Author's Note: A quick one shot into the Warhammer 40k mythos. Maybe will come from this further on down the road... but not in the immediate future. In the mean time, enjoy this.

Golden Eagles

There was a loud metallic click that echoed within the drop pod as it fitted into its firing position at the bottom of the battle barge. Inside brother Conner, of the Golden Eagles chapter, looked over the other nine members of his tactical squad through the red eyes of his black helmet. The sergeant stood nearest the door, shaved head bowed as he muttered his prayer. His chainsword was gripped firmly in both fists placed over his armored chest, over which the golden two-headed imperial eagle proudly spread its wings.

Brother Ryken looked over the heavy bolter held in his gauntleted hands, while brother Christopher gently patted his flamer. Brothers Luke, Stephan, Alexander, Carson Faris and Ivan all stood as stock still as Conner, only letting their eyes move within the confines of their helmets to overlook their brethren. They did not need to check the bolter held sharply at their sides. They all knew that the holy weapons of the Adeptus Astartes were working in pristine condition.

Then there was a sudden lurch and an echoing bang sounding through the drop pod as it was fired towards the surface of the planet Thesaura. Sergeant Aegis raised his head allowing the Space Marines under his command to look into his cold steel eyes.

"The enemies of man are in legion," Aegis said, his deep thundering voice sounding over the roar of the drop pod's small engine.

"May the Emperor give us strength to stand in his glorious name. The blood of the impure will flow in an eternal river. We shall feel no fear, we shall feel no pain, we shall show no mercy, we shall show no respite. In the name of the immortal Emperor we march as to battle," every Space Marines chanted out as one, the words of the Golden Eagle's battle prayer that they had each memorized when they were mere initiates.

There were a few moments where the only sound was the drop pod engine as the Emperor's warriors prepared to leap out into the fray of war. The drop pod came to a sudden stop as it slammed into the ground scattered the Orks that were swarming towards Captain Tarsa on a nearby hill. The front hatch popped open, and sergeant Aegis stepped out, chainsword blaring to life in his left fist, bolt pistol clenched in his right.

The Orks quickly recovered from the shock of having a chunk of metal land in their midst and began to come towards their new prey. Aegis swung his sword, the teeth swirling around his blade tearing through their green flesh. Hot crimson spattered across the sergeant's face as he screamed out his holy fury at the alien scum. He pushed the muzzle of his bolt pistol against one Ork's face before squeezing the trigger. The back of the alien's skull exploded sending it's brains flying out behind it in a chunky mist.

Brother Christopher was the next of the drop pod. His armored foot was barely touching the hard soil of Thesaura and already he was sending waves of purifying flame over his enemies. The flames he poured over the Ork's licked at their skin, scorching them. Flesh sizzled off the bones that then fell to the ground in a charred and smoking heap. Their painful screams reached the ears of every Space Marine in the squad. It bolstered them; the enemy was being purged.

Conner cocked the action of his bolter as he stepped out of the pod. He raised the weapon and fired a bolt directly into an Ork's face. The alien's head burst apart, and Conner was amongst the green tide, firing the bolter into the sea of enemies.

Behind him the Golden Eagle Space Marines emptied from the pod with their guns blazing. Brother Ryken took position behind his brethren, his heavy bolter firing over the heads of the other marines. His rounds were punching through the Orks, tearing their bodies to pieces.

Now covered in the dark crimson of Ork blood, Conner ejected an empty magazine from his bolter and slammed a new one into place. As soon as it clicked into position he began to fire again. He watched his bolts tear into Ork bodies and explode sending their blood and organs flying around their corpses. There were so many of them though.

Up on the next hill, the regimental banner was being held high.

"Rally to Captain Tarsa," Aegis called out to his men after cutting an Ork in half and splitting its head open as the torso fell to the ground.

A bullet pinged off Conner's shoulder pad. He shifted his aim and killed the shooter with a trio of bolts to the chest. More bullets began to fly towards the rampaging Space Marines as the Orks now brought their heavier guns into the conflict.

Brother Alexander was shot through the neck, the bullet finding a weakness in his armor. Arterial spray spouted from the wound as he fired his dying shots into the green horde. Brother Carson shifted to fill the gap his dying brother had left. Alexander took a minute for his blood to drain enough that he finally died.

"Brother Conner, let the grenades fly!" Aegis commanded, pointing with his chainsword at a crater in the ground where three Ork heavy gunners were taking cover. Conner pulled one of the explosives off his hip, pulled the safety pin and threw it into the small Ork haven.

They let out an angry roar before the grenade exploded and chunks of Ork flesh were thrown in all directions. Conner lifted his bolter and squeezed the trigger, only to hear the action slam into an empty chamber. Just before Conner could change his magazine an Ork leapt from out of the horde, axe raised to strike Conner down.

Conner pulled his knife from the sheath on his hip, and swung it in a horizontal arc. The blade cut through the leaping alien's stomach, spilling its greasy intestines across the ground as it collapsed in the dirt. Conner raised his foot and brought it down on the Ork's skull, crushing it.

He replaced the knife in its sheath and reloaded his weapon. He cocked the action and began firing the fresh magazine into his enemies. They were surging even closer. The banner up on the next hill started to fall, but was suddenly righted upwards again; the standard bearer had been killed, but was quickly replaced. The banner would not fall until there were no hands left to hold it up.

"Push forward," Aegis screamed, cutting a bloody path through the Orks, their blood running down his face.

Brother Christopher did just that, stepping forward, his flames swirling amongst the Orks. One Ork, flames engulfing its entire body, emerged from the inferno. The creature raised an axe above its head, letting out a roar of rage and pain as its skin peeled and the muscles began to burn away. Christopher instinctively reached for his knife, but it was too late.

The crude blade managed to cleave though the Space Marine's helmet because of the strength behind the blow. As the metal cut through the fibers of Christopher's brain his fingers went limp, causing the jet of flames to end. His body fell; face down with the axe still embedded in his skull.

The Ork let out a small grunt of triumph before a heavy bolter round punched through its chest, tearing through heart and lungs and sending their pieces into scattering behind it. Brother Ivan shifted to fill in the empty position Christopher's death had left.

"Get together, the gaps are too wide," Aegis called to his men.

The Space Marines started to close the gaps before an Ork round hit the back of Brother Carson's knee. The bullet shattered his knee cap and severed the tendons to his lower leg. He fell to his wounded knee without screaming. Another round struck his back sending his body forward slightly, and a third round managed to hit his left shoulder beneath the shoulder pad. His own blood sprayed up onto the side of his helmet.

With a grunt he forced himself to a proper kneeling position. Now unable to use his left arm because the Ork round and cut through his tendons and muscles in his shoulder, he used his right to light his weapon. He began to fire though not with as much accuracy as before.

Faris saw a bright flash, and something flying towards him. The range was too close for him to avoid the rocket, which hit a rock beneath his feet. The explosion tore his legs to shreds and sent his body through the air. His body landed amongst the rabble of Orks.

Laying on his back, Faris fired his weapon into the Orks that descended upon him. The thirty rounds pushed the Orks back for only a little bit. As the magazine ran empty and the Orks came upon him, hacking with their makeshift blades as Faris tried to fight them off with his knife.

Carson, still on one knee reloaded his empty weapon. He had shot down the Ork with the 'rokkit launcha', but now as he reloaded he could barely keep balance. When the weapon was reloaded he looked up to see an Ork nob standing before him, and saw the large blade swinging towards his neck. He tried to raise his weapon but the edge of the blade cleaved through the muscles of his neck and snapped his spine. His head came clean off his shoulders with a gush of blood that spilled out over his torso and pattered on the ground. The head still inside the helmet rolled along the ground, coming to a stop at another Ork's foot that let out a rasping brutish laugh at the sight.

The nob moved forward, coming up behind Luke who was holding the Orks at bay well. The nob grabbed the top of his helmet and pulled viciously. Luke growled out angrily as he fell backwards. The Ork brutally snapped the warrior's neck. Ryken saw the nob rampaging amongst the Space Marines, killing them off one by one. Letting out a scream of rage he shifted the full force of his fire at the one creature. The heavy bolter rounds tore repeatedly into the singular Ork. Chunks of meat flew out behind it.

As Ryken made sure the nob was dead other Orks came in on him. Conner looked behind him to see the Orks hacking at Ryken's corpse.

Orks were still hacking at Faris, getting through his armor in places. His blood spurted into the air, but still he fought with his knife. He cut away at the legs of the aliens and stabbed at their heads when they fell to his level. An axe cut away his left arm at the elbow, and a sword was plunged into one of his hearts. Still he did not scream, even as blood began to fill his mouth.

One Ork stood above him, the alien's simplistic pistol aimed at his head.

"May the Emperor forgive my failure," Faris said, angry that he would be unable to continue his duty.

The sound of an assault cannon was followed by the bodies of Orks folding under the firepower of the dreadnought. The Ork standing above Faris was all but torn in half by the cannon's continuous stream of firepower.

By this point only Aegis, Conner and Faris were still living of the tactical squad. Conner waded through the corpses and gore to where Faris was laying.

"You have been spared," Conner said to his brother, bending over and throwing the Space Marine's remains over his shoulder. All that was left of Faris was his torso, with blood oozing from cracks across his armor, ragged strips of meat dangling from the stumps of his legs, half his left arm, his right arm, and his head.

The dreadnought's bulky form was still walking forward, assault cannon ripping Orks to shreds, and kicking up clouds of dust from the ground. The hot brass shells were being ejected from the side of the cannon, forming piles beside the machine of death.

One unlucky Ork managed to get close. The power claws of the dreadnought's right 'hand' grabbed hold of the alien's head and lifted it from the ground. It flicked the body while still holding it, easily snapping the beast's neck. The corpse was tossed to the side.

"In the name of the emperor move forward," Aegis called out to any who could hear him, holding his chainsword above his head. It was then he noticed Conner holding Faris's mutilated body over one shoulder. Conner's other hand was gripping his bolter, firing at any Ork's that got close to him.

As he was distracted for that split second, a bullet tore through the side of the sergeant's neck, splashing his own blood up the side of his face. The round had torn open his jugular, and blood was steadily spurting from the wound. He let out a gurgling growl and turned, swinging his chainsword with his own movement and took off an Ork's head. A second round bounced off one of his shoulder pads, then another off his chest. A fourth and final round however, went clean through the centre of the sergeant's face. Sergeant Aegis fell, spattered by the blood of his enemies and surrounded by their corpses.

The though of grieving for his fallen comrades did not even flicker through Conner's mind once. They had fallen honorably doing what they had sworn their lives to do. Their valiant efforts would not be forgotten.

Conner proceeded up the hill, firing one handed. Behind him the dreadnought's ammunition ran dry, but it continued to use its power claw to deadly effect. There was another bright flash as another rocket was launched. The explosive impacted with the joint at the back of the dreadnought's leg. The walker faltered, and then fell face first into the dirt; unable to hold it's own balance.

At that moment, a large Ork covered in cybernetic parts climbed on the back of the downed dreadnought.

"Dese hummies ain't so tuff… crush em good!" the warboss called out, before driving it's large cybernetic claw into the dreadnought, and pulling out the skeletal remains of the ancient pilot. Conner turned away from the scene and started up the hill again to meet with Captain Taris. As he trudged his way upwards, firing at the oncoming Orks, his magazine ran empty. He couldn't reload using only one hand, so he clipped his bolter at his hip and unsheathed his knife again.

He felt Faris squirming slightly, the fallen marine was using his remaining arm to get something. After a moment Faris was still. There was a sudden jerk as he threw that something.

The explosion that followed told Conner that Faris had thrown a grenade to cover their backs. Conner continued his struggle up the hill, he could hear his brethren fighting at the top. Conner just continued hiking up the hill, knife in hand, comrade over his shoulder, and blood running through the grooves of his armor. He crested the hill, and almost received a bolt through the head before his heraldry was recognized.

"Welcome brother," Brother Maxis, the apothecary said, taking Conner's burden from his shoulder.

There were only a few Space Marines left, there were being overrun. The corpses of fallen comrades and Orks alike were piled on the ridges of the hill as makeshift barricades. Each of the remaining Space Marines were wounded in some way, especially the captain, who had blood running from dozens of cracks in his armor. Maxis was treating some of the worst wounded near the centre of the hill, including the battle brother still clutching the regimental banner.

"Beyond the last man, fight until your soul is torn away," Captain Taris called out before skewering an Ork with his power sword.

Conner reloaded his bolter, and stepped up to the barricades, beside his fighting comrades. This was where he belonged, on the battlefield, fighting against impossible odds. He felt no fear, only fury. He felt no fatigue, only determination. He felt no pity, only brutality. He was a warrior fighting a war in its purest form.

Down the hill the Ork warboss was making his way up, rallying his troops to kill the remaining Space Marines. AS the hulking alien got closer, the Orks fought harder. The Golden Eagles were being killed off more quickly.

Maxis left his station of taking the progenoid glands from fallen warriors to help hold the line. His once white armor was now coated with crimson as he used his own chainsword to cut apart oncoming Orks. Still, even the apothecary's fighting prowess could not stem the Ork flood. He was shot through the elbow, and unable to wield his sword the Orks swarmed him. Brother Maxis was torn apart, he died as a Space Marine however, and didn't scream once.

The warboss reached the top of the hill, and immediately went after captain Taris. The two commanders clashed, sword meeting with claw. As they fought, the troops of both sides clashed with renewed vigor. Conner let out a warcry as he fired round after round into his enemies, watching as their bodies folded with initial impact, then get torn apart by the following explosion of the bolt. The Orks however felt nothing for their fallen 'boyz'.

Meanwhile Taris swung his sword at the warboss's neck, only to have the blade grabbed by one of the alien's claws. The other claw, which had been the same one to tear into the dreadnought, now tore into the captain's chest. The size of the robotic appendage crushed both hearts, lung and snapped the spine in three areas.

With blood gushing from the open wound and from his mouth Taris spat in the Ork's face, before he was torn in two by the claws. The brave warrior's organs were thrown into the air as his blood showered down over the brutish creature, who let out a loud laugh, then turned to face Conner. The last of the Space Marines stood in the centre of the hill, beside the now dead Faris who held the banner upright even in death.

Conner pulled out his knife once again. For the last time probably, but he would slay as many as he could. The Orks were about to surge.

"Stay backs! Dis humie is mine!" the warboss shouted.

Reluctantly the Orks shied away, their fear of their leader overcoming their bloodlust. The warboss came forward, but Conner lunged, surprising the arrogant and over confident alien, who lazily swung as a knee jerk reaction.

Conner was a veteran of war. He took full advantage, easily ducking under the attack, stabbing and destroying the crude wiring of the claw. It fell to the ground, now just dead weight attached to the Ork's arm. The warboss stared at it in wonder, until Conner's knife slashed across it's eyes, blinding the beast.

The Ork roared in pain, lifting its head to the sky. Conner repeatedly stabbed it in the throat, and moved to the back where he continued to stab ferociously. With each thrust he tore to the side within the flesh, ripping open large gashes. Finally as the alien weakened, Conner kicked it in the back, sending the bulky brute to the ground. Conner jumped onto its back and drove the tip of the blade through the base of the skull and into the brain, killing the warboss instantly.

Using the knife Conner cut through the thick meat of the Ork's neck until finally the head came free. The last standing Space Marine lifted his grisly trophy above his head, letting the blood run down his arm. The Orks stared at the warrior in fear and some began to wonder if they should simply run.

Then the clouds in the sky above were penetrated by dozens of drop pods falling towards the surface of Thesaura, jets of firing streaming from their engines.

"Your end is nigh xenos!" Conner screamed, dropping the head, and descending upon the Orks like the angel of death that he was.