The Great Devourer
Admiral Robert Aste paced the bridge of his battle cruiser, staring out into the depths of space. His ship had just finished a warp jump to Cador, a hive city known for its many manufactorums and large space ports.
Robert Aste was a man in his late thirties, yet if you looked at him you would probably guess him to be in his mid fifties. War did that to a man. He had come to this planet on request of the Chapter master of the mighty Ultramarines, Marneus Calgar himself. Apparently he had earned some sort of honor. He was so glad this trip had been uneventful, until…
"Admiral, there's something on the radar!" a man yelled. Aste ran to the man's station and looked at the screen.
"What do we have son?" he asked the man, who identified himself as Private Mcollins.
"I don't know, but it's not a ship. It's too big, and it seems… alive." Mcollins responded.
"Alive? That's absurd. I have been a member of the Imperial Navy for twenty three years now son, and never in my career have I heard of a living mass in space. Now I want you to te-" The admiral was cut off by a loud explosion. He looked out to see a smaller vessel, the Lance of Calgar, explode as a lance of pure energy slammed into it, tearing right through it and slamming against the void shields of his ship, the Guardian of Terra.
"We're under attack! Men, report to your battle stations!" the Admiral yelled.
"Sir, we've been hit! They passed right through the void shields!" Private Johnson yelled.
"Status report?"
"It wasn't a weapon! It's… a boarding pod?" Johnson said, confused.
Then all hell truly broke loose. There was a loud screech, and all of a sudden, ten large, four armed creatures tore through the bridge doors and swarmed in. their arms ended in razor sharp claws, which tore through both metal and flesh with ease.
"Genestealers" Robert Aste hissed in fear. He ran to the control desk and picked up the receiver, going directly to the emergency vox of the Ultramarines' Chapter Master's helmet.
"We have Genestealers on the Guardian of Terra! She is lost, and this is the last you'll hear from me. Warn the planet. The Tyranids have come to Cador, and you must not let them take it! This is Robert Aste, signi-"
The admiral's final words were cut off suddenly as he was torn in half. The Broodlord, a larger form of Genestealer, licked the blood from its talons and roared to its hive ship, ready for the next stage of the invasion…
Six months later
Genesis Helzbane aimed down the sight of his plasma gun and slowly pulled the trigger. A Tyranid warrior, easily ten feet tall and rippling with muscle, turned and looked at him just in time for the blast of plasma to slam into its face, instantly incinerating its head. Two more warriors turned and saw him, and quickly unloaded their weapons on him. Genesis was thrown back into a member of his tactical squad and gasped as he gazed upon the blue chest plate of his power armor.
Little glowing worm like creatures writhed upon his chest, trying to dig through the incredible plate of the MKVII power armor he wore. He brushed them off in disgust, and his squad quickly shot down the remaining two warriors.
"ok squad, let's move. We need to meet up with Lord Calgar as soon as possible. Collins, Angelos, take point. Sanders, take rear, Calihan and Whal, cover our flanks. Let's move." Genesis said. The squad checked their bolters and Chainswords, then rushed to comply.
A few hours later, the squad arrived at the city of Astonar. They dashed through the streets, looking for any sign of their Chapter Master.
"Captain Helzbane, I see him!" Collins yelled, pointing down the street. The squad doubled their speed and stopped in shock at the scene they were faced with.
Six Carnifex carcasses were sprawled about the city square, each with their head missing or mutilated. A massive Swarmlord stood before Marneus Calgar, its four massive Bone Sabers crackling with psychic energy. The Swarmlord stood at nearly fifteen feet tall, with legs like small tree trunks and four arms ending in deadly Sabers.
Marneus Calgar stood proudly, his power fists dripping with alien blood. His Terminator armor, once a brilliant shining blue, was now covered with the blood from the Carnifi he slew. He raised his power fists into the air and roared a challenge to the Swarmlord.
"Sir, should we engage?" Collins asked Genesis.
"Negative. This is his fight." Genesis responded. "Squad, set up a perimeter. I want this area secured. Now!" his squad rushed to comply.
"Come on you beast. Let's dance." Calgar said, grinning savagely at the monster in front of him.
++Lord Calgar, this is Captain Helzbane. My squad has set up a perimeter around your position. I have ordered my men to stand down unless this Xeno filth cuts you down, which we both know won't hap-++ Genesis said over the vox system in his helmet.
++Captain, say no more. You know full well how easy it is to die on the battlefield.++ Calgar replied. He then raised his power fists and charged at the Swarmlord. "Die you foul Xeno scum! Today is the day you fall!" he yelled.
The Swarmlord was ready for him. As he charged, the Swarmlord expertly blocked his swing, then swung back with tremendous force. Calgar blocked the attack just in time, but was still thrown back from the force of the hit. He picked himself up and charged the Swarmlord again, this time dodging through its defences and landing a solid blow on its leg. He grinned as the fist drove cleanly through both flesh and bone, disintegrating the bone and spraying the creature's blood all over. The Swarmlord roared in pain and backed off, supporting itself on one of its massive swords. It swung at Calgar again, but Calgar dove underneath the attack and jumped, then smashed both fists into the Xeno's skull.
The Swarmlord fell to the ground, its head disappearing in a greenish blue mist. Calgar landed hard on the ground, his terminator armor absorbing the shock. He picked himself up off the ground and connected to Captain Helzbane once again.
++Captain Helzbane, lead your squad to the city of vandor. we have many battle brothers defending the city, but they can only last so much longer. The guardsmen are taking heavy casualties despite our assistance. The 1st will be there in due time. Go!++
++Yes sir. May the Emperor's light be upon you and guide your path.++ Helzbane replied.
++And yours as well.++ Calgar said, cleaning his gauntlets and rushing to the west, where the 1st company were fighting furiously. Captain Helzbane turned to his men, and without a sound led them to the south, ready to fight and die for the Emperor of mankind.
"Hold the line men! We must not let this city fall! Let the Emperor be your light and your salvation! Let him lead you into battle with a prayer on your lips and fire in your heart. Trust in the emperor, and he will guide you to victory!" Sergeant Bathus declared, firing his bolt pistol into the seemingly endless wave of Tyranids. His men cheered with newfound courage and lined up along the city walls, bringing their lasguns to bear and firing into the wave as well, the bright flashes of red light illuminating the darkening field before them. They marveled at the mighty space marines that fought alongside them, their weapons causing massive damage to the larger Tyranids. Artillery slammed into the monstrous Carnifi and Tyrants, and even Swarmlords met their end to the massive missiles that slammed into their armored carapace bodies. Yet for every Xeno creature to fall, another immediately took its place.
"There are too many of them! Fall back to the inner city; we can hold them off there!" Bathus said, holstering his pistol and running from the wall, his men right on his heels. All around him, the other sergeants followed suit. Bathus looked back to see the space marines still holding the line.
"what are you doing? I ordered everyone to fall back!" He yelled, barely audible over the boom of artillery.
"you go! We shall hold the line as long as possible. This wall will not fall as long as we stand here." A marine said, never taking his eyes off his targets. The guardsman only nodded, then took off back towards his men. The Space marine looked down his sight… and stopped as a blast of plasma incinerated the head of a carnifex in front of him. He looked around for the source, and gasped as he saw his captain coming in from the flank of the Tyranids, chopping them down with bolter and blade, Captain Helzbane at the front of the assault, his power sword gleaming in the sunlight as he cut through his enemies with ease. He raised his hand in greeting, and the captain opened up his vox link to the group.
++Sergeant Ashtain, it is great to see you alive and fighting. I see yet again the Emperor protects.++ Captain Helzbane said.
++That he does captain. It is great to fight by your side. Now, let us show these disgusting Xenos the true power of the ultramarines!++ Ashtain replied, vaulting over the wall and into the fray, cutting down all that stood before him. Behind him, every marine landed and joined the fight, quickly joining the other Marines.
The battle lasted long into the night, and soon the guardsmen rejoined the fight, their lasguns illuminating the area and cutting down more Tyranids, thinning the tide even further. After twelve hours of continuous fighting, the Tyranid swarm was stopped. Marneus Calgar and his squad of terminators arrived, clearly victorious, and not a single one of his men fell. A total of twenty-four battle brothers died in the assault on Vandor, and though they were valued soldiers, they knew now was not the time to grieve.
"Brothers, you have fought valiantly today. All of you have served your chapter well, and your names will be written in the records of Ultramar, but for now, it is time to end this once and for all. It's time brothers, to kill a Norn Queen
Hours later, Calgar led Helzbane and his squad deep into the Hive ship. The Tyranids swarmed them at every corner, but these were Ultramarines, the mightiest chapter under the Emperor, and they slew all in their path as they made their way to the Norn queen.
When they arrived in the Queen's chamber, four Space Marines fell dead to the ground due to the pure psychic might of the Norn Queen. The Queen stood at over fifteen meters tall and was armed with enormous scything talons.
"Stand strong brothers! Tonight our names shall be written as heroes of the chapter, and they shall never be forgotten. Tonight, we stand victorious! Ultramarines, charge! For the Emperor! May he be your light and your deliverer through this battle!" Marneus Calgar yelled, activating his power fists and leading the charge.
The battle lasted long into the night, claiming the lives of three more brave battle brothers, but in the end the Marines would not be defeated. Calgar destroyed the beast, finally ramming his fists through its thick skull, and all around the Tyranids dropped dead. The invasion was over. Once again, the mighty Ultramarines stood victorious, for the chapter, and the God Emperor, who smiled upon them that day. Many brothers were lost, but they would never be forgotten.