Disclaimer: You know the drill. I don't own anything here, not matter how much I wish that was a lie. Just read it already. Blah blah blah. Whine whine. Bitch bitch.
It was a nightmare of epic proportions. The campaign to halt the Chaos invasion had been going well, continually forcing back the heretics to where they had arisen. Then he had appeared. As if the gods had planned it, the Despoiler had appeared in the midst of what was to have been the last battle located at the Chaos fortress. With him were at least three thousand Traitor Marines. He had blunted their attack and led the counter charge. To worsen the matter, from cities believed purged came three more war bands of Traitors. One led by an insane berserker later revealed as Kharn the Betrayer, another controlled by an unnamed Iron Warrior Warsmith, and the third headed by a Thousand Sons' Sorcerer Lord identified as Lord Danaelus, Terror of the Thidror Hives, Butcher of the Carlacra System and Slaughterer of the Space Marine Storm Dragons chapter.
They forced the Imperium back in a twisted parody of the beginning of the war. Not even the support of a Space Wolves task forced led by Ulrick the Slayer could save them.
And now they were the only survivors left. All that was left of the company sized task force was a Wolf Guard Terminator, two squads of Grey Hunters, the Dreadnought Doroga Wolfjaw, a Land Speeder Tornado and of course Ulrick himself.
They waited in the remains of last city to stand, awaiting their doom in the rubble of the spaceport.
Thousands of Traitors waited from the signal to attack, all eager to wipe out the Space Wolves before the warp storm, summoned by a grand ritual conducted by Lord Danaelus.
Ulrick surveyed his warriors. They all knew that there was no way to survive; they all knew that their doom was less then an hour away. And yet, commend their souls to the Emperor and to Leman Russ, they refused every offer to join with the Chaos Legions, denying all chances to turn away from the Emperor's eternal light.
"We are already dead." One simple statement, that was all that was needed. These brave and noble Sons of Russ were ready fight to their deaths.
A magnificent boom! sounded, and the echo of thousands of Ceramite boots stamping across duracrete reached the Space Wolves' altered ears.
Ulrick picked up the device about the size of his chest, made from the remains of Terminators Armour and other arcane devices, built by the last Iron Priest before he died. This he hid under piled rubble awaiting its use to save one item that must not fall into hands of Chaos.
As the enemy pored in from all directions, the Land Speeder Tornado lifted off, multi-melta firing into the sea of Chaos lovers, hovering over the cretins only long enough to fire its heavy flamer before fleeing beyond reach, then fell to the ground to attack as it had done before, continually repeating the cycle of attack and flee, with it multi-melta constantly firing.
Dreadnought Doroga fired his twin-linked las-cannon into a Predator, hulling it. The explosion flung the Chaos Marines around into the air. In one move Doroga threw his massive trident from his Dreadnought power fist into his Chaos equivalent, then smashed his fist through another Dreadnought, pulling the corpse of a Black Legionnaire out.
The Grey Hunters formed small, tight walls in the two breaches in the walls, Bolters firing from one hand; various close combat weapons killing dozens of insane marines in their other hand. Two Space Wolves, one lacking his left forearm but managing nonetheless, fired meltas at any heavily armoured enemies they could find.
And Ulrick himself strode forward, Frost Axe in one hand, plasma pistol in the other. With a deft motion, like he simply swatting away a fly, beheaded a Chosen Terminator, then spun and shot another in the forehead. Moving like lighting, Ulrick's axe and pistol sent the corrupted souls of an entire Chosen Terminator Squad to greet their Dark Gods. Within a dozen minutes he had slaughtered another squad of Chosen and seven or eight Bloodletter daemons, and around a dozen Horrors of Tzeentch, give or take a couple.
But in that time the Space Wolves had suffered many loses, as was inevitable. But they remained strong, knowing that with each death of a traitor Wolftime drew closer, when they would rejoin Russ and all their fallen brethren for the final battle, when the Emperor would be healed and with Russ and all his faithful sons, would destroy Chaos in its entirety.
Leaping into the air above the combat, propelled by some arcane technology of Eldar descent mounted upon his back, Sorcerer Lord Danaelus met the Tornado as it reached the highest point of its ascent. With a flick of his power sword, the head of the gunner and one of the driver's arms fell away. Lifting a hand covered by a powerfist/bolter-combi as he fell back to the ground, Danaelus invoked vile words of some foul chaotic language. From his fist sprung a blast of blasphemous energies, which swallowed the driver's side of the Land Speeder. A final blast of the Tornado's heavy flamer lit Danaelus's waist cape.
When the dark power finally pasted the vehicle, only half remained, and what was left was a burnt and melting hulk of metal.
Before spinning to land on the remains of Rhino, Danaelus saw the flashes in the sky that could only be one thing. A space battle.
Doroga was slowing. Constant attack had damaged his metal sarcophagus. Many of his ornaments had been blown of long ago. Punching a Berserker through a pile of rubble, the Dreadnought turned to face Daemon Prince of Khorne and its dark blade. Doroga fired at the mighty champion of slaughter before they closed.
The Daemon Prince swung his massive blade, taking of a chunk of metal from the machine of war facing it. Doroga struck out, snapping the Daemon's left arm free of its body. The Daemon howled in pain, stabbed his daemonic weapon forward into the Dreadnought.
It passed through the armour, going so deep as to bite into Doroga's near dead body. With this one last minute of life left to him, Doroga pushed his fist forward into the Daemon Prince's head, disconnecting it. To finish the foul creature, he shoved his las-cannon's barrels into its chest, firing a last blast straight into through the chosen of Khorne.
Finally, as the light faded, Doroga Wolfjaw forced his mechanical tomb forward, landing in the midst the Berzerkers. With a final sigh, the corpse within the Dreadnought became just that, a corpse within a Dreadnought. The machine exploded, wiping out at least twenty servants of the Blood God.
Simultaneously, the Grey Hunters fought the combined attack of the Warsmith and Betrayer. Kharn was unstoppable, but in his rage he could not decide who was enemy and who was ally. In the end he killed all around him.
The Iron Warrior Warsmith was the complete opposite. Cool and calm, he was targeting the Grey Hunters where they were weak. But as he cut down the one arm Grey Hunter, another marine jumped forward, slashing with his double-bladed power axe. The Warsmith blocked it at the last second, mere millimetres from his neck. He sent a return strike with his power sword, only for his weapon to be deflected the swing of a power fist.
He leapt back from another attack from the power axe. The two marines facing him moved in sync matching his pace. The wielder of the power axe wore a standard marine helmet, with exception of ponytail/topknot crowning it. In his right hand he held a plasma pistol, from which he fired a shot that missed by a centimetre.
The power fist was worn on the right hand of the other Space Wolf. This one wore a beck like Corvus Pattern Power Armour helm, and also held a bolt pistol. Both Wolves wore the wolf adorned backpack and wolf capes of squad leaders.
Having done this in less then a second, he lifted his own plasma pistol; then the Warsmith moved towards the duo, ready to meet their combined assault. He fired at the pair, aiming for Power Axe, who jumped to the side. Beckface moved to compensate, placing one of either side of the Iron Warrior.
The Warsmith struck out at Power Axe, who rotated his weapon, knocking the power sword away with the short blade on the bottom end of the weapon shaft.
Beckface charged forward, not risking his wolf-brother by using his pistol. He punched at an angle, grazing the Warsmith's shoulder as he moved too slowly.
His power sword shot up, making a long cut across Beckface's chest.
Power Axe followed him, trying three short thrusts and a swing. The Warsmith parried the first thrust and blocked the second with the flat of his blade, but the third thrust and swing both connected, leaving a hole and a shallow slash on his chest.
Beckface came back into the fray, punching hard, twice in quick succession. He missed the Iron Warrior, but his second punch ripped the head forcefully from a Thousand Son, who soul was released from its ceramite prison.
As their fight moved on, with both Power Axe and Beckface killing any Chaos Marine who crossed their fighting view, Ulrick felled a Spawn of Chaos with a trio of plasma shots, spun, beheading a Chaos Marine and disembowelling another, then threw a pair of frag grenades into the dripping maw of a Chaos beast.
Ulrick kicked at Khornate Blood Hound, smashing his boot through the bottom its jaw and through the top of its head. Jumped to the top of a pile of rubble, knocking the Horror dwelling there into the assault cannon of a Chaos Terminator, causing them to turn on each other.
Using senses superior to even marines of other chapters, Ulrick located when he had hidden the teleportation homing beacon. He leapt off the rubble, crushing the skull of a Chaos Beast and the spine of a Blood Hound.
He fought his way onward, doing as his title suggested. No Chaos Marine survived who crossed the Slayer's path.
As he neared the hiding spot, he smelt and heard the Berzerker charging towards him atop a Juggernaught.
He turned to face it, firing as it approached him. The beast lowered its head as it neared, putting on burst of speed meant to carry it through the Wolf Prist. But as it leapt, its rider swinging his axes wildly, Ulrick leapt forward and beneath the creature. As it rolled over him, Ulrick's Frost Axe bite into the minute spaces between its armour, and his pistol melted its flesh.
Before it had even pasted over him, the stead was falling. It hit the ground and rolled, crushing the rider.
Resuming his sprint for the device, Ulrick made one swipe as he pasted the fight between the twins Fel and Nils and the Warsmith. It scored the Iron Warrior's armour, distracting him enough for Fel to punch the Warsmith backwards.
Ulrick cleared the fight, pulling corpse out of the way, following the smell to where the beacon was. He had pissed over the spot where he had hidden the beacon. Well, by pissed he had pored the piss from the small tank that held what little excretion Space Marines produced.
Picking up the device, he hooked his vox-caster into it.
"Ulrick to Fist of Russ, repeat; Ulrick to Fist of Russ. Ulrick to Ragnar Blackmane."
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They had arrived to find the Chaos Fleet gathered over the site of the Ulrick's Stand.
Wolf Lord Ragnar Blackmane, from the bridge of the Battleship Fist of Russ, had commanded all ships to attack at their heart, determined to save his mentor. He had even pressed several Imperial Navy ships into assisting him.
The Fist of Russ had just cleared the battle in and attempt to teleport the Space Wolves aboard, when Ulrick had opened a channel with them.
"Ulrick to Fist of Russ, repeat; Ulrick to Fist of Russ. Ulrick to Ragnar Blackmane."
Ragnar pushed the communication officer from his post, much to the ship's captain's annoyance.
"Ragnar to Ulrick. We're going to teleport to here ready." Ragnar said, relief filling.
It was quick shattered when Ulrick responded.
"No."
"WHAT?!" Ragnar roared in surprise. "We can save you. Why 'no'?"
"Because Chaos has to much influence here. Anything alive being teleported through the warp would be corrupted far more likely then it would be saved. We both know this. I have accepted this. I have accepted my death. Now its is your time to accept it." Then, in a far kinder tone, Ulrick said, "I'm dead, Ragnar. I'm dead, so avenge me. While you have the time, fire. Launch a Cyclonic torpedo. Turn this planet into a pyre from us. Ignite its atmoshpere, and let the traitors burn."
Shaking with rage and sorrow, Ragnar was close to ordering his company to land on the planet.
As if sensing what Ragnar was thinking, Ulrick ordered, with full authority in his voice, "Ragnar Blackmane, Wolf Lord of the Space Wolves, declare Exterminatus. Warmaster of Chaos Abaddon the Despoiler fights here. Kill him let. Let the Imperium of Man know you as he who killed the unkillable."
Nearly sobbing, Ragnar stood up, knowing what he must do.
"Captain, I order and declare this world, Exterminatus."
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Ulrick held his head high as he strode from cover, his face feeling the wind, which was quite strong, entering the whole in his armour. Like the winds of Fenris.
With purpose he marched through the ravening army of Traitors, striking blows with strength unmatched by even a Dreadnought, as he went for the centre. A cry went up from many Chaos Marines as they recognised the signs of an Exterminatus. None of this from the Wolves of Russ, who had heard, as Ulrick had willed, what he and Ragnar had said.
Ulrick saw a figure in power armour coloured in the manner of the Thousand Sons from before the Heresy, one whom he knew was the infamous Lord Danaelus. The Traitor was conducting some spell.
Even as he watched, Danaelus and his body guards, along with all the Thousand Sons in the battle, began fading away into the warp, escaping the Exterminatus. He sped up aiming for the black armoured figure that was the Despoiler as the Chaos Warmaster sprinted for Danaelus, preparing to use spell that Danaelus had activated to escape as well.
Metres from Danaelus, Ulrick leapt landing on Abaddon, sending them both to the ground.
Ulrick and Abaddon quickly came to a stalemate both unable to flee because the other would strike them down.
Looking into the insane eyes of the Warmaster of Chaos, Ulrick grinned, exposing his massive, ancient fangs.
"Look into my eyes, Traitor, and prepare to greet your dark gods. Because here and now, I declare your punishment. You…"
A faint red line appeared sky as the Cyclonic Torpedo entered the atmostphere.
"are…"
the torpedo broke into the and lower atmostphere, and their it exploded, igniting the planet's heavy atmosphere. And as the planet was purged of life in one instant of fire, Abaddon the Despoiler, Grand Warmaster of Chaos, Chosen of the Four Gods, Master of the Black Crusades, heard one single word as he was obliterated, whole and completely.
"EXTERMINATUS!"
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High in orbit, as his ship made its way made its way out of the system, Rangar Blackmane entered the teleportaion champer, knowing that the teleportation signal was from Ulrick, yet he would not be there.
Ragnar walked over the large hulk of armour. It was, from all appearances that of a Space Wolves Rune Priest.
Ripping the hulk apart Ragnar picked up the Wolf Helm of Russ, and the picked the containment capsule made to hold the Progenoid Gland. Lying within the hulk was a rough data holding device.
Using a homing beacon and sealed and mystically protected armour of adead Rune Priest, Ulrick had saved the Chapter's most precious relic, the Wolf Helm of Russ, his Progenoid Gland, and footage recorded from every marines helmt from every bttle of campaign, and the last battle, where the footage was sent straigh to the device.
Ragnar fell to his knees, and after a single breath, howled the howl of Wolf of Russ in mourning. The Howl was heard and taken up by every wolf aboard the Fist of Russ, and as it was heard through the comm-systems, every Space Wolf in the fleet took up the Howl.
And from then on until and beyond the death Logan Grimnar centuries later, when Ragnar Blackmane was made Great Wolf of the Space Wolves, and even to his death, the Story of Ulrick The Despoiler Slayer would be told over and over again, never forgotten. The footage gained would shown again and again, and would seen by every battle-brother of the Space Wolves.
Ulrick's Last Stand would never be forgotten.
Well, wasn't that nice. 2,833 words, not counting this and the Disclaimer. All done in just two hours. Wow. Never written so much. This something I have never done before. Wow. No flames about how awful, shit, rubbish, and generally all round bad you might think this is. No point really. Well, I'm off to shoot things of UT 2004. Or maybe Battlefield 1942. Perhaps San Andreas. Why the hell am I doing this? I really can't work it out. Who cares, I doubt anyone is reading this mindless dribble. I mean, you read the story so what else is there here for you? But if you are reading this, I commend you. Ta ta.