Broken Giants: Chapter 1
(An Imperial Knights Tale)
The city soared away into the heavens above, vast towering hab blocks and skyways blocking out almost all light leaving endless valleys where no sun ever reached, the top of the buildings far above were resplendent with soaring architecture and pristine mosaics but the lowest levels were filthy with bloody smears and smoking wreckage. The lowest streets were filled with rubble, burned out transports and rotting corpses in rags so torn that it was impossible to tell what colours or insignia they may once have worn.
Into this scene charged two towering giants, each a mammoth construction of gears, pistons and armour plating moving with an unstoppable momentum, they could have come straight from legend for they were the rarest of sights: Imperial Knights. Clad in green and grey they bore the ascending spear and cog wheel sun heraldry of House Frostwyrm and the scars of many battles showed upon their ablatives plates.
The first Knight carried the traditional Thermal lance and Reaper Chainblade of a Knight Errant but also a pair of autocannons high on its carapace and it was engraved with the name 'Heart of Zeal'. The second wielded an avenger bolt cannon along with a massive crushing fist and it bore a missile pod high above, it was a Knight Warden and bore the name 'Lifeward'.
Opposing them at the far end of the road was an equally a massive armoured form, it sat on a broad caterpillar tracks mounted with vats of boiling blood and from its prow rose a humanoid statue like a Cyntar of ancient myth. It was a Lord of Skulls, a Daemon Engine of Chaos covered in marks of Khorne and symbols of allegiance to the Night Lords, it crushed lesser vehicles under its tracks as it raced forwards and bellowed in a disturbingly organic fashion.
Its face gnashed great metal teeth in a manner no mere machine had any right to do so and in one hand it held a great brass cleaver festooned with brazen skulls, its other arm was a skull hurler canon while in its belly sat the devastating form of an Ichor canon. As it rolled forwards the Lord of Skulls raised its skull hurler and targeted the approaching knights, it lingered for a moment then fired a projectile as wide as a grown man towards 'Heart of Zeal'.
Without a moment's hesitation 'Lifeward' leapt forwards and veered into path of the shell, a bare metre from the Knight's hull the projectile detonated making flame and shrapnel curve harmlessly around its Ion shield. The Lord of Skulls raised its cleaver in anticipation of the coming fight but before it could close the distance 'Heart of Zeal' stepped around its protector and let loose a blast from its thermal lance. A searing torrent of heat and radiation hit the Daemon engine full on melting armour and burning through thick plates, any lesser machine would have been destroyed but the Lord of Skulls was the product of infernal science and blasphemous rites, it endured the tank killing blast with imperious disdain and growled as it trundled closer to its prey.
As it passed a shadowy side street there was a burst of movement and from the shadows sprang forth another massive form, taller than any of the other war machines, it was a Knight Lancer and it moved with a speed and grace that put its lumbaring cousins to shame. Before the Lord of Skulls could even begin to come about the Lancer closed the distance and rammed its shock lance into the rear of the Daemon engines' caterpillar unit.
A colossal burst of flame and metal exploded from the rear of the monstrosity as it bellowed in pain and anger, the torso section rotated on its gimbal and as it did so it brought the great cleaver about in a roundhouse blow. The newly arrived Lancer moved with surprising speed raising its Ion gauntlet to intercept the strike and the two weapons met in a blaze of discharging lighting and thunder, the Lord of Skulls drew back its arm and swung again but the Lancer swiftly stepped back and the cursed axe missed entirely.
The momentum of the attack caused the Lord of Skulls to lurch drunkenly and the Lancer jumped forwards to plunge its shock lance into the heart of the Daemon engine, the monster screamed at the penetration of its form but was helpless to resist. The Lancer's servos growled as it pressed its lance deeper into its foe and then it discharged all the energy stored within the weapon to cause fat flames to erupt from every joint, the Lord of Skulls screamed as its physical form was destroyed and the Neverborn within lost its hold on reality.
With a great shudder the Lord of Skulls fell still, dropping its axe as it slumped over and the fire died in its eyes, with the animating Daemon gone the metal hulk began to crumble and fall apart, shedding metal plates like it was aging centuries in mere moments. The Knights took no chances though, as the Lancer stepped back the Errant advanced and lowered its Thermal Lance to incinerate the remains into slag.
As silence fell 'Heart of Zeal' shut off its weapon and the pilot surveyed his work, the human core of the Knight was a young man, barely more than fifeteen Terran years old with only the faintest stubble upon his chin, his name was Ser Kayar and he was second in line to the Dukey of House Frostwyrm. This was his first deployment off world since his Ritual of Becoming, only a few months earlier, he was here to learn the Arts of War first hand and to make sure he survived the youthful heir had been assigned a protector, his stalwart companion 'Lifeward' piloted by his tutor Hendrick.
Kayar breathed heavily, thrilled by the rush of the fight and he directed his steed's sensorium to regard the third Knight, the Lancer was sleeker and deadlier than its kin and whereas the other knights carried woven banners and flags it carried midnight helms hung from chains still smeared with Night Lord blood. Its shocklance still shone with power that illuminated the name 'Frostfury' upon its chest and its white and gold livery was a contrast to their green and grey colours, upon its shoulders was the emblem of a snarling feline head below a shining crown: House Pardus the clan of the High King of San Grael himself.
"Well that went as well as can be expected" voxed a voice from within the Lancer.
Kayar's temper flared at being spoken to in such a manner, his youthful pride making him bark, "That kill should have been ours Daeran!"
Ser Daeran the pilot of 'Frostfury' ignored the insolent remark and said, "This sector is clear and we need to move on, can you and your babysitter can keep up?"
"Hendrick is the Lifeward of House Frostwyrm, an ancient honoured position not a babysitter" spat Kayar, "You take point and don't worry about us and we can handle anything you can."
Ser Daeran replied, " Good, because we've received a signal from the Reaver Titan Deus Invicta, the Legio Astraman has smashed the rebels' main force; the only thing now between the Imperium and the governors' tower is an artillery position on the main skyway. It has stalled the Imperial Guard's advance and even Titans can't assault the last rebel stronghold without infantry support, the Princeps Senioris orders us to rendezvous with the rest of the Knights. Follow me and watch the flanks, keep a sharp eye out for lurking rebels."
Kayar resented having such obvious advice spelled out like he was an idiot, but Ser Daeran was his appointed superior so he shut his mouth and followed 'Frostfury' deeper into the city. As the Knights moved on they mounted an access way that climbed steeply and joined a wide roadway suspended high above the streets, this road continued to climb ever higher until the ground was completely lost in the shadows cast by the buildings.
As they rose Kayar could see the centre of the city far ahead, mountainous buildings encircled by skyways forming a tight knot of steel and stone. Not quite a Hive City yet but in as little as a millennia it might deserved the title, assuming the Imperial army didn't level everything first.
Kayar constantly scanned the surrounding buildings as he opened up a private vox channel to his companion and he whined "That was just humiliating, I could have taken that beast myself if only Daeran had let us close with it."
Hendrick voxed back exasperated by the conceited ego of youth, "He is the senior Knight here; the right of first blood was his to claim."
Kayar declared, "Daeran is an arrogant swine!"
Hendrick growled in rebuke, "SER Daeran has fought more wars than you've had hot meals boy, he has earned the right to be proud and you would do well to learn from his example."
Kayar gave that all the consideration due from a young man who had just been handed the controls of a mighty War Machine as he whined, "But I could've taken the glory of the kill!"
Hendrick spat, "Boy, if you had gone toe to toe with that thing then you'd be a burnt corpse right now and may I reiterate if you get yourself stupidly killed my own sons' lives are forfeit. Now pay attention to your surroundings or you're going to miss that rebel five stories up".
Kayar directed his sensorium upwards and saw a rebel leaning out of an window high above them, struggling to bring a bulky missile launcher to bear towards 'Frostfury's' back. Despite all his training Kayar couldn't help but hesitate as he mused what would happen if he just let the rebel fire, it couldn't do any real damage and it would be so good to see Daeran taken down a notch. Then he shook off the treasonous thought and swung his Icarus guns around to let off a thunderous burst, the autocannons were designed to take out armoured flyers and they simply shredded the rebel to pieces.
Hendrick sensed his hesitation as he said, "Problem boy?"
It's nothing" Kayar lied, but secretly he was shamed, his Throne Mechanicum retained an imprint of every pilot who had bonded with it and right now the countless ghosts of his ancestors were glowering stern disapproval of such dishonourable thoughts at him. As much as he disliked Daeran the man had been appointed as their Magna Preceptor by both the Duke of House Frostwyrm and the High King of San Grael, it was just that he was so unbearable and the collection of Night Lord Helms was making him jealous.
To distract himself he said, "I was just thinking about these damned rebels, what could drive a man to turn on his lords and masters?"
Hendrick sighed and lectured him, "Alamanium sits on the prime warp nexus between the St Karyl Trail and the Tyrannid wars in the Heraculan Deeps. So the munitorum has seized vast tracts of land to turn into supply posts and depots, the locals seem to resent this somewhat and have thrown in their lot with the Night Lords, which you would know if you had paid attention to the briefings boy."
"My lord!" exclaimed Kayar, "You're not even a proper noble, you're a commoner so you have to call me my lord, why does my grandfather let you speak to me thus?!"
Hendrick growled, "Because my family has protected the heirs to House Frostwyrm for a thousand years and right now it's my job to keep you alive not lick your boots."
Hendrick carried on, "Now shut up, the rendezvous is just ahead and you are about to witness how a full Lance of Imperial Knights fights a proper war."