AN: I'm back guys! And I've got to say, I'm happy with the support you guys are giving me. Granted I know its not large like other stories in this site but better little than nothing at all.

I will be trying my best to follow the original story-line of both universes which is going to be a workout since both are pretty extensive and one is obviously complex to give headaches. So there will be events you guys are well familiar while other would be omitted due to the fact they virtually have no place regardless of their importance canon-wise and it would mean Gods knows how much more work to integrate them in this story.

So try to be understanding and not flip out when there are obvious changes that would otherwise effect greatly things.

Again I don't own Halo or Warhammer 40k, they belong to their respective owners.

I present to you guys Chapter 2! Enjoy!

P.S: This is an updated/improved chapter


Battle of Corverus:

Though our tanks and artillery are mighty, it is the vast ranks of the Imperial Army that shall trample the enemy to dust-let them come.

-Lord Castellan Ursarkar E. Creed


[+Alert! Priority Beta-SF77 message to Segmentum Ultima Naval Command+]

[+Processing and Decryption of Message...+]

[+Process completed+]

[++/Opening message for the eyes of Naval Command member's only+]

[++/To the esteem members of Ultima Naval Command. This is Commodore Lydian Raider of Battle group Ontario reporting to Command. At 0815, naval forces of the Covenant of the Mantle forces successfully slipped past most of the warning outposts in the Holderus system and have ambushed my fleet. We have been forced to pull back over the surface of the planet alongside the PNDF facing continues attacks. Most of the orbital defenses have been tactically eliminated and the enemy is currently besieging Corverus. Our numbers are dwindling and it won't be long until my fleet can no longer hold the aerospace and be forced to pull back. I request for reinforces to lift the siege and drive off the invasion force+]

[+End of message+]

[+Processing answer of Naval Command to Admiral Raider+]

[+This is Segmentum Admiral of Sigurd Aagaard responding to your hail. Squadron Fleet Memphis has been authorized to provide critical support and reinforce your position with the II and IV Corps of the II Corverus Army along with the First Division of the Corverus Marines assist in combating the ground invasion. A detachment of Spartan Astartes hailing from the Aurora Chapter of the Ultraspartans Legion and the Mecha Legion Asterux have been assigned to the fleet for tactical support. You are hereby ordered to hold the line as long as possible until it becomes clear that you cannot continue the effort and are expected to pull back and await for the reinforcements. You have your orders Commodore. Ave Imperium+]

[+Encrypting and Sending.../...Message sent+]


Core World Corverus

System Holderus

3.531.M36

"FIRE THE NOVA CANNON!"

The bridge shook as the Oberon-Battlecruiser Wraithful fired its main weapon at a Covenant of the Mantle CCS-Cruiser. The cruiser's shield flared up in blue as it tried to stop the round but ultimately was a futile attempt as the round punched through the shield and smashed into the prow of the ship and exploded. The resulting explosion obliterated the entire prow section of the ship, leaving behind a dead husk. It proceeded to drift along the battlefield along with many other wrecks of ships with more joining the ever-growing graveyard.

"Redirect the starboard macrocannons to cover the Endless Shadow and Forever Faithful. Those destroyers are tearing them apart!" Bellowed the voice of Commodore Lydian Raider across the bridge. The Commodore was a tall man with brown hair and slightly dark skin with a stature that conveyed authority. At over 273 years, he'd seen his share of battles and campaigns that turned him into a hardened leader. Now it seems that he would need to draw up all his skills if he hoped to win this battle.

"Yes sir!" Answered one of the naval personal at the controls. He proceeded to type commands in the screen.

"Turn the ship twenty degrees starboard for our torpedoes to destroy that CSO-Carrier before it can attempt to break through our lines," ordered Raider.

"Apologies, but most of the torpedo tubes are reloading and the ones ready will only damage its hull," informed Captain Delius Telco from his command chair. Like every captain in the Imperial Navy, Telco sat interred with his ship to better coordinate it with the machine spirit. Captaining this ship since it was commissioned over two-and-fifty hundred years ago, the captain and the ship make an excellent team when combating foes.

"How long then till they're done? I need them up and ready for fire," asked Raider.

The captained had the look of strain on his face. "In a few minutes or so. Depending if the enemy would slow their rate of fire at us."

The bridge suddenly shook as the ion shield blocked a trio of plasma torpedoes from hitting the ship.

"Sir!" Cried a personal. "Ion shield readings are at 52%. Enemy fire is coming in too much for the shields to charge quickly."

"Doesn't seem like the enemy would let us have that chance," retorted Raider. He turned to one of the communication officers. "What's the status of the fleet?"

The officer looked up from his monitor. "The readings indicate that the fleet is at 60% strength and steadily lowering. Many of the surviving ships are suffering heavy damages and report that they won't last much longer in battle. Last report said…" the officer seemed to hesitate.

"That what?" Inquired Raider.

"That one of our Avedon-Light Carriers is destroyed and other one is venting and won't last long much longer, sir," answered the officer.

Raider cursed under his breath. Every since the larger enemy fleet jumped in and struck his group with the element of surprise. He had lost quite a number of good ships and the fleet was starting to feel the pressure of those losses. Not to mention most of the defense stations were floating tombs or scrap. Unless the reinforces sent by High Command arrived in time, his forces would end up being overrun by the enemy and free to do with the planet his fleet was currently defending as they see fit. They couldn't retreat without condemning the world and they couldn't stay without risking annihilation.

The windows in the bridge quickly polarized as a Marathon-Cruiser's ammunition stores exploded after being torn apart by particle cannons from a CSV-Battlecruiser. The Wraithful's lance batteries proceeded to fire on the enemy ship until it was forced to retreat from receiving heavy damage.

He was about to give an order to his fleet to try and form new battle lines when he heard a cry through the neural-link.

"Alert! That Emperor-accursed CSO-carrier broke through our lines and is currently making planet fall. We can't close the gape fast enough and the other ships arAaaauggghhh!…"

The link immediately went dead, signaling that the user was killed. Through the link's information, Raider saw that it was the captain of the Strike Cruiser Storm Bringer that made the announcement and was shortly killed when his ship took a direct hit in its plasma reactor.

However, he was mostly focusing on the revelation that Covenant forces had succeeded on breaking through his lines and started planet fall. Fortunately for them, he had made the decision when they arrived here before to send down the fleet's ground forces on the planet where they were better off than on these crapped hulls.

But first, he needed to calm down the captains of the battle group before things got out of hand.

Closing his eyes and extending his neural-link into the fleet link, the effort and time would have been easier if he was a pysker but alas, he is one of the few 'untouched' humans left in the Imperial Navy. The chatter from the battle group was almost overwhelming the moment he entered.

"…My ship needs backup…"

"…War Horn has been destroyed! We need…"

"…We're being outflanked on our…"

"…Where are our reinforcements? They…"

"…PDF Corverus Command reports enemy…"

Gathering himself, Raider lets out a single shout. "Enough!"

The fleet link immediately fall silent as the shout from their commodore vibrated through their links. What went from a constant shout of news was quickly replaced with an eerie silence that was occasionally interrupted with a captain's death.

Taking a moment to compose himself, he began speaking. "Yelling at each other like that will not get any of us anywhere and will certainly not win us this battle. Now before anything else can happen, I hereby order Battle Group Ontario and the PNDF ships to retreat to the northern pole of the planet."

As he expected, he was met with a wall of protests with this order from most of the battle group along with the planet's PNDF being the most vocal about it. Steeling himself again, he shouted through the link, "Silence!"

The link once again became silent from his commanding voice.

"I understand that many of you don't want to leave most of this world undefended and I really don't want to either, but we don't have much choice with this battle unless we want to be annihilated," Raider spoke with a grim voice. "We will not however, leave the planet to its doom, by retreating to the polar regions, we will be putting a safe distance from the enemy fleet while at the same time making sure we're still close to carry out strikes on their forces. We'll continue with this tactic until reinforcements arrive within a few hours at most. Is that understood?"

Receiving a chorus of 'yes commodore' from the captains, Raider allowed himself a moment of rest before relaying his orders throughout the battle group.

"You know, it really wasn't necessary to yell through the link with me being close to you to hear most of the force and suffer through it," stated Captain Telco. "I'm quite certain that I've lost 8.5% of my hearing from your first shout alone."

Raider rolled his eyes from the comment. "Quite complaining Telco, this wouldn't be your first time that a superior officer yelled with you nearby.

"True, but none of them have ever yelled as loud as you did in the link," pointed out Telco.

"Enough talking, have the Wraithful move with the rest of the battle group so we can prep ourselves," ordered Raider as he walked to the front of the bridge with a full view of the planet as the ship moved towards the northern pole. Also gathering there were the remaining orbital stations that survived the initial onslaught. "The ground forces are on their own for the moment. Lets hope they can last better than we did."

[[[[[[[[+]]]]]]]]

Core World Corverus

Hysandi City

3.531.M36

The mood in the headquarters of the PDF wasn't happy. To say that it was bad would have been an understatement; the mood was a whole level of frustration and anxiety for the high officers.

"This is UNBELIEVABLE!" Shouted Lord Castellon Arius Nasser of the Corverus PDF forces in the command room. "The Commodore really believes that we can hold out against a Covenant invasion ourselves? He must be more naive than I thought."

"With all due respect sir, his fleet was outnumbered and outmatched with no sight of victory without sacrificing his entire battle group, which is something we can't afford to risk," pointed out High Colonel Furrom of II Division, representing the Imperial forces in this region of the planet. "His battle group won't be able to continue the fight with effective results."

Arius snorted at that comment. "Less effect or not, there's still the matter of an enemy fleet landing an invasion on this world. And I have no intention of letting this happen while I breathe." He turned around to face one of his officers.

"Colonel Vespar, where's the heading of the enemy invasion force and the suspected targets?"

"Our augur arrays have tracked Covenant forces spreading over the heart of the Kalida continent with their main landing ships touching down for the Kadar Mountains," responded Vesper. "As for targets, Hysandi city would serve as the main target for the Kadar force seeing as its the largest city on the planet and serves as major conduit between many other settlements. Other possible targets would be Dunlina and Morswil cities due to their proximity to the other landing zones, they would be the first to fall to the Covenant."

"Those low-culled bastards," muttered another officer in the room.

Vespar nodded his head in agreement. "Indeed, while the loss of these two cities won't effect us greatly in any way, but the enemy would end up utilizing them as forward bases to shelter their forces against any counter-attacks we make against them. And we can't attack the main invasion force landing in the mountain range, the natural landscape would shield most of their soldiers from our artillery and allow them to better defend their supply lines from our units. They'll also use the Forest of Stray Pines to spearhead most of their invasion safely from airstrikes. The great trees there are like fortresses of nature, their bark as strong as steel and capable of hindering their advance yet their thick canopy will allow them to be blanketed against our eyes."

"So we would need to abandon Dunlina and Morswil to the mercy of our enemies, keep a good eye on the forest and turn Hysandi into a fortress in just a matter of hours," interrupted Furrom. Turning to a holograph table of the city and the surrounding landscape. He began point to several locations around the city. "We're going to need to stop them here and there on the main highways leading to the heart of the city in order to denied them access to critical districts in the city. I will have explosive crews secure many of the roads with mines and rig the bridges to collapse should we lose control of the outer districts of the city."

His hand then hovered over the center of the city where twelve red dots laid around the heart of the capitol in a circle. "Meanwhile, the ancient lasbatteries stationed in the city will ensure the airspace around us will be free of any atmospheric warships from providing critical ground support. They will need to be heavily-guarded."

"My PDF forces will be evacuating the citizens and fortifying the inner districts of the city should things for worse in the battle," responded Arius. "In the meantime High Colonel Furrom, your men will take hold of the fields northeast of Hysandi and fortify it in preparation against the approaching Covenant forces."

Furrom nodded his head. "Understood."

The Lord Castellon straightened himself and faced the room. "Gentlemen, I cannot distress the importance of holding out the enemy line until Imperial reinforcements arrive to drive the xenos off. At this moment, it is our priority to hold out as long as we can against the tides of our enemy. Is that understood?" He received an affirmative of nods.

"Good, you all have your orders. Return to your positions and prepare for battle."

... ... ...

Outskirts of Hysandi City

Many people would have said that Hysandi is a beautiful city that shines across the landscape when the sun's rays strike the city towers. Unfortunately, that beauty would be ruined by the preparations of war.

"Pick up the pace boys! I want those heavy bolters up and running ASAP! We need to be done before the covenant get here," shouted a captain to his men.

A shout of 'yes sir' was heard as a group of men began setting up a large gun and linking an ammo chain filled with large shells to it. Similar actions were being done across the defensive line with soldiers setting up gun emplacements and erecting barricades. Far behind the working men, Rhino artillery pieces could be seen securing themselves in the earth with sharp clamps of supporting hydraulics pistons as their massive cannons freed of their outer casings and tilted high in the air. Closer to the lines were emplacements containing self-propelled Thorax howitzers and squads of motors ready to support the front defenses. Further ahead of the supporting weapons were the first trenches dug by the men of Armageddon and filled with reserves of younger soldiers who had yet to taste real combat, waiting anxiously for the Covenant to arrive. However, the furthest trenches were instead filled with grizzled veterans who had either faced several battles or those who have fought in many campaigns. Throughout the trenches lines of barricades could be seen placed for additional protection along with heavy weapons to further bolster the defenses. High in the air, flights of Sparrowhawks patrolled the airspace for any incoming enemy aircraft that would attempt to bomb the lines.

Watching the men work on the defenses was Force-Commander Signe de Faille of the II Battalion, III Regiment of II Division, I Corps of the VIII Armageddon Imperial Army. Taking in every detail of the defenses with his bionic eye, he made sure that none of his lines were showing any sign of weak points to allow the Covenant to breach through. The last thing he needed was giving the enemy free access to the city.

"Force-Commander Faille!"

The commander turned around to see who called him and saw that it was one of his officers under his command: Staff Commander Ulkunov.

Ulkunov came to attention when he stopped and gave his report, "Sir, we have over ninety-five percent of the defenses completed and given time, we can have the rest finished soon."

Faille nodded his head in acknowledgment, this was certainly good news. However, there was still one bit of information that has been nagging him for a while.

"Any word from the scouts on the approaching speed of the Covenant Legion?"

The captain thought for split second before answering. "The reports still remain the same: their speed still continues at the rate they have held since the scouts have last reported and their arrival time still remains of around four-and-five hours, give or take unless new complications present themselves soon. Intelligence continues to place the main aim of the attack to still be the lines of the II and III Regiments while the I and IV will deal with flanking strikes."

Faille frowned with the last part of the information once more. Knowing that his own battle lines will be facing the brunt of a Covenant Legion had not pleased to no end ever since he had learned of this not three hours ago when his man had just begun laying down the foundations of the earthworks. He had not doubt about his men, all of them were proud soldiers of the Hive world Armageddon and her philosophy regarding the nature of using the very earth to as shield to weather destruction and a barrier to grind an attack to its knees that could rival those of Kreig. But still, it was a very daunting task for his regiment, one he hoped that would not prove beyond to be handled.

Turning back to the Ulkunov, he asked, "are the men well aware of the reports?"

Ulkunov nodded his head. "The entire regiment has been briefed per protocol. There is still grumbles amongst their ranks regarding the..difficulty of our objective this coming battle. Many of the commissioned officers have been stockpiling as much munitions protocols will allow them to carry in the battlefield."

"If it will raise their confidence to have far more ammunition them at their disposal, have our logistics ensure they receive them captain. We must be ready for the coming storm."

"At once, Force-Commander," saluted Ulkunov before departing to relay the orders.

Turning his head back to continue observing his men making the final touches to the lines, Faille could see in the forest background the signs of an invading army as plums of smoke rose from the treetops and the sound of wood being brought down echoing faintly. He considered the best methods his battalion could utilize to effectively hold back the enemy and buy the reinforcements enough time to arrive and turn the battle in their favor. He mused if he should have the artillery begin their bombardment before the vanguard left the premises of the forest, but he would end up wasting ammo on a small force that for all intent or purposes, was what the Covenant commander was hoping for. He could always have the crew hold their fire, but that would mean leaving the vanguard virtually untouched and have the numbers to soften his defenses or target his auxiliary.

Before he can muse anymore, he heard his vox begin crackling as it activated.

+Force-Commander Faille! Major Carsten has requested all officers of the battalions to report to him immediate. The scouts have returned from their missions with new intelligence regarding the status of the vanguard+ Spoke a communications officer.

Faille had a quick look of surprise on his face. His mind was currently analyzing the exact reasons that would give Carsten a solid cause for calling a war meeting with all the officers right now? The only possibility he could come up right now was the new information the scouts reported was much more dire that it had been previously thought beforehand.

Composing himself, he quickly replied in his vox, "Thanks for bringing this to my attention quickly. Inform the Major I'll be there as soon as I can."

Faille walked to his assigned Warthog vehicle and ordered the driver to take him to the regiment's temporary command station.

... ... ...

Hysandi City, III Regiment's Command Station

Faille entered the small command room filled with other ranking officers of the III Regiment. He gave respectable gestures to the other four Force-Commanders Delbrück, Nielsen, Lehman, and Maisel who returned the same gesture to him. Standing at the center of attention was Major Cartsen himself staring at a holo-map depicting the tactical emplacements of his entire regiment. Standing on his right was his second-in-command Staff Major Wasser ready to help provide insight should his superior require it.

Carsten immediately inhaled deeply through his nostrils before exhaling it out loudly to catch everyone's undivided attention as he removed his gaze from the tactical map and focused it at the Force-Commanders assembled before him.

Like many meetings Faille could remember previously, the Major let the silence float for an undefined time until the inevitable moment came to abate it. "All five of you are wondering why I had you called up here when instead you should still be be making the final preparations of the earthworks. As you're very aware of, several of our scouts -three to be exact- had returned not thirty-five minutes ago with updated intelligence regarding the Covenant Invasion status and possible objectives, their reports have been enough for the High Colonel to redistribute them to all of his commanders for awareness accompanied with new standing orders to the II Regiment's officer and me only."

Faille bit his tongue to keep himself from voicing his thoughts aloud, something that was similarly mimicked by the other four to avoid disrupting the silence and breaking the chain of thoughts of their commander.

Not making any sign to acknowledge the actions of his officers, he continued. "If what the reports are true and still remain as of now, the Covenant invasion force had managed to successfully cloak most of their vanguard's strength from the eyes of our scouts and through three rings of our T.G.S.* perimeters with no warnings." He gestured a hand to the holo-table as Wasser tapped away in a thin device, causing the map to both zoom out and shift away from the Imperial lines until it hovered above the forest. A bright red half-a-ring line is marked across a specific line in the forest, the location standing roughly one thousand and eight hundred meters away from the end of the vegetation bordering Hysandi.

"It was only through timing and skill that one of our scouts manage to discover beneath the cloaks the true strength of the vanguard force sent ahead of the legion to soften us up. Adding to the fact he proved successful in surviving from Covenant ambushes whereas most of his brethren failed to come back, especially since we can no longer sense their life force anymore in the forest."

"The reports no longer indicate a vanguard strength of around three thousand strong, now that we've seen what lies hidden, their estimated numbers have grown to nearly six thousand to eight thousand instead."

The silence in the air seemed to have suddenly deafened to the point that even the low hum of the machines in the very room have ceased to produce any sort of sound that the fluttering of a lone feather falling to the floor would've been like thunder.

"What are our new orders, sir?" Lehman spoke, deciding to break the hollow silence blanketing the room.

Carsten looked grimly at him. "The High Colonel has specified that we're to hold our ground down to its centimeters, only abandoning it at the last moment it when we can no longer contain them. It will be well expected for us and the II Regiment to face heaviest blows of the Vanguard force before the main legion enters the fray. He has made it clear it matters not the losses it takes to hold them back, but we must not let the Vanguard gain a foothold in the city or we're all dead men by the first rays of dawn."

Delbrück's thick voice spoke up. "So that means we can expect extensive losses for our men?"

He grunted at that. "Unfortunately, yes."

All four officers gave each other wary glances and muttered curses promising horror to their enemies as they processed the unsealed reports from their superior.

"However," Carsten continued, "That doesn't change the fact that-"

A low-pitch electronic alarm began ringing in the room, cutting his words off. The holo-map immediately changed its visual configuration over the forest and replaced with a tactical image of the plains covering the western face of Hysandi and the eastern ranges of Stray Pines. A blinking red arc line hovered about seven hundred meters from Imperial lines.

"Sir!" Wasser spoke without taking his eyes from his device, furiously typing away on it. "Large columns of Covenant of infantry and armor have been detected triggering the final T.G.S. ring system! They have dropped all pretense of cloaking their hidden units from our eyes and are marching forward! High Colonel Furrom has given the order to mobilize all reserves and support units in preparation and place all active soldiers to red alert."

"What?!" Exclaimed Carsten, Faille and the other Force-Commanders in the room. "This soon? We were sure we still had time before they would reach the final marker! Intelligence gave us approximately three hours."

"You know is difficult to gather accurate information of an enemy force when two-thirds of it is hidden from both eyes and sensors. They have been also systematically eliminating our scouts to prevent us from seeing deeply what is happening in the forest the entire time before we could understand the situation!"

"Damn their souls to the Inferno Plains!" Carsten slammed his fist on the table, causing minor cracks to appear on its glassy surface. "What is their new E.T.A. now?"

Wasser looked up briefly from the device, "Intelligence has now placed their E.T.A. to be approximately at two hours and thirty minutes or more at most should the Covenant face extensive delays in transporting the necessary men and materials through the forest's dense vegetation efficiently! If not, they will be here by at least one hour less minimally if they can move faster."

Turning around to face his officers, he began barking orders, "You all have your new orders! Get back to your men and rouse them for coming battle. We are making our stand here! Is this understood?"

"SIR YES SIR!"

... ... ...

Outskirts of Hysandi City (One hour and twenty-three minutes later)

Alarms had been ringing for the last hour warning the defenders of the approaching enemy. Swiftly, the lines soon became a source of organized chaos as soldiers slammed magazines in their weapons and took their places behind the trench walls while their officers shouted orders to motivate their men to move faster.

First-Corporal Jask took a compacted weapon connected on his back and activated it. The short barrel of the rifle quickly expanded forward as the stock extended to a broader shape while the inner components of the weapon expanded too and locked together into a fully functioning tool of war. He pushed in place a fresh set of energy magazine to his hellrifle's weapon feeder and checked the ammo reader for confirmation before switching off the safety. He ran a quick inspection of the weapon, his HUD providing him valuable details of its condition as everything was scanned since the last thing he needed was the gun to jam for no good reason during a firefight in a crucial moment.

"Jask."

Jask lifted his head and smiled when he saw one of his squad mates, Private Castorin sitting down with him.

"Castorin."

Castorin turned back to Jask after sitting down. "Heard from the guys that you manage to bag Adéla and Tamás together. That true?"

Even with the helmet on, Jask stared at his friend blankly. "We're about to descent into a battle and your going to just ask me about a rumor of me getting two girls together with me and convincing them to stay with me? Really?"

"Hey, don't look at me like that! It was Xiander who told us," pointed out Castorin.

"This is Xiander we're talking about. Of course he is going to latch on a rumor and spin like it was a legend in the first place! When has he ever not done that?"

"Mmmm…point taken."

Silence filled both men.

"...You still didn't answer the question."

"Oh for crying out loud! Do I need to tell you this when-"

A deep war-horn rang loudly through the trenches, interrupting their conversation as it continued for a a few more seconds before repeating once more.

Jask stopped what he was doing and listened to the horn. A few minutes went by before he spoke with a grim voice. "They're coming."

"Wait...look at the forest!" Castorin exclaimed and pointed to what he saw.

Both soldiers along with others stood fixed looking towards the edge of the forest where comets of plasma were seen rising high into the air from the treetops. Countless eyes kept tracked of the projectiles as they arced gracefully downwards and began falling towards the Imperial lines. Realization quickly dawned upon most of the men as they immediately ducked instinctively deeper into their trenches for safety.

Before the projectiles could crash into their lines, the first ones exploded violently as a wide hexagon-pattern shield visibly appeared in the air and absorbed the impacts with ease. More projectiles crashed into the shifting shield as the enemy bombardment increased before the Imperium responded with their own.

Ear-shattering explosions ripped through the air as the Rhinos fired their heavy ordinances in response. Large pillars of fires erupted within the forest as clumps of trees and bodies were thrown in the air from the bombardment.

Next to Jask, a soldier jerked his head back as his visor exploded in a shower of glass and blood from a pulse beam drilling through effortlessly. Everyone nearby immediately snapped their weapons towards the forest and began firing. Lasers and explosive rounds tore through the thick bark of the trees as warriors of the Covenant fired from behind the shrub at the entrenched humans.

Not too soon, large beams of plasma sailed from the forest as heavy mechanical Locusts walkers broke free of the confines of the forest and lumbered forward in support of the light infantry, their weapons burning through the trenches like wet paper. Anti-mechanize weapons fired from the support trenches of the Imperial lines zeroed in on the Locust war-machines and unleashed their deadly payload. Energy shields flared to life for the walkers as projectiles struck them with those receiving the greatest concentrated of fire exploding in a shower of volatile plasma.

Unheard under the cacophony of the battle, anti-gravity sounds rang loudly as dozens of anti-personal Ghosts burst free of the forest and made a beeline for the trenches. Their actions did not go unnoticed by the Imperials who responded to these new arrivals with redirected heavy support weapons targeting them and marksmen shooting them out of their seats. Many Ghost drivers were undeterred with their current predicament and continued forward under the storm of fire. Those that quickly reach near the lines fired their twin plasma launchers, the deadly bolts cutting through shield and armor as humans were cut down in surprise. Retribution came swiftly for many of these riders as marksmen shot them from their seats and weapons ripped the soft armor plating of the craft apart.

Explosions continued to land on the Covenant as wings of Sparrowhawks made strafed runs across their ranks, their targeting systems allowing them to make precise hits against enemy mechanized units with small resistance. Their superiority over the ground forces were quickly tossed aside as squads of Banshees swooped in from the sky and let loose streams of plasma bolts and beams. Responding with tactical skill, many of the Sparrowhawks engaged their thrusters to expertly avoid the barrage of plasma with those reacting too slow catching many on their tails or engines.

The Covenant Vanguard continued to push forward as more warriors and vehicles left the forest and merged their firepower with their forward units. The first two Imperial lines were beginning to feel pressure as beams of plasma were cutting through the trenches and losses were beginning to mount up. More and more men were being pulled from the support trenches in the back to replace those in the front in order to continue holding the line.

Once the main Vanguard units crossed the halfway point, hell was completely unleashed in its devastating glory.

Warp lightening and unstable spheres suddenly erupted from multiple points across the Imperial ranks and struck the Covenant in every joint. A Locust suddenly collapsed with its limbs folding into each other in ways that should not be physically possible and its body compacting until it no longer resembled a machine anymore. Warriors jerked in stricken motions as volatile ethereal energy charged through their veins and flayed their souls from their bodies. Chaos filled their ranks as the Imperial's pyskers shattered their momentum.

Not to be outdone, the Covenant quickly retaliated with their own power. Pillars of otherworldly fire broke out in the midst of the soldiers as their bodies and souls were burnt in excruciating pain and shrieking vortexes tore everything down to the molecular that came in its contact. Death and destruction climbed high in the battlefield with pyskers of both sides unleashes the strength of their minds upon their enemies.

Runes of all kinds materialized in the ranks of the Imperial soldiers at hands of those who could wield its power as entire arrays of psionic abilities were brought out to play. More were carved in the earth under the legs of the Covenant warriors with a larger one made in the center of the Vanguard. The great rune glowed in golden energy as sky exploded in light as burning comets rained from above and struck the ground with great fury. Earth-shattering explosions shook the air as many Covenant units were completely obliterated from the rain of fire. Sky-blue spheres larger than the mass of a Warthog rose from the center ranks of the covenant towards the raining comets and sprouted dozens of thin, whip-like arms measuring for several meters before spinning at speeds faster than even an augmented eye can follow. More explosions erupted above the battlefield as dozens of comets were quickly destroyed by the razor edge of the whip arms. The rain of comets is swiftly ended once the Covenant desecrated the great rune powering it and the spheres are soon redirected towards the Imperials.

Great walls of earth rose from the ground and curved over the forward lines in defense against the spinning spheres. Most of the spheres crashed into the thick earth and became buried but others were successful in digging through and landing on top of the Imperials, the spinning arms slicing apart anything in reach in a whirlwind of flesh, metal and dirt as soldiers were easily cut apart and trenches cleared.

Jask shielded his head with his right arm as the earth wall before his line was pierced by a beam of plasma and followed with a Locust suddenly tearing through by using its forelegs as diggers to make a bigger hole. Projectiles immediately smashed into the face of the machine, the shields lighting up in response before it looked towards the direction the attack came from and returned the favor with a powerful beam of plasma.

Golden bolts pierced the cockpit of the machine with ease and collapsed it. Jask and others swiftly turned behind the origin of the attack to see Force-Commander Faille holding the regiment's standard high in the air as it glowed in hues of gold. Surrounding him were several members of the esteem Steel Guard, Armageddon's most vaunted soldiers and the elite of her Armies.

Holding the standard with both hands, the Force-Commander slammed the bottom shaft to the ground. A wavering lance of golden energy launched from the eagle emblem and struck another Locust nearby before jumping to a ghost, then quickly split itself into multiple smaller tendrils that proceeded to strike more targets with lethal results. "The line will be held against the odds!"

Helmets perked up in recognition where he was heading towards and joined in. "For our hearts are steel of will and our bones iron of strength!"

"None shall pass through our wall alive!"

"For it is held tighter than the thickest granite and harder than the strongest diamond!"

"We hold back the death that dwells from the blackest hearts!"

"We face the corrupting horrors of the deep pits of the worlds!"

"For it is our sacred duty, our mantle as soldiers of the Imperium!"

"Let them come forward to their inevitable fate!"

"For it will be their final welcome to receive!"

"By our hand of burning fire, they shall be purged!"

"Blood and steel, that is what we are!"

"We, the Steel Sons of Armageddon!"

A deep, baritone horn bellowed loudly over the explosions of the battle followed by more throughout the Imperial lines as columns of Covenant forces marched from the depth of the forest. Entire legions of warriors could be seen moving in tight formation with a rich diversity of infantry of all categories.

The Legions had finally arrived.


I know a cliffhanger. You guys are probably cussing at me for doing this.

Remember to post Reviews and Criticism is welcomed (again, not harshly). Like and Favor guys!

Well, this is Chapter 2, the next one will coming up and I will be soon loading up the first codex for the Imperium of Humanity!

So the Covenant of the Mantle has arrived and is coming to hand the asses of the Imperium on a silver platter. Will this world survive against the incoming onslaught or will it burn in the fires of war? Or maybe both...

Find out next time on Galaxia's Wars!

Until next time!

Sicut ars belli artificem potest arguere esse fatalem.