed to its side, trying to vent fumes. Pulse lasers came to life on its other side, striking the Titan's shields. Joining the barrage towards the Titan, a massive energy beam struck its shields.
"Sir, our shields are holding at 15%. We will not be prepared for another hit of that magnitude."
Princeps Turnit's face turned into a feral snarl. "The Hellstorm cannon is at full power again, fire a half power beam into that inferior xeno Titan over there and then fire another half power beam into the wound of that ship!"
"As you command Princeps!" The crew began targeting and power up the Hellstorm cannon. Its ruby red laser charged and impacted the Scarab, melting through its petal-like face and straight through the crew compartment. Then with one swift movement, turned toward the CCS-Battlecruiser, firing another shot into its wound.
The Battlecruiser, already wounded, was impacted again. This time, the shot hit a vital power conduit and the entire cruiser ignited just as its shields went up. The shields contained the powerful blast before failing and the resulting shockwave shook the entire station. Those on the platform near the cruiser were incinerated while the Astarted took cover behind the wall, and the titan merely shrugged off the blow.
Princeps Turnit laughed heartily, "Ah yes, another fresh kill. Proceed with low powered shots towards any remaining enemy concentrations and vehicles."
The Covenant civilian population was quickly dwindling as the World Eaters slaughtered their way through the massive, helpless crowd. A shockwave had briefly distracted the Primarch from his work, but another, lesser one had started. He looked up only to see a Scarab charging its petal like face toward his men. The Red Angel let out a war cry that rattled his opponents bones and charged the Scarab more than two hundred meters away. Angron covered the distant in scant seconds and jumped at the behemoth, bringing his fist to bear on its petal-like face. As he smashed into it, the metal gave and shuddered, bringing down the massive metallic beast and sending it sliding back over 70 meters before coming to a halt. The surviving crew began to climb out only for Angron to charge the ranking brute and decapitate him with one mighty blow. Angron hacked and slashed his way through the mangled corspes.
"Run away!" The grunt began running only for the Red Angel to run up and punt him over a hundred meters into the air, spearing right through a banshee in its path.
Angron smirked a bit, "Atleast they fly well."