I've had an idea bouncing around in my head for awhile and have decided to write it down. For those of you unfamiliar this is a crossover of Daria with the Warhammer 40k universe. Story will be more serious than the usual humor we get from the cast but I am working on merging the two as best as possible. Now sit back and enjoy the awesomeness. Rated T for language, gore and violence. There will be LOTS of violence.
IN THE GRIM DARKNESS OF THE FAR FUTURE THERE IS ONLY WAR
"It is the 41st Millennium. For more than a hundred centuries the Emperor of Mankind has sat immobile on the Golden Throne of Earth. He is the master of mankind by the will of the gods and master of a million worlds by the might of his inexhaustible armies. He is a rotting carcass writhing invisibly with power from the Dark Age of Technology. He is the Carrion Lord of the vast Imperium of Man for whom a thousand souls are sacrificed every day so that he may never truly die. Yet even in his deathless state, the Emperor continues his eternal vigilance. Mighty battlefleets cross the daemon-infested miasma of the Warp, the only route between distant stars, their way lit by the Astronomican, the psychic manifestation of the Emperor's will. Vast armies give battle in His name on uncounted worlds. Greatest amongst his soldiers are the Adeptus Astartes, the Space Marines, bio-engineered super-warriors. Their comrades in arms are legion: the Imperial Guard and countless planetary defence forces, the ever-vigilant Inquisition and the tech-priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus to name only a few. But for all their multitudes, they are barely enough to hold off the ever-present threat to humanity from aliens, heretics, mutants - and far, far worse. To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold billions. It is to live in the cruelest and most bloody regime imaginable. These are the tales of those times. Forget the power of technology and science, for so much has been forgotten, never to be relearned. Forget the promise of progress and understanding, for in the grim dark future there is only war. There is no peace amongst the stars, only an eternity of carnage and slaughter, and the laughter of thirsting gods."
In Segmentum Primus subsector Higland an ork Waaagh! has descended on the Armory World Lawndale Heights. Lawndale Heights has served as a critical munitions and military storage point for the Imperium for the last four millennia, supplying Imperial forces in numerous war zones across the Segmentum. The local PDF and Imperial Guard Forces forces lead under Colonel Anthony Demartino are holding the line, but the greenskins are slowly pushing them back. With the Third War for Armageddon raging on in the next sector the Imperium cannot afford for the planet to fall into the ork hands, in response to this a special task force has been assembled under Inquisitor Daria Morgendorffer of the Ordos Xenos, to destabilize the Horde until reinforcments arrive. Should she fail, the planet will fall.
Aboard the hunter class Strike Cruiser Emperor's Retort. Location: The Warp
"Lady Morgendorffer, Astropath Scarlett has informed me that we will be transitioning into imperial space within the hour. Do you have any orders?" A voice voxed into the private cabin of the inquisitor. The girl who had been reading One flew over the Tyranid nest sighed, sitting up and almost punching the vox input button.
"Assuming that we enter orbit unnoticed, or at least don't fly straight into an ork Rok, I want you to engage stealth systems and set up a com link with PDF headquarters. Also assemble the rest of the team for Intel briefing. And get me a cup of recaf, strongest you can brew. That'll be all call Captain Landon."
Turning away from the vox system Daria did not wait for a reply, after years of travel together she expected that Jodie would know to comply without needless pomp and ceremony. Daria smirked as she thought about how she had met the astute captain.
In her early days as an inquisitor acolyte under her Grandfather Lord inquisitor Mad Dog she had been allowed to pick her own retinue. Jodie Landon had been a successful rouge trader when Daria by chance had met her at a business consortium on Gertola 3 while tracking down a Slaneeshi pleasure cult amongst the affluent nobility. While she had been forced to execute over half of the consortium it was Landon who had given her the initial leads to tracking them down. From there she had recruited her on the spot and while Landon had somewhat lamented losing her business, being given command of a Strike Cruiser over her small merchant vessel was more than a fair price. Over the years she had proven to be a great Captain and was often one of Daria's best advisors.
The fact that she also had contacts on over a 100 different worlds as well as with the Eldar and Tau Empire simply made her priceless, as well as the chief intelligence officer.
Daria shook her head coming out of her memory as she began to change into her gear, servitors coming from the wall to assist her. For someone with the power to exterminate an entire planet Daria did not look the part of an inquisitor at first glance. In comparison to her counterparts she looked rather uncommon, her small size, lack of scars and augments and her generally bored expression made many potential heretics and colleagues dismiss her as simply the throwoff child of the Morgendorffer Family. Her borderline insulting and heretical attitude had also brought her into consternation with other inquisitors, especially those of the Ordos Hereticus. Some when they were either bold or stupid enough chose to comment it was her mothers position as an assistant to a Lord of Terra that had gotten her the appointment to Inquisitor at all.
Those who had either been on mission with her or took the moment to analyze her would know that behind this seemingly normal girl was not a force to be taken likely. Behind the seemingly bored expression was a mind that had lead to the destruction of enemies and traitors alike. At the battle of Shermans Victory she had outmaneuvered the Dark Eldar of the Frozen Tongue and left them to the tender mercies of the Imperial Guard rifles and cannons. On Dissafecto she had spent weeks pouring over every angle of the Imperial Governor's Palace before finding the perfect nitch, her assassin ending a rebellion before it could begin. And it was said that twice she had even outsmarted the legendary Space Wolf Loki in a game of wits, though neither one will discuss the incident. Dozens of missions across the Segmentum and to the one all of them successful.
With a final snap and whine of gears the power armor was set in place. Daria stretched an arm to the side, listening with satisfaction as the servos in her power arm turned the gears, closing her gauntlet into a fist. Her armor was a light green with black trim on the sides and the Inquisitorial seal stamped across her chest and shoulder. It was specially made just for her body, set to keep her body at optimal heat and output levels as well as equipped to inject her with a number of various tonics and toxins, depending on the circumstance. Strapped to her hip she had a pair of Infernus Pistols strapped to her hip, ready to be drawn in a heartbeat. In her left gauntlet was a seemingly out of place slit, sealed within this slit was a power short sword that would shoot out into her hand, serving as a close range defense to her. With both hands she placed the inquisitorial rosaries on her chest, activating the power field with a small hum.
Suited up she left the room, the servos in her suit whining almost inaudibly as she walked down the halls of the ship. Many of the crew and serfs who served aboard the vessel lowered their eyes and hastened to move out of the way upon seeing her.
The Intel room was loud until Daria stepped through the sliding door, whereupon all noise fell away. Walking down the hall she slowed only briefly to grab the cup of recaf from Jodie, giving a grunt as she took a swig of the swill before sitting down at the head of the table.
"Well glorious leader, now that you've returned from your hibernation what's the assignment?" A cheeky voice spoke out, Daria looked over to give the person a scathing look but it only made the woman grin wider.
Sitting in her body fitting Vindicare suit (minus the mask) the lanky assassin Jane "Artist" Lane sat back in her chair, cheeky grin plastered on a face surrounded by short cropped black hair and piercing eyes. She was the inquisitors oldest subordinate and confidant, having been with her since she was an acolyte. While the infamous Exitus rifle was currently residing in the armory the Exitus pistol was strapped to her hip, handle glinting in the low lighting.
For the time though Daria turned away from her and looked across the table, setting the misty mug on the table. "Is everyone necessary for this briefing present? Yes? Then begin the briefing Jodie."
Jodie, who was sitting to the left of Daria in a black and gold captains uniform with white trim pressed the button on the table, the holograph pulling up a grey non-descript world with signs of flashes and ork and imperial guard arrows on it.
"This massive world is planet Lawndale Heights, armory and the capital world of subsector Higland of the Armageddon sector. Population 600,000, current imperial forces over 200,000. Recovered from traitor forces nearly four millennia ago it has since served as an Armory depository for the Imperium. The planet currently holds millions in terms of munitions, vehicles and weaponry. Currently there are enough weapons on the planet to supply armies in over a dozen warzones, including the Armageddon conflict. There are even a few Warhound class titans being repaired by the Legios Titanicus for that very conflict."
"Six weeks ago." Daria cut in before Jodie could begin getting to detailed with the report. "An offshoot of WaaaGH! Ghazgkull led by Warboss Cleaven Stompson split from the ork fleet and attacked the planet landing on the planet and obliterating the Imperial Navy. PDF forces have managed to hold the planet but are quickly being forced back. Reinforcments are on the way but without assistance planetside they won't get there in time to prevent the orks from taking the world. That's where we come in."
Jodie reached forward and touched the planet, the holograph zooming in on the touched section "Aside from a few island facilities and the Zon imperial guard base-" An Imperial Aquila appeared in the southern section of the hologram "the rest of the inhabitable planet is centered on a single supercontinent, Phanerios, which covers 35% of the entire planets crust. The other 65% is covered in icebergs and oceans. The planet is for the most part temperate, though the north was believed unsuitable for colonization due to the sever winter storms and the mountainous region. It was here that the ork rok's first landed and began to push down south. Over two thirds of the planet has already fallen, only the south coast, the Zon and hive city Xian remain."
"How could the planet have been overwhelmed so quickly? Planetary air defences alone should have been sufficient to eradicate much of the horde." The techpriest Dewitt said, green mechanical eyes pearing out from under his red hood, part-mechanical hands twiddling with a small device. No one but Daria knew where she had found the young man. After an incident with a necron envoy somehow ending peacefully did the strange but cheerful man appeared on her ship, giving it all sorts of modifications. No one knew what they all did, but whatever it did the ship seemed to run better than ever. Though none but Daria would ever enter the slight madman's workshop willingly.
"Incompetence from the esteemed nobility no doubt." Jane said in a snide voice, examining her pistol. "I served with the guard regiment as an aid to Demartino on Lawndale before the temple recruited me, back when Colonel Demartino was still a lieutenant under the now Planetary Governor General militant Angela Li. The woman is the worst kind of officer, good at taking credit and passing blame, but otherwise worthless. Any victory she "achieved" was because of Demartino. The good Colonel spent years trying to convince the Noble idiots that there funds should be spent on planetary defense systems and improvements to the standing navy, but Li was always quick to tune him out and lick the crud off the nobilities boots."
"Incompetent or not." Captain Mack Smith of the Inquisitorial stormtroopers said, his massive form leaning against the wall. He along with Jodie had been recruited from the same world, though the incidents in which she grabbed him were different. Daria wasn't sure but she thought him and the captain might be involved, but she wasn't sure "That still doesn't explain the Orks progress, according to the planet's dataslate there were numerous orbital defense stations littered across the continent, as well as the Navy and the Space Station.."
Daria sighed as she reached forward and began typing into the table, showing the progress of the ork invasion from beginning to end. "Before the Ork Armada engaged the Imperial Navy in space they passed over the planet opposite of the continent and dropped numerous pods and roks there. The imperial Guard were able to keep the Orks in the North contained for a while, but when tens of thousands of orks appeared on the coast lands in ork submersibles…"
"Ooooh I've heard the Orks were using primitive submarines on Armageddon, if we get the chance do you think we can study one?" DeWitt said in an exited voice, his smile almost as sparkly as his smile. Daria looked at him a little weirdly, though as usual the techpriest didn't notice "Sure, assuming the orks don't conquer the planet and kill us all."
"How many of the walking fungus pods made it planetside?" Jennifer Burns of the Adeptas Sororistas said, E-Cig in her lips as she sat back in her feminine power armor.
"Current estimates are difficult to determine. What remains of the ork Armada has retreated to the space station. But we estimate there is more than enough to define as a full planetary invasion. If I had to guess, I'd say anywhere from 400,000 to 700,000 orks, including supporting artillery, flyers and even a small cadre of Battlewagons." Daria said, even as she saw frowns appear on many of the officers in the room.
"With all due respect Inquisitor." Mack said with a bit of trepidation on his face. "Our current military forces number only a small Imperial Guard Regiment and over 150 Battle Sisters. We will hardly be able to put a dent in the forces."
"Hate to say it, but I'm surprised the Inquisition didn't order us to torch the planet. They're not known for their mercy." Jane said, a hard look on her face. She may not have respected the commander of this world, but it was still her homeworld and where her family lived. She hated to admit the relief she felt when Daria shook her head in the negative.
"It was considered, but they can't afford to. This world is one of the key supply worlds for the military effort on Armageddon, that conflict is too close to tell which way the tide will turn. The orks taking this world would cutoff desperately needed supplies and give the orks a push. Even destroying it would be considered a loss for us, orks can easily replace their numbers and equipment, the Imperium can't." Daria said finishing her drink and standing from her chair.
"Jody has informed me we will be exiting the warp within the hour. I will be contacting the Colonel and determining our course of action there. Have your
subordinates armed and ready. May the emperor watch over us all."
Planet Side: Zon Imperial Fortress 1100 hours
"INCOMING ORKS! THE BEACH!" The heavy guns teams swiveled there guns in the trenches as the ork submersibles crashed into the sand near the fortress, thousands of orks emerging from the sea craft. "WAAAAGH!" The greenskins yelled as they charged, brandishing there choppas and shooting sluggas into the air. Before them a single imperial guard Regiment stood between them and the Fortress walls of the Zon
The orks hadn't run ten feet when the first set of mortars and rockets slammed into there ranks, limbs and body parts flying everywhere. Leman Russes dropped their payloads into the advancing horde as great holes were blasted in there ranks. The ork submersibles in turn fired there own cannons in response, most of the shells missing horribly while a few landed in there own troops. Still wherever they did hit blood and sand shot up as the Imperial guardsman were hammered. Still for the moment the line held as Colonel Demartino in his gold and blue uniform watched the approaching hordes from the front lines. Reaching into the hands of a previously living Vox Caster he began barking orders
"Assault Cannon teams, concentrate all fire on the thicker parts of the horde, Lascannon and Lemon Russ formations concentrate all fire on those submersibles, shut down that DAMN RETURN FIRE. Guardsmen, fix bayonets and fire triple volleys on my mark. We will not let these godless xenos gain a foothold in the south."
The men and women under him automatically obeyed his command, the special weapons teams and tanks firing on the enemy, doubling the rate of slaughter. Lascannons and artillery smashed into the submersibles, blowing all but the sturdiest apart as well as the stragglers of the horde. Where cowardice showed itself in the guard ranks the commissars were equipped to deal with it as the men fixed bayonets and raised their rifles.
From the smoke and craters of the doubled fire 1,500 orks emerged where thousands had been previously, firing as they charged towards the trenches in a wave of green. A few guardsmen fell, but as usual ork aim was abysmal. A hundred yards turned to ninety, then eighty, seventy, sixty, fifty.
"For the glory of the Imperium, MARK!" Form the trenches thousands of smaller las shots fired into the oncoming horde. The blasts on their own were ineffectual, but in mass they dropped the oncoming greenskins. Their numbers dropped even as they closed the distance, the tougher of the brutes shrugging off the las fire.
"Gernade volley now, prepare for assault." Demartino said drwing his power sword from it's scabbard. The guardsmen tossed the gernades as the greenskins hit the twenty yard mark. It didn't stop the horde but it did slow it as orks were blown apart and knocke over.
"FOR THE EMPEROR! CHARGE!" Demartino yelled as he leapt from the trenches, his eye bulging out as his plasma pistol fired through the nearest ork, blowing it's chest out. From the trenches the guardsmen poured forward, slamming into the stumbling horde. Guardsmen grappled and shot into the horde as the first ranks of the orks were overwhelmed.
Those behind however recovered and quickly the melee was worked in groups to stab down the larger enemies as orks ran about with reckless abandon, hacking limbs and heads from both friend and foe, lost in the bloodlust.
One ork wielding a crude stone axe charged demartino from the left, axe raised to strike. A blast from the colonel's pistol put it down but the next one moved quicker, choppa swung to decapitate the officer.
Wih years of practice under his belt Demartino ducked under the blow, the power field of his swordcutting the offending arm of the ork off. The beast had a second to howl in pain before Demartino silenced it permanently. Out of the corner of his eye he saw another ork coming from behind, poised to skewer him. Turning to the side he deflected the blade away and fired his pistol point blank into the orks head, obliterating it as well as another behind it.
From behind he felt a weight slam into him, sending him rolling across the sand. Demartino rolled with the momentum and came on top, ready to plunge his blade down when he saw the glazed over dead eyes of a dead guardsmen.
"WRAHAHA THAT'S IT BOYZ, CHOP EM UP AND SPIT EM OUT. Deze oomies aint NUFFIN compared to HEADSMASH AND THE BOYZ!" The loud bellowing came from a massive ork, swinging a two handed hammer through guardsmen. The ork was covered in crude plating and laughed as a brave guardsmen tried to stab him, crushing his head with his fist.
A nob, he must be these wretches leader. Demartino stood and ran toward the ork, pistol aimed at the ready. "ORK, YOUR DAY OF JUDGMENT HAS COME!" Hearing the challenge the ork turned towards the colonel, a grin spread across his face. "An oomie boss, well den lets see if youze tough enough." With a roar he hefted his hammer and charged.
Demartino fired his pistol at the ork, hoping to hit the nob center mass. No such luck however, as the ork used his hammer as a makeshift shield, the head of the weapon melting away but leaving the handle and ork intact. With a growl the ork swung the half melted weapon at Demartino. The colonel rolled under the swing, though bits of melted stone drizzled onto his overcoat with a hiss. Coming to a stand he swung his blade in an attempt to cut off the arm of the nob, rendering the weapon he wielded useless.
Whatever the intelligence could be said of orks, one would be hard to argue against their skills in terms of hand to hand combat. With uncanny speed Headsmasha jabbed the bottom of his weapon out, catching Demartino in the chest and sending him flying back. As his back hit the ground his pistol flew out of his hand and his sword fell to the side. He went to grab it but had to roll out of the way as the ork smashed his weapon down at him.
The beast bellowed and swung his weapon down again and again trying to smash the colonel. Demartino for his part scrambled left and right, just barely dodging the crushing death. Having had enough Demartino kicked out into the shin of the nob as he raised the hammer. The blow barely hurt the ork but was enough to nock him back and allowed the colonel to retrieve his sword. With a snarl the two both went at the other.
Shunk! Went the sword as it pierced through the armor of the ork and emerged through it's back. The nob gave out a wheeze and dropped his blade, arms reaching forward and smashin his head into Demartinos face, sending him onto his back.
"Ize guess youze a little bit tough, but I'ze still gonna…gonna win" The Nob dropped to his knees, hands weakly reaching forward to try and pull the blade from his chest. He stopped as a shadow emerged over him. There Demartino stood, the orks hammer held aloft above his head. "I think not, Headsmasha."
With a yell he slammed the weapon forward, caving in the top of the orks skull and send the body toppling to his side. With the ork leader dead the orks broke ranks, those still alive either turning to flee or fighting to the last. Either way the beasts were cut down.
As the mop up operation began one of the Colonels medics ran up to him, a look of concern on her face framed with red hair. "Sir, I saw the way that ork hit you, are you alright?" Demartino grunted as he reached forward and ripped his blade from the now headless Headsmasha's chest. "Better then him I imagine, I'll live Corporal Scarlettto terrorize you and the rest of the menfor another day. How'd the rest of the regiment hold out?"
Scarlett smiled grimly at this, surveying the field "Good considering the odds against us. I'd estimate we only lost a few hundred men, though I imagine the wounded are much higher. Oh and one of our Tanks got blown up by those damn ork subs."
Demartino was going to say more when a nameless Guardsmen ran up to him, snapping off a quick salute. "Sir we have a vox coming in on the radio, waiting for you at the command tent. You should head over there quick!" Demartino snorted, his eye bulging as he looked down at the sweating guardsmen. "Whoever it is can bloody wait, I need to ensure the orks have been completely annihilated before-"
"Sir I don't think that's a good idea." The guardsman said nervously as he saw Commisar Barch approach him, hand reaching for her pistol. "The message claims to be from the Inquisition sir!"
"Th-The Inquisition?" Scarlett stuttered as Barch stopped approaching and turned pale, fear entering there eyes. "What could they be doing here?" Demartino frowned, powering down his blade before sheathing it, as well as picking up his pistol.
"Hmm, whatever it is it isn't good. Though the fact they haven't killed us yet is only somewhat reassuring. Alright trooper dismissed. Scarlett you can patch me up back at command. Barch, come with us if you would. Let's go find out what this Inquisitor wants."
And that's a wrap for now. I hope you all enjoyed this and let me know if you have any ideas or suggestions for chapters or characters. It may be a bit before I update this, as I'll be job hunting as well as working on the next chapter of Daria's World, but I promise to get the next chapter up as soon as I can. Thanks and have a good night.
The Warp: The psychic energy and realm created by the emotions and thoughts of mortals. Within this realm lie the various denziens and "gods" of the warp. All living creatures affect the warp in some form or another. Use of the Warp is also how ships travel throughout the galaxy, although not without error or danger. Demons of the warp are a constant threat, and travel can be unpredictable. A ship may end up in a different realm than it intended to go and/or may arrive at a time in the past or the future. These events are rare however.
Orks: The greenskin ape race of the 40k universe. Orks are crude, barbaric, violent and use a primitive form of technology. Despite this orks are one of the most successful species in the galaxy, their numbers possibly outnumbering every other species in the galaxy. Orks are big, strong and tough being taller than humans and generally weighing a lot more. Orks fight everyone, including eachother and are split up into hundreds of small empires across the galaxy. They reproduce by spores over their lifetime, and will only die if killed by unnatural means such as war or accident, upon which they release a massive amount of spores into the air.
Orks love violence, and are always looking for a good fight. Orks are lead in tribes by larger orks called nobs short for nobles, who in turn answer to a Warboss, those orks typically larger and smarter than all the others in its tribe. If a Warboss is strong and or smart enough to unite all tribes in the planet/sector, the horde will form into whats known as a WaaaGh! which then will take to space and invade other planets or systems. An ork Waaagh! will not stop until the horde is defeated, it's leader killed or they run out of enemies to fight, in which case they will either invade another system or will splinter and fight each other. In the purely hypothetical scenario that the orks were able to unite as a race, they would undoubtedly conquer the galaxy.
Crew Members of the Emperor's Retort: 41st Millenium: Security Clearance Level: Inquisitory inquiry only.