Disclaimer: Warhammer, Warhammer 40k and all related names and characters
belong to Games Workshop. No infringement intended. No profit made--these
stories are purely for reader and writer enjoyment. That means that all
the other characters introduced in this story are my own creations as are
any changes made to the Warhammer universes.
Hi all, I'd just like to thank my beta-reader Frozen Phoenix for her comments and advice on how to make this story better as well as deal with some of the unsavory parts ^_^ Enjoy!
Twilight's Crossing
by Karandras
Chapter 1
A gentle breeze swept over the small group of Path-finders and Solitaire. Cameleoline cloaks flapped in the wind, changing colors and blotting out parts of the body they covered. High stalks of grass yielded to the wind, bending and swaying but never breaking.
"Why do you seek me, Karhaedron? What do you want from me, Wandering Spirit?" Karthanmor asks to the lone Solitaire.
Behind his mask, Karhaedron smiled. Glee rose in him as if he were in battle- blood rushing through his veins, adrenaline pumping and the craving to fight rising. Followers of the Laughing God, the Great Harlequin, are usually like this for to them the battlefield is a stage and they are the performers.
"I haven't heard that name in a long time. Do you insult me by using the mon keigh's version of my name?" Karhaedron asked.
"Not at all. I only said it because that is what you are is it not? A wandering soul in this cruel universe." Karthanmor replied impassively.
"I have come for you, Karthanmor. I have watched you these long centuries, you have proven yourself more than capable of anything. I believe you can pass the Ritual."
Karthanmor said nothing, his face remained cold as ice. His eyes, however, told a different tale. They shone with indecision and unwillingness to abandon his fellow Path-finders.
Sensing this, Karhaedron continued on. "Not only that, you have fought many enemies of our race but the foe you fight the most and the fiercest is the forces of Chaos. Your willingness to fight the Great Enemy and all spawn of Chaos is exemplified by the code of justice that you live by."
"Aku Soku Zan." Karthanmor whispered softly, almost inaudible. But Karhaedron heard, "That is right. You are already a Harlequin in all but spirit, why not come with me and join in the fight against Chaos?"
Glancing at the other Path-finders with him he said nothing, his look alone was enough.
"I've known you for more than 400 years, Kar. I'll go with you if you wish it of me." The tallest of the three, Eldorath, said.
Karthanmor only nodded and looked to the other two. "What you about Vandrimir? And you Athan'bane?"
The shorter of the two, Vandrimir, with his short golden yellow hair peeking out from underneath his hood took a step forward and placed his fist over his heart. "I fought alongside you when we were Dire Avengers, so shall I be with you as you undergo the Ritual."
Athan'bane stepped forward alongside Loren'galiel, his medium length brown hair swaying in the wind as his hood was down exposing high cheek bones and noble look that all Eldar bear. "Sire, I'd follow you into the Eye of Terror to fight the Great Enemy if you but ask it. I shall go with you wherever you choose."
Nodding to his comrades, he smiled though it couldn't be seen under oxygen mask he knew they could see it in his eyes, he turned back to the waiting Solitaire.
"I shall go with you on the condition that they come with me as well." Karthanmor said, his tone brooking no arguments.
Eyeing the other three Eldar with Path-finder leader, Karhaedron turned his gaze onto the Path-finder and nodded slightly. "Very well then. They look as if they may be able to pass the Ritual as well. If you are ready, come with me." With that, he motioned for them to go but Karthanmor held up a hand to stop Karhaedron.
"Not yet, first we need to finish our assignment for Alaitoc before we go with you. You may come along with us if you want, I think you may be pleased with what we need to do."
Karhaedron started to giggle immensely, unable to stand still he jumped about doing marvelous displays of acrobatics. "Really? What do we get to do?"
Karthanmor smiled. "We...are to pin down the mon keigh forces encamped on the Yamsa plains just over these hills until our forces arrive to shatter them. Other Ranger and Path-finder units will be converging on this point as well. It's time we turn these mon keigh invaders into...what do they call it...a pincushion."
Above the, the sky darkened as a storm began to brew.
*********************
Dusk was rapidly approaching as stormclouds formed in the skies. Thunder rumbled across the land with its sibling lightning strikes lighting up the open air. Slowly but steadily raindrops began to fall, washing over the ground and cleansing the dirt and grime from the bodies of the Catachan guardsmen.
A flash of lightning illuminated the fields, showing hordes of soldiers that were not there before. Small squads of armoured figures stood anxiously no more than a couple miles away.
Twisted mockeries of the Emperor's loyal space marines, the Chaos marines of the Black legion could be heard chanting amongst themselves as they readied for battle. Box-shaped Rhino transports were scattered between squads, their hulls pulsating with daemonic life as horns and other sharp obtrustive instruments stuck out.
Though Chaos traitors' armour was a nightblack with a brass coloring trimming the shoulderpads and the eight pointed star of Chaos, quite a few of the heretics wore spiky blood red power armour.
Wth a roar matched only by the raging storm these berserkers, adorned with a gruesome assortment of wicked looking weapons stained with blood and rust, lifted their weapons in the air and began chanting to their patron, the Chaos god Khorne.
"BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!"
"SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!"
''BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!"
"SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!"
The battlecry of the Khorne berserkers echoed over the open plains to the surrouonded Imperial army. Some guardsmen exchanged nervous glances. They knew they were the traitors they hunted were space marines but Khorne berserkers were something they didn't expect.
If these traitors had khornites in their midst, who knew what other devout followers of Chaos were there. Even worse, the Imperial army advantage of mass artillery barrage on flat terrain would mean very little if there were practisioners of the four Chaos gods: Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle, Slaanesh.
Their chant works with a double purpose as Inquisitor Zeniks noted. The chanting worked up the berserkers into a frenzy state of wanton killing and it also served to reduce the morale of the enemy they fight. Zeniks kept faith with the Emperor though, knowing that the Emperor's blessings were with them.
"BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!"
"SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!"
With a final battlecry, these psychotic close combat fighters charged at the entrenched Imperial camp. Dozens of them ran with the speed of a cheetah, spreading out to minimize casaulties as Leman Russ tanks blasted large craters into the earth. Rhino transports trailed behind the Khornites, using them as meat shields, until they could reach the front lines.
Explosions rippled across the untouched plains sending earth and berserkers flying through the air. Those flung into the air by the explosions hit the ground hard, some got and resumed their charge. Others simply layed still and moved no longer.
An agonized shriek came from one of the lead berserkers who was armed with dual power axes with skulls adorning the spike at the top of each axe blade. Dropping one of the axes, he stumbled around clutching his head with a power gloved hand as lasgun shots ricocheted off his massive form, on occassion cracking one of the trophy skulls he wore around his neck.
A high pitched scream emitted from the dark horned helmet and two red glowing orbs burned where the eyes should be, could be seen even from the Imperial frontlines shoning from the darkened visor.
The Imperial guardsmen gasped and began to concentrate their fire on the Khorne champion even as explosive shells were lobbed at the incoming attack force via Demolisher tanks, whose short demolisher cannons atop the turret blasted holes the size of a normal human into the flanks of the Rhinos.
Cries of desperation came from a few guardsmen for which this was their first battle, the fear coursing through their veins at watching bloodlusted warriors passed through No Man's Land and reaching them. As the forces collided into eachother with lasguns firing and swords slashing, the Khorne Champion emitted an inhuman scream.
The armor exploded off the champion's body, pieces of plasteel flying here and there.
Where a superhuman 7 foot tall man should have been was the disturbing grotestque form of a Greater Daemon of Khorne, the Bloodthirster. Spreading its batlike wings, it towered over even the space marines.
Humanoid in shape only, it resembled more of bestial homo-sapien with its wide jaws and protrusive fangs along with slanted glowing red/yellow eyes. Long twisted horns sprouted from its forehead and in its right clawed hand was a rune encrusted power axe writing with forbidden symbols. In its left hand was a long barbed whip capable of wrapping itself around a man's body and ripping apart in a disgusting but efficient manner.
With a low growl, it launched itself at the Imperial forces. Its throat rumble as it bellowed its battlecry:
"For the Warmaster!"
*********************
The battle was fiercely fought as ordinary humans fought genetically altered, Chaos empowered space marines of the dreaded Black Legion. The Catachan guardsmen did what they are best at: fighting in close combat and dying, dying being the more common of the two for this particular moment.
Bloodsoaked axes and blades glowed faint blue aura as they cut through flesh, muscle and bone.
Private Calek, a young guardsmen no more than 20 years old with a heavily muscled body, clashed swords with a khorne berserker.
The berserker spun his sword in an arc aimed for the guardsman' head only to have it parried. The return stroke for the berserker's blade took far too long and in that small gap of time, the guardsman's shorter blade slashed across the underside of the space marine's helmet, severing the wind pipes.
The chaos heretic ignored it however, choosing to launch a flurry of rapid strikes upon Calek's unarmoured body. With the aid of a knife along with his trusty sword, he managed to deflect and dodge all the blows save for one that cut across his right arm with all the speed of youth.
An angry roar accompanied the khornite's blade in a downward slash only to have it miss and caught under Calek's foot.
Moving with desperate speed, he shoved his knife through the left eye of the helmet while his right hand swung that sword that decapitated the marine. Letting go of the knife, he let the head and body separate.
Grinning to himself that he managed to defeat a khorne berserker, he didn't notice the monstrous looming shape behind him.
Private Calek turned his head just in time to see a large clawed hand engulf his head. In an instant, his head was crushed to a bloody pulp and his body tossed aside like a rag doll as the Bloodthirster continued on its wanton killing frenzy.
Elsewhere, Chaos Rhinos rammed through Imperial lines. Large rectangular shaped vehicles plowed through mounds of dirt and humans alike. Their bolters blazing a cover fire as their rear doors swung open as black armoured marines ran out, bolters flaring.
"For the Warmaster!" A battlecry from the Bloodthirster that was soon taken up by the black armoured soldiers. Each one fought with merciless efficiency, cutting down Catachan guardsmen in hand-to-hand with Khorne berserkers.
Catachan do not die easily though. Some swung around to open fire with their weapons, multi-meltas and heavy bolters, upon the millenia old traitors. The air around the multi-meltas hissed as super-heated air burst into flesh searing heat.
Several marines fell to the ground, drowning in molten slag as ceramite plates liquified under extreme heat. A few that managed to survive the intense blasts of heat were cut down by rapid fire shots of the heavy bolter.
The small self-propelled missiles known as bolts drilled into dirt, armour and flesh exploding with equal ferocity. Several of the chaos marines who were returning fire were clipped at the knees or fell with fist sized gaping wounds in their chests but not before unleashing their own bolter fire that arced side to side. Heavy muscled men fell to the ground, their blood mixing with the mud underneath.
** ** **
Several yards back from the thickest part of the fighting stood Inquisitor Abram Zeniks along with his retinue of henchmen.
Not longer was he merely dressed in flak armour, now he was wearing a full suit of gold/silver power armour without a helmet. A long double edged power sword, its length carved with words inimical to the daemonic, hung at his side and in his hand, he carried a specially made storm bolter filled with bolters infused with the essence of the Emperor. The amulet in the shape of a cross known as the Crux Terminatus, with its blood red gem at the center, hung low around from his neck.
Resting on his shoulder was a large raven, a metal construct infused with psychic energy and attuned to Zenik's telepathic signature. It was his familiar and one he was quite fond of as for long years it has served his faithfully as his eyes and ears when he is not around. Icarus, as Abram calls the raven, is about the size of an adult cat with farseeing jade eyes. The only sign that Icarus is a machine is the metallic components sprouting from its back to its neck.
Calmly as if it's common ritual Zeniks lifted his ritually blessed storm bolter and emptied numerous rounds into a charging Khorne berserker, a grim smile forming on his lips as he watch the corpse fall. His storm bolter's double engraved barrels smoked lightly before screaming another death song into a trio of chaos marines.
Their return fire did nothing to faze him as he had the Emperor's blessings on his side, their bolters merely bounced off his armour with little ill effects. It could not be said that the same thing had happened for them, shieldbreaker rounds tore through their ceramite armour as though it were paper. A chaos marine fell back, his finger gripping the trigger of his bolter, spraying rounds of deadly corrupted shrapnel everywhere killing friend and foe alike.
Another chaos marine clutched his helmet before toppling over, his head destroyed from the bolter round the penetrated his fully enclosed skull-faced helmet just moments before and exploded.
Pausing only to give orders to his retinue which included his acolyte, Ramius and an Interrogater by the name of Dromak, Inquisitor Zeniks continued firing before noticing that the circle of Imperial troops began to shrink.
'They're wavering.' He thought to himself, 'They believe the Emperor's light has deserted them. They must be reminded that He is always watching his most loyal of servants.'
Advancing forward with his retinue, Zeniks shouted in a deep almost melodius voice. The fire in his eyes and passion in his voice growing with each passing word. "Hold the line my brothers! Fight for not only your souls but for our beloved Emperor!"
Raising his voice to even greater heights of religious fanaticism, he shounted once again. "My brothers! My comrades! Fight on for the Emperor's love is with us all. Fight on knowing that should we fall, our souls are safe in the arms of His Majesty. Have faith in our blessed sovereign for He can do no wrong. Salvation always awaits the true loyal servants of the Emperor!"
Drawing his power sword in his left gaunlet, he raised the sword above his head and began firing his storm bolter again, his pitched voice booming above even the gunfire. "Faith is our armour, we shall not die until He commands it! Now cleanse the heretics! CLEANSE AND BURN THEM ALL!!!"
High in the the dark and stormy skies, bright stars of hope twinkled and began an ever increasing speedy descent onto the battlefield below.
*********************
Warhammer 40k (The Sci-fi Universe) Glossary
Bolter weapon- There are many types of bolters ranging from bolt pistols to bolters to the deadly anti-infantry heavy bolter. All bolt weapons fire small, self-propelled missiles known as bolts. Bolts are relatively large (three times the size of a rifle bullet) and a magazine carries relatively few. This is outweighed by the incredible armour penetrating power of the bolt's adamantium tip, complemented by an explosive charge contained within the bolt's core.
Cameleoline Cloak- Though mainly a cloak, it also consists of robes that make the Path-finder or Ranger virtually invisible to the naked eye. They work by shifting and blending in with the surrounding environment, making it extremely difficult to locate the wearer.
Eldar- The Eldar are an ancient, psychic and technologically advanced race (their spacefaring history predating humanity's by many thousands of year) who ruled the galaxy until a terrible catastrophe overcame them. Their decadence combined with powerful psychic abilities and warp energy caused the birth of a new god. Slannesh, the Great Enemy devoured a large proportion of the Eldar race in one night and continues to take the souls of all Eldar should they die without a Waystone. Although the Eldar were all but destroyed in the Fall, many survive. With the help of expert warriors and an ability to predict the future, gradually the Eldar are bringing together the shattered remnants of their civilization to once again rule the galaxy.
Farseer- The leaders of the Craftworlds, Farseers, will join their kin in battle, using powerful psychic abilities to support the warriors or if necessary take apart the mind of the enemy. Warlocks accompany their Farseers so that they to may give their life in defence of the Eldar Path
Flip belt- A flip belt is a compact anti-grav device which generates a short range negative-gravity field which, when combined with the Harlequins' already amazing acrobatic abilities, allows them to make all manner of gravity-defying leaps and bounds.
Daemon Hunters (Grey Knights)- Surpassing even their brother Space Marines in skill and ability, the level of expertise that each Grey Knight wields is such that they can exterminate a daemonic infestation that outnumbers them many times over. Armed with psychically charged force weapons, storm bolters and an unshakable faith in the Emperor, there is little more daunting a foe for a Daemon to face.
Harlequins- The Harlequins are a strange sub-sect of the Eldar race, consisting of warriors drawn from the other kindreds; the Craftworld Eldar, Exodites and Dark Eldar. They follow the only other Eldar god to survive the Cataclysm, the Laughing God. They are also the keepers of the ancient Eldar myths, and perform complex dances and plays to recreate these allegorical tales. The Harlequins are held in a mixture of fear, awe and respect by all other Eldar for their knowledge of the Webway is unmatched and they can appear and disappear almost at will.
Imperial Guard- The Imperial Guard is the largest and most diverse military organization the galaxy has ever seen. It contains billions of men supported by armored vehicles such as tanks and troop transports. These armored vehicles take the shape of flame throwing assault tanks, long range self propelled artillery guns, and the tried and true Leman Russ Battle Tank. Due to it's vast size, specialized weaponry and armor are rare and reserved for only the elite forces of the Imperial Guard. The standard guardsmen is sent into battle with a trusty lasgun and little more than the shirt on his back. Tactically, an Imperial Guard force uses blunt maneuvers and will rely upon big guns and sheer weight of numbers. Service in the Imperial Guard is rarely a glorious path to tread, nevertheless billions of valiant warriors lay down their lives for the sake of humanity, it's home, and the honor of the Emperor.
Imperium of Man- The Imperium of Man stretches across vast star systems, over billions of worlds. The Imperium is ruled by the God-Emperor but as he is nothing more than a corpse in a stasis field, the High Lords of Terra truly rule. In order to protect Humanity the Imperium is not only cruel and intolerant but xenophobic to other races, usually destroying any alien settlements on planets they wish to colonize, claiming it as "rightfully theirs and the alien heretics had no right to be there." Though the Imperium tries to be good, its intolerancy and merging of religion as government makes it highly impractical. Those who oppose the Imperium are killed either using the brute force of Space Marines, Imperial Guard or Adeptus Arbites or by an assassin of the Officio Assassinorum.
Inquisitor- Inquisitors are the agents of the Imperium's Inquisition. The Inquisition is an ecclesiastical tribunal for suppression of heresy, Inquisitors are given special powers to do as they wish as they deem fit in order to bring heretics to justice. They are the most fanatical of all the God-Emperor's servants and as such are brutally cruel in their attempts to 'purify' the Imperium of all threats, external and internal. They are armed with the most advanced technology in the Imperium and have been known to command even the dreaded Space Marines as well as their destruction should an Inquisitor deem them unrepentant. Their two main mottos are: "Innocence proves nothing." and "The ends justifies the means."
Meltagun- A melti-melta or thermal gun as it is known fires blasts of intense heat capable of melting flesh to nothing recognisable and equally capable of turning heavily armoured vehicles to motlen slag.
Mon Keigh (Pronounced: Mon Ki)- A semi derogatory name for humans by the Eldar. It's used to show their brutal, primitive nature. Also if pronounced correctly it sounds very similarly to monkey, the creature humans evolved from.
Multi-melta- The multi-melta or thermal cannon as it is known takes the extremes of heat to a whole new level. They are multi-barrelled thermal guns in almost every sense but generate more heat as a result of extra power packs. The multi-melta makes no noise when fired, but the super-heating of air produces a distinctive hiss that becomes a roaring blast.
Path-finder- Some Eldar Rangers have trodden the Path of the Outcast for centuries, having managed to resist the dark temptations that the universe offers but losing none of the wanderlust that drove them from their craftworld. They are more adept as survival and infiltration than even normal Rangers and are known as Path-finders.
Power armour- Power armour is a completely enclosed armour made from thick ceramite plates worn mainly by Space Marines. Though it would be heavy and cumbersome for a normal person, electrically motivated fibre bundles implanted in the armour allow for replication of the movements of the wearer and supplementation of his strength. Power armour is fully sealed to provide protection against gas weapons and hard vacuum.
Power weapons- Power weapons are surrounded by an energy field that tears apart any matter that it touches as long as the field is active.
Ranger Long Rifle- The Ranger long rifle fires something akin to needles, allowing the rifle to carry a much larger ammunition supply per cartridge. The long rifle is equipped with a highly sophisticated sights, allowing the firer to locate weak points in an enemy's armour.
Ritual, The- The Ritual is the test/ceremony undergone by any Eldar who was brought in by a Harlequin in order to become one. Those who are strong enough to survive the Ritual become Harlequins.
Shuriken weapons (IE: Shuriken Pistol, Shuriken Catapult, Shuriken Cannon)- The Eldar are famed for their shuriken weapons. These range in size from the Shuriken pistol to the shuriken cannon and all operate on the same principles. The aummunition is stored as a solid core of plasti-crystal material that is forced up from the magazine by a magnetic repulsor. A series of rapid high-energy impulses originating from the rear of the weapon then moves it forward at an intense speed. These impulses detach a monomolecular slice of the ammunition core and hurl it from the weapon's barrel, while the ammunition core is kept in the line of firing impulse by the magnetic repulsor. This allows the weapon to fire up to a hundred rounds of ammunition in a burst of one or two seconds, and each ammunition core is good for atleast ten bursts of fire before it needs replacing.
Space Marine- Space Marines are the most powerful and dreaded of all the human warriors in the Warhammer 40k universe. They are not Human at all but superhuman, having been made superior, in all respects, to a normal man by a harsh regime of genetic modification, psycho-conditioning and rigourous training. Being few in number compared to the uncounted billions of Humanity, Space Marines are organised into small independent armies called Chapters. Each Chapter is responsible for its own recruitment, training, equipment, organisation and strategy. Their unswerving loyalty is to the Emperor of Mankind and no other.
e.
Hi all, I'd just like to thank my beta-reader Frozen Phoenix for her comments and advice on how to make this story better as well as deal with some of the unsavory parts ^_^ Enjoy!
Twilight's Crossing
by Karandras
Chapter 1
A gentle breeze swept over the small group of Path-finders and Solitaire. Cameleoline cloaks flapped in the wind, changing colors and blotting out parts of the body they covered. High stalks of grass yielded to the wind, bending and swaying but never breaking.
"Why do you seek me, Karhaedron? What do you want from me, Wandering Spirit?" Karthanmor asks to the lone Solitaire.
Behind his mask, Karhaedron smiled. Glee rose in him as if he were in battle- blood rushing through his veins, adrenaline pumping and the craving to fight rising. Followers of the Laughing God, the Great Harlequin, are usually like this for to them the battlefield is a stage and they are the performers.
"I haven't heard that name in a long time. Do you insult me by using the mon keigh's version of my name?" Karhaedron asked.
"Not at all. I only said it because that is what you are is it not? A wandering soul in this cruel universe." Karthanmor replied impassively.
"I have come for you, Karthanmor. I have watched you these long centuries, you have proven yourself more than capable of anything. I believe you can pass the Ritual."
Karthanmor said nothing, his face remained cold as ice. His eyes, however, told a different tale. They shone with indecision and unwillingness to abandon his fellow Path-finders.
Sensing this, Karhaedron continued on. "Not only that, you have fought many enemies of our race but the foe you fight the most and the fiercest is the forces of Chaos. Your willingness to fight the Great Enemy and all spawn of Chaos is exemplified by the code of justice that you live by."
"Aku Soku Zan." Karthanmor whispered softly, almost inaudible. But Karhaedron heard, "That is right. You are already a Harlequin in all but spirit, why not come with me and join in the fight against Chaos?"
Glancing at the other Path-finders with him he said nothing, his look alone was enough.
"I've known you for more than 400 years, Kar. I'll go with you if you wish it of me." The tallest of the three, Eldorath, said.
Karthanmor only nodded and looked to the other two. "What you about Vandrimir? And you Athan'bane?"
The shorter of the two, Vandrimir, with his short golden yellow hair peeking out from underneath his hood took a step forward and placed his fist over his heart. "I fought alongside you when we were Dire Avengers, so shall I be with you as you undergo the Ritual."
Athan'bane stepped forward alongside Loren'galiel, his medium length brown hair swaying in the wind as his hood was down exposing high cheek bones and noble look that all Eldar bear. "Sire, I'd follow you into the Eye of Terror to fight the Great Enemy if you but ask it. I shall go with you wherever you choose."
Nodding to his comrades, he smiled though it couldn't be seen under oxygen mask he knew they could see it in his eyes, he turned back to the waiting Solitaire.
"I shall go with you on the condition that they come with me as well." Karthanmor said, his tone brooking no arguments.
Eyeing the other three Eldar with Path-finder leader, Karhaedron turned his gaze onto the Path-finder and nodded slightly. "Very well then. They look as if they may be able to pass the Ritual as well. If you are ready, come with me." With that, he motioned for them to go but Karthanmor held up a hand to stop Karhaedron.
"Not yet, first we need to finish our assignment for Alaitoc before we go with you. You may come along with us if you want, I think you may be pleased with what we need to do."
Karhaedron started to giggle immensely, unable to stand still he jumped about doing marvelous displays of acrobatics. "Really? What do we get to do?"
Karthanmor smiled. "We...are to pin down the mon keigh forces encamped on the Yamsa plains just over these hills until our forces arrive to shatter them. Other Ranger and Path-finder units will be converging on this point as well. It's time we turn these mon keigh invaders into...what do they call it...a pincushion."
Above the, the sky darkened as a storm began to brew.
*********************
Dusk was rapidly approaching as stormclouds formed in the skies. Thunder rumbled across the land with its sibling lightning strikes lighting up the open air. Slowly but steadily raindrops began to fall, washing over the ground and cleansing the dirt and grime from the bodies of the Catachan guardsmen.
A flash of lightning illuminated the fields, showing hordes of soldiers that were not there before. Small squads of armoured figures stood anxiously no more than a couple miles away.
Twisted mockeries of the Emperor's loyal space marines, the Chaos marines of the Black legion could be heard chanting amongst themselves as they readied for battle. Box-shaped Rhino transports were scattered between squads, their hulls pulsating with daemonic life as horns and other sharp obtrustive instruments stuck out.
Though Chaos traitors' armour was a nightblack with a brass coloring trimming the shoulderpads and the eight pointed star of Chaos, quite a few of the heretics wore spiky blood red power armour.
Wth a roar matched only by the raging storm these berserkers, adorned with a gruesome assortment of wicked looking weapons stained with blood and rust, lifted their weapons in the air and began chanting to their patron, the Chaos god Khorne.
"BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!"
"SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!"
''BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!"
"SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!"
The battlecry of the Khorne berserkers echoed over the open plains to the surrouonded Imperial army. Some guardsmen exchanged nervous glances. They knew they were the traitors they hunted were space marines but Khorne berserkers were something they didn't expect.
If these traitors had khornites in their midst, who knew what other devout followers of Chaos were there. Even worse, the Imperial army advantage of mass artillery barrage on flat terrain would mean very little if there were practisioners of the four Chaos gods: Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle, Slaanesh.
Their chant works with a double purpose as Inquisitor Zeniks noted. The chanting worked up the berserkers into a frenzy state of wanton killing and it also served to reduce the morale of the enemy they fight. Zeniks kept faith with the Emperor though, knowing that the Emperor's blessings were with them.
"BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!"
"SKULLS FOR THE SKULL THRONE!"
With a final battlecry, these psychotic close combat fighters charged at the entrenched Imperial camp. Dozens of them ran with the speed of a cheetah, spreading out to minimize casaulties as Leman Russ tanks blasted large craters into the earth. Rhino transports trailed behind the Khornites, using them as meat shields, until they could reach the front lines.
Explosions rippled across the untouched plains sending earth and berserkers flying through the air. Those flung into the air by the explosions hit the ground hard, some got and resumed their charge. Others simply layed still and moved no longer.
An agonized shriek came from one of the lead berserkers who was armed with dual power axes with skulls adorning the spike at the top of each axe blade. Dropping one of the axes, he stumbled around clutching his head with a power gloved hand as lasgun shots ricocheted off his massive form, on occassion cracking one of the trophy skulls he wore around his neck.
A high pitched scream emitted from the dark horned helmet and two red glowing orbs burned where the eyes should be, could be seen even from the Imperial frontlines shoning from the darkened visor.
The Imperial guardsmen gasped and began to concentrate their fire on the Khorne champion even as explosive shells were lobbed at the incoming attack force via Demolisher tanks, whose short demolisher cannons atop the turret blasted holes the size of a normal human into the flanks of the Rhinos.
Cries of desperation came from a few guardsmen for which this was their first battle, the fear coursing through their veins at watching bloodlusted warriors passed through No Man's Land and reaching them. As the forces collided into eachother with lasguns firing and swords slashing, the Khorne Champion emitted an inhuman scream.
The armor exploded off the champion's body, pieces of plasteel flying here and there.
Where a superhuman 7 foot tall man should have been was the disturbing grotestque form of a Greater Daemon of Khorne, the Bloodthirster. Spreading its batlike wings, it towered over even the space marines.
Humanoid in shape only, it resembled more of bestial homo-sapien with its wide jaws and protrusive fangs along with slanted glowing red/yellow eyes. Long twisted horns sprouted from its forehead and in its right clawed hand was a rune encrusted power axe writing with forbidden symbols. In its left hand was a long barbed whip capable of wrapping itself around a man's body and ripping apart in a disgusting but efficient manner.
With a low growl, it launched itself at the Imperial forces. Its throat rumble as it bellowed its battlecry:
"For the Warmaster!"
*********************
The battle was fiercely fought as ordinary humans fought genetically altered, Chaos empowered space marines of the dreaded Black Legion. The Catachan guardsmen did what they are best at: fighting in close combat and dying, dying being the more common of the two for this particular moment.
Bloodsoaked axes and blades glowed faint blue aura as they cut through flesh, muscle and bone.
Private Calek, a young guardsmen no more than 20 years old with a heavily muscled body, clashed swords with a khorne berserker.
The berserker spun his sword in an arc aimed for the guardsman' head only to have it parried. The return stroke for the berserker's blade took far too long and in that small gap of time, the guardsman's shorter blade slashed across the underside of the space marine's helmet, severing the wind pipes.
The chaos heretic ignored it however, choosing to launch a flurry of rapid strikes upon Calek's unarmoured body. With the aid of a knife along with his trusty sword, he managed to deflect and dodge all the blows save for one that cut across his right arm with all the speed of youth.
An angry roar accompanied the khornite's blade in a downward slash only to have it miss and caught under Calek's foot.
Moving with desperate speed, he shoved his knife through the left eye of the helmet while his right hand swung that sword that decapitated the marine. Letting go of the knife, he let the head and body separate.
Grinning to himself that he managed to defeat a khorne berserker, he didn't notice the monstrous looming shape behind him.
Private Calek turned his head just in time to see a large clawed hand engulf his head. In an instant, his head was crushed to a bloody pulp and his body tossed aside like a rag doll as the Bloodthirster continued on its wanton killing frenzy.
Elsewhere, Chaos Rhinos rammed through Imperial lines. Large rectangular shaped vehicles plowed through mounds of dirt and humans alike. Their bolters blazing a cover fire as their rear doors swung open as black armoured marines ran out, bolters flaring.
"For the Warmaster!" A battlecry from the Bloodthirster that was soon taken up by the black armoured soldiers. Each one fought with merciless efficiency, cutting down Catachan guardsmen in hand-to-hand with Khorne berserkers.
Catachan do not die easily though. Some swung around to open fire with their weapons, multi-meltas and heavy bolters, upon the millenia old traitors. The air around the multi-meltas hissed as super-heated air burst into flesh searing heat.
Several marines fell to the ground, drowning in molten slag as ceramite plates liquified under extreme heat. A few that managed to survive the intense blasts of heat were cut down by rapid fire shots of the heavy bolter.
The small self-propelled missiles known as bolts drilled into dirt, armour and flesh exploding with equal ferocity. Several of the chaos marines who were returning fire were clipped at the knees or fell with fist sized gaping wounds in their chests but not before unleashing their own bolter fire that arced side to side. Heavy muscled men fell to the ground, their blood mixing with the mud underneath.
** ** **
Several yards back from the thickest part of the fighting stood Inquisitor Abram Zeniks along with his retinue of henchmen.
Not longer was he merely dressed in flak armour, now he was wearing a full suit of gold/silver power armour without a helmet. A long double edged power sword, its length carved with words inimical to the daemonic, hung at his side and in his hand, he carried a specially made storm bolter filled with bolters infused with the essence of the Emperor. The amulet in the shape of a cross known as the Crux Terminatus, with its blood red gem at the center, hung low around from his neck.
Resting on his shoulder was a large raven, a metal construct infused with psychic energy and attuned to Zenik's telepathic signature. It was his familiar and one he was quite fond of as for long years it has served his faithfully as his eyes and ears when he is not around. Icarus, as Abram calls the raven, is about the size of an adult cat with farseeing jade eyes. The only sign that Icarus is a machine is the metallic components sprouting from its back to its neck.
Calmly as if it's common ritual Zeniks lifted his ritually blessed storm bolter and emptied numerous rounds into a charging Khorne berserker, a grim smile forming on his lips as he watch the corpse fall. His storm bolter's double engraved barrels smoked lightly before screaming another death song into a trio of chaos marines.
Their return fire did nothing to faze him as he had the Emperor's blessings on his side, their bolters merely bounced off his armour with little ill effects. It could not be said that the same thing had happened for them, shieldbreaker rounds tore through their ceramite armour as though it were paper. A chaos marine fell back, his finger gripping the trigger of his bolter, spraying rounds of deadly corrupted shrapnel everywhere killing friend and foe alike.
Another chaos marine clutched his helmet before toppling over, his head destroyed from the bolter round the penetrated his fully enclosed skull-faced helmet just moments before and exploded.
Pausing only to give orders to his retinue which included his acolyte, Ramius and an Interrogater by the name of Dromak, Inquisitor Zeniks continued firing before noticing that the circle of Imperial troops began to shrink.
'They're wavering.' He thought to himself, 'They believe the Emperor's light has deserted them. They must be reminded that He is always watching his most loyal of servants.'
Advancing forward with his retinue, Zeniks shouted in a deep almost melodius voice. The fire in his eyes and passion in his voice growing with each passing word. "Hold the line my brothers! Fight for not only your souls but for our beloved Emperor!"
Raising his voice to even greater heights of religious fanaticism, he shounted once again. "My brothers! My comrades! Fight on for the Emperor's love is with us all. Fight on knowing that should we fall, our souls are safe in the arms of His Majesty. Have faith in our blessed sovereign for He can do no wrong. Salvation always awaits the true loyal servants of the Emperor!"
Drawing his power sword in his left gaunlet, he raised the sword above his head and began firing his storm bolter again, his pitched voice booming above even the gunfire. "Faith is our armour, we shall not die until He commands it! Now cleanse the heretics! CLEANSE AND BURN THEM ALL!!!"
High in the the dark and stormy skies, bright stars of hope twinkled and began an ever increasing speedy descent onto the battlefield below.
*********************
Warhammer 40k (The Sci-fi Universe) Glossary
Bolter weapon- There are many types of bolters ranging from bolt pistols to bolters to the deadly anti-infantry heavy bolter. All bolt weapons fire small, self-propelled missiles known as bolts. Bolts are relatively large (three times the size of a rifle bullet) and a magazine carries relatively few. This is outweighed by the incredible armour penetrating power of the bolt's adamantium tip, complemented by an explosive charge contained within the bolt's core.
Cameleoline Cloak- Though mainly a cloak, it also consists of robes that make the Path-finder or Ranger virtually invisible to the naked eye. They work by shifting and blending in with the surrounding environment, making it extremely difficult to locate the wearer.
Eldar- The Eldar are an ancient, psychic and technologically advanced race (their spacefaring history predating humanity's by many thousands of year) who ruled the galaxy until a terrible catastrophe overcame them. Their decadence combined with powerful psychic abilities and warp energy caused the birth of a new god. Slannesh, the Great Enemy devoured a large proportion of the Eldar race in one night and continues to take the souls of all Eldar should they die without a Waystone. Although the Eldar were all but destroyed in the Fall, many survive. With the help of expert warriors and an ability to predict the future, gradually the Eldar are bringing together the shattered remnants of their civilization to once again rule the galaxy.
Farseer- The leaders of the Craftworlds, Farseers, will join their kin in battle, using powerful psychic abilities to support the warriors or if necessary take apart the mind of the enemy. Warlocks accompany their Farseers so that they to may give their life in defence of the Eldar Path
Flip belt- A flip belt is a compact anti-grav device which generates a short range negative-gravity field which, when combined with the Harlequins' already amazing acrobatic abilities, allows them to make all manner of gravity-defying leaps and bounds.
Daemon Hunters (Grey Knights)- Surpassing even their brother Space Marines in skill and ability, the level of expertise that each Grey Knight wields is such that they can exterminate a daemonic infestation that outnumbers them many times over. Armed with psychically charged force weapons, storm bolters and an unshakable faith in the Emperor, there is little more daunting a foe for a Daemon to face.
Harlequins- The Harlequins are a strange sub-sect of the Eldar race, consisting of warriors drawn from the other kindreds; the Craftworld Eldar, Exodites and Dark Eldar. They follow the only other Eldar god to survive the Cataclysm, the Laughing God. They are also the keepers of the ancient Eldar myths, and perform complex dances and plays to recreate these allegorical tales. The Harlequins are held in a mixture of fear, awe and respect by all other Eldar for their knowledge of the Webway is unmatched and they can appear and disappear almost at will.
Imperial Guard- The Imperial Guard is the largest and most diverse military organization the galaxy has ever seen. It contains billions of men supported by armored vehicles such as tanks and troop transports. These armored vehicles take the shape of flame throwing assault tanks, long range self propelled artillery guns, and the tried and true Leman Russ Battle Tank. Due to it's vast size, specialized weaponry and armor are rare and reserved for only the elite forces of the Imperial Guard. The standard guardsmen is sent into battle with a trusty lasgun and little more than the shirt on his back. Tactically, an Imperial Guard force uses blunt maneuvers and will rely upon big guns and sheer weight of numbers. Service in the Imperial Guard is rarely a glorious path to tread, nevertheless billions of valiant warriors lay down their lives for the sake of humanity, it's home, and the honor of the Emperor.
Imperium of Man- The Imperium of Man stretches across vast star systems, over billions of worlds. The Imperium is ruled by the God-Emperor but as he is nothing more than a corpse in a stasis field, the High Lords of Terra truly rule. In order to protect Humanity the Imperium is not only cruel and intolerant but xenophobic to other races, usually destroying any alien settlements on planets they wish to colonize, claiming it as "rightfully theirs and the alien heretics had no right to be there." Though the Imperium tries to be good, its intolerancy and merging of religion as government makes it highly impractical. Those who oppose the Imperium are killed either using the brute force of Space Marines, Imperial Guard or Adeptus Arbites or by an assassin of the Officio Assassinorum.
Inquisitor- Inquisitors are the agents of the Imperium's Inquisition. The Inquisition is an ecclesiastical tribunal for suppression of heresy, Inquisitors are given special powers to do as they wish as they deem fit in order to bring heretics to justice. They are the most fanatical of all the God-Emperor's servants and as such are brutally cruel in their attempts to 'purify' the Imperium of all threats, external and internal. They are armed with the most advanced technology in the Imperium and have been known to command even the dreaded Space Marines as well as their destruction should an Inquisitor deem them unrepentant. Their two main mottos are: "Innocence proves nothing." and "The ends justifies the means."
Meltagun- A melti-melta or thermal gun as it is known fires blasts of intense heat capable of melting flesh to nothing recognisable and equally capable of turning heavily armoured vehicles to motlen slag.
Mon Keigh (Pronounced: Mon Ki)- A semi derogatory name for humans by the Eldar. It's used to show their brutal, primitive nature. Also if pronounced correctly it sounds very similarly to monkey, the creature humans evolved from.
Multi-melta- The multi-melta or thermal cannon as it is known takes the extremes of heat to a whole new level. They are multi-barrelled thermal guns in almost every sense but generate more heat as a result of extra power packs. The multi-melta makes no noise when fired, but the super-heating of air produces a distinctive hiss that becomes a roaring blast.
Path-finder- Some Eldar Rangers have trodden the Path of the Outcast for centuries, having managed to resist the dark temptations that the universe offers but losing none of the wanderlust that drove them from their craftworld. They are more adept as survival and infiltration than even normal Rangers and are known as Path-finders.
Power armour- Power armour is a completely enclosed armour made from thick ceramite plates worn mainly by Space Marines. Though it would be heavy and cumbersome for a normal person, electrically motivated fibre bundles implanted in the armour allow for replication of the movements of the wearer and supplementation of his strength. Power armour is fully sealed to provide protection against gas weapons and hard vacuum.
Power weapons- Power weapons are surrounded by an energy field that tears apart any matter that it touches as long as the field is active.
Ranger Long Rifle- The Ranger long rifle fires something akin to needles, allowing the rifle to carry a much larger ammunition supply per cartridge. The long rifle is equipped with a highly sophisticated sights, allowing the firer to locate weak points in an enemy's armour.
Ritual, The- The Ritual is the test/ceremony undergone by any Eldar who was brought in by a Harlequin in order to become one. Those who are strong enough to survive the Ritual become Harlequins.
Shuriken weapons (IE: Shuriken Pistol, Shuriken Catapult, Shuriken Cannon)- The Eldar are famed for their shuriken weapons. These range in size from the Shuriken pistol to the shuriken cannon and all operate on the same principles. The aummunition is stored as a solid core of plasti-crystal material that is forced up from the magazine by a magnetic repulsor. A series of rapid high-energy impulses originating from the rear of the weapon then moves it forward at an intense speed. These impulses detach a monomolecular slice of the ammunition core and hurl it from the weapon's barrel, while the ammunition core is kept in the line of firing impulse by the magnetic repulsor. This allows the weapon to fire up to a hundred rounds of ammunition in a burst of one or two seconds, and each ammunition core is good for atleast ten bursts of fire before it needs replacing.
Space Marine- Space Marines are the most powerful and dreaded of all the human warriors in the Warhammer 40k universe. They are not Human at all but superhuman, having been made superior, in all respects, to a normal man by a harsh regime of genetic modification, psycho-conditioning and rigourous training. Being few in number compared to the uncounted billions of Humanity, Space Marines are organised into small independent armies called Chapters. Each Chapter is responsible for its own recruitment, training, equipment, organisation and strategy. Their unswerving loyalty is to the Emperor of Mankind and no other.
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