Sup people. New chapter here for yall. Hope you enjoy. Massive thank you to BIBOTOT for being a beta reader for this, this chapter would be crap if it weren't for him.

I watched with trepidation as the Inquisitor descended from his ship. A Space Marine had no fear, but it did not mean he did not have any reservation.

I was standing in the town center, Guardsmen around me. I had just been on my way pick up Aragon, the name I had given Eric's child. I had given him to a trusted Astra Militarum captain before leaving for my Fortress-Monastery, Erabor. Slowly and surely, progress was being made and the half way mark of construction had been reached on one of the ten areas in it. One for each Great Company I was to have.

The last year had been very successful for my city, with the population beginning to dip into twenty thousand. I had a list of buildings that were to be constructed in the coming months, chief among them being a hospital. Somewhere was needed to provide proper care for the wounded that came from the mines or small skirmishes with the native population which were getting more and more common during this expansion phase. It was strange, to rule over a city. The housing, trade, workforce, all of them had to be managed. I had commanded a hundred thousand troops across battlefields ranging from acrid deserts to freezing poles before, each requiring different skills and methods. Yet, the management of a city was something neither I nor the Codex Astartes had prepared for. It had led me to the organization of a counsel of sorts; they were in charge of the day to day tasks of running the city on behalf on me.

There was also the unfortunate rising of high class citizens. Those of whom owned large businesses in the city. They fancied themselves as the ruling class, above the other citizens. When they showed up to one of my meetings with some of the city council members and told me that they wanted a say in what happened in the city over and above anyone else of lower status, I had simply laughed. I had seen enough of what had happened to other worlds controlled by rich men who wished nothing more than to further their selfish agendas; it never ended well.

In the end, they were allowed to keep their businesses, but if I ever found out about them providing backing to an official to get a law passed or dismissed, there would be serious consequences. Corruption in all forms was a disgrace to the Holy Throne and social segmentation and class discrimination were the last things I needed right now.

It also brought me to the realization that soon, a new city would be started and another Governor would be appointed. I didn't want a corrupt official in charge of one of my cities. Thankfully, the Codex Astartes provided a list of qualities suitable for leadership, some of which universally applicable and not only to Astartes. I trusted in its guidance as I picked out the most honest among my counsels as candidates for promotion.

With the growth of the city, and all of the trials and tribulation that came with came it, one area that I was able to contribute to was the building of defenses. Since the city was still growing and showed no sign of stopping in the coming years, a plan for a series of strong walls that would be every two miles that the city expanded was drawn out. Defensive turrets and anti-air batteries were also set up, being manned by guardsmen with training from the techpriests on how to work the machineries. Aside from surrendering some hard-hidden secrets, the total delegation of their precious children to those they had not deem worthy made the Adeptus Mechanicus uneasy at first. Thankfully, they consented on the guarantee that the machine spirits would be looked after. What happened in the last Dark Eldar raid was deplorable; I did not want something like that to repeat ever.

My army had also grown exponentially in the last year. Out of a population of twenty thousands, two thousands of those men and women and enlisted in the Guard as a standing force while another three thousand would be drafted into the army should the need arise. I oversaw their training from time to time and while they were nowhere the quality of Cadians or Modians, I could work with that. Because of this there was still very little crime in the city; all of them were given the authority to enforce the law, a job they all took seriously.

It did not all go smoothly however. After the first batch had gotten their training done a group of fifteen had taken my 'enforcing the law' too far. They used it as an excuse to bully shopkeepers and other wealthy people into 'protection' for a 'private cost'. I had them publicly executed. Nobody had been foolish enough to attempt to replicate their plan.

I had been surprised by the two thousand that had jumped at the chance to be Guardsmen. But considering I was the one instructing them, they had quite the motivation to join. They had drilled and practiced this last year, and many of them where itching for a fight. I could understand their wanting to battle as any loyal warrior of the Emperor would have, but held off from heading months away to a battlefield, only to return years later with all of them dead. I told them to wait, to train and be ready. There was no imminent threat at the moment, so when I finally lead them into battle in a faraway land, they would be well-prepared.

The single Escort class construction dock that I got from the Tech-Priests had just finished its first ship. A Sword Frigate. It was a small ship, but it would help to protect the larger and more valuable Strike Cruiser. Its only weapons at the moment were two light double macro-turrets - a small arsenal, but would still provide a sting for any similar sized vessel. Both had been fully crewed, people from passing trade ships, as well as some from my city manning them. Getting the improvements implemented into the construction right the noises of the techpriests once again proved difficult, but we managed.

I was snapped out of my memories when Despair growled at my side. The Drake had grown to an impressive five meters, twice as long as expected. I didn't know what contributed to his faster than normal growth, but the fact that he towered over normal humans was something that he took great joy in. His appetite had developed as well. More than once I had to pull him away from a store selling Grox meat after he had scared the owner into the back.

"Try not to bite the Inquisitor Despair; I don't want any more trouble than I have too." He snorted, and shrugged, not giving any insurance. We walked to one of the landing pads, a Thunderhawk touching down with the symbol of the Inquisition on the side. The door opened with a hiss and out stepped the inquisitor, clad in a mixture of cloth and armor. He was young, probably no older than twenty five. I sighed, the young ones where always the most full of themselves, always taking their newfound power a bit too far. I had seen quite enough xeno-loving fools and daemon-conjuring maniacs to believe this was a trend.

I had been in the room when a newly appointed Inquisitor told a Chapter Master that he was going to take a Company of his Marines. The boy had been reduced to a crying mess on the floor after the Astartes was done with him.

Cold brown eyes found me, and he walked forward with a slow gate, every step measured before taken.

"Greetings Lord Astarte, I am Inquisitor Michal," he did a small bow. "I have come to this world on behalf on of the Imperium to ask your help in defending the planet of Rivia. It has been attacked by the monsters of Chaos. The details of which I shall explain in due time. I know that is abrupt, but I hope you can understand the urgency of the situation."

I nodded. "I understand your plight Inquisitor, but the amount of men on this planet is hardly suitable for fighting off an army that can topple an entire planet. I can agree to embark to this world to fight, but I must know the size of the enemy force, lest we arrive to be slaughtered."

The Inquisitor nodded. "Your sentiment to your men will not go unnoticed, Lord Astartes. And do not worry; the size of the Chaos forces is small and we have confirmed their armies could not exceed twenty thousand mortal troops. The planet being attacked is close you know, it's the Civilized world in this sub-sector."

I frown, his worlds not adding up. "Twenty thousand mindless fanatics can hardly pose a serious threat. If the force is so small, then why can't the planets PDF fight them off? Why come here and obtain my help?"

His face grew grim. "That's the problem, a Chaos cult sprung up in one of the cities, and almost half of the PDF went rogue. The fighting has been contained to that city, but neither side has the man power to push the other out, nor does the Planetary Governor want to simply reduce the city to ash, for his daughter is in it. He would not make the tough decision nor listen to my pleas. That is why I am here to get your help; your men could turn the tide in the loyalists' favor. The rest of the Governors refuse to help, instead choosing to ignore the problem." His face was twisted in anger, this thoughts on the matter made clear.

I stood as still as a statue as I thought, my posture possibly unnerving the young Inquisitor. "I still don't see why couldn't go to a different world and get a much larger number of Guardsmen to push back the traitors. I currently have only two thousands at my command and adding that to a fight like this would hardly affect the tide. I know for a fact that my men have good training, but they are still green and have not yet seen combat."

The Inquisitor seemed impatient. "It is not the quantity or the quality I am looking for, but because you are the closest world. I need any men you can spare right now Space Marine, the lives of a hundred thousand rests in your hands."

Again I suspected I was not given the full story. Such was the way of the Inquisition, the reason why they were so mistrusted by all other Imperial factions as well as themselves. "Is there anything else I should be aware of before I send my people to possibly a slaughter or where victory had already been achieved?"

He nodded. "They have taken most of the city and are using the people inside as sacrifices, most likely so summon daemons."

I felt an old hatred stir at the mention of the inhabitants of the warp. I had once witnessed five squads of Space Marine go down to kill one Greater Daemon. It was a horrific loss, one that would have to be repeated in a thousand years. The one remaining out of the thirty Marines was almost driven mad by his anger over the loss of his battle-brothers. My hatred for all of the Warp spawn went beyond anything else.

"Then it is settled, me and my men will lend you our aid in the liberation of the city. We will take time to mobilize, do not expect us for at least two weeks."

Michal nodded. "I thank you Astarte, as do the people of Rivia." Just then the pitter pater of small feet broke the silence. Aragon had gotten away the house it seemed. He ran up with a drawing and a large smile on his face.

"Daddy! I drew something for you." He tripped on the cobblestone, only for my hand to reach out and catch him. I took off my helmet and clipped it to my belt, knowing that he didn't like it. It had been unusual to raise a child. I had to hire a caretaker after the first few days, realizing that I had absolutely no idea how to take care of him. The woman had been scrutinized fully, my glare pinning her in place for a few minutes before I nodded and she got the job. Sense then she had done a wonderful job. I knelt and took the drawing. It was a child's picture of me and Despair, standing in front of what I could only guess to be Guardsmen. It looked like we were going to war.

"This is a wonderful drawing Aragon, what are we doing in this drawing?" Aragon's smile faded a bit.

"You're going to protect people, aren't you daddy." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"Yes, I have to go and protect people." The mood was broken when his caretaker ran through the doorway.

"I'm sorry my lord, I-" I held up a hand to stop her, and she stepped back in fear.

"Its fine, he just wanted to see me." She nodded and took Aragon away, the child waving as she walked away. I turned to look back at the baffled Inquisitor, an amusing sight to see.

"I can understand the confusion, a Space Marine with a child? The last Governor of this planet left him in my care, and I have been taking care of him sense." The Inquisitor nodded, still having a baffled look on his face.

"I agree. The idea of a Space Marine raising a child is nigh inconceivable. I thought that Space Marines didn't' do…"

"Emotion?" I finished for him. He nodded. "It is a common misconception. Most people see Space Marines as emotionless killers, while we have suppressed emotions, and while any doubt and fear have been purged from us, we can still feel."

The Inquisitor had a thoughtful look on his face as we stood there, both consumed by our thoughts. I was thinking of the preparation that was needed to go to war, the Inquisitor of the revelation given to him. Being busy men wielding great power, we ended the meeting in a professional manner, bade farewells and got to work.

Soon after, I found myself walking through the gatehouse to the barracks, the section of the city where we housed and trained our army. Each building could house one hundred men plus their equipment and vehicles. Ten buildings made up a street, five on each side. Many of the buildings were empty, of course, due to the fact the barracks kept expanding with the rest of the city regardless whether they were really needed or not. Refugee centers were built under it, as it was the best defended section of the city.

It was another annoyance of mine when the Astartes were called to help evacuate a planet: so many of the population didn't have a place to go to. Many simply ran to the space ports, thinking that they would be safe there. Sometimes it worked for them; many times it leads to the enemy rushing the port, killing all that were there. The underground centers too would be constantly expanded. With them, I would have a place to safely house my people while they were being evacuated. Finally Thunderhawk bays were to be built, providing a direct route into space.

The Forge World had not been happy when I had changed the content of our deal, namely having enough equipment and for ten thousand Space Marines instead of just one thousand. I stated that we were simply extending our deal with them. They grumbled, but agreed.

Thankfully the forging of weapons and armor for the Guardsmen proved much easier, something that I once again threw a wrench in by asking for Carapace armor for all of my Guardsmen. Right now only the officers had it, but to be the best in the galaxy they would need the best equipment. At the moment, the Adeptus Mechanicus completely oversaw the process of arming my men, something I was both happy with, and aggravated by. I could not create new weapons and armor until I had a Techmarine, one who was trained in the arts of machines. But at the same time, the weapons I was supplied with by the Mechanicus where of good quality, but I know that they could have been better.

I walked into the headquarters and called the Captains into a meeting room. I sat at the head of the table, three men before me. Each was responsible for a thousand men. They were hand-picked for their performance in the mock battles that I had the men do.

"I have dire news from the Inquisitor. One of our neighboring planets, Rivia, is under threat. Their defense crumbled when a portion of their army fell to Chaos. As a result, one of the major cities has collapsed into to their control. However, that is only the leverage for even viler acts to come from our enemy. I have made my decision regarding this, and I shall stand firm when I say we will not let this come to pass. Tell your men, we leave in two weeks." They nodded and saluted before leaving, careering out my orders.

Time passed quickly when you had work to do. After the announcement of the new campaign, my army prepared with haste. Munitions were gathered, weapons and uniforms cleaned and packed away. Rations, water, medical supplies, all of it had to be loaded onto on the Strike Cruiser. I was only taking three thousand men, leaving the other two thousand to guard the city. We would be away for months, and I had no intention of coming back to find nothing but rubble.

Then the time to leave had come. The men were ferried to the Emperor's Light to await the three day trip to Rivia. They were jibbing each other on how many more kills they could get. I remembered the days when I would joke around with my Battle-brother, only to watch them get cut down one by one. Overconfidence killed more men than the gun of a Commissar. It was a lesson that I personally learned, but I would rather not dwell on that.

I stood up on the bridge of the Emperor's Light as Alexander began giving orders to his men. He had been unable to speak to me after the Dark Eldar raid out of shame of letting them get away. I had to remind him that Eldar ships were like the species that command them, frail and good at running away. But in the end, they were nothing but cowards. There was no honor in slaying such a foe to begin with.

We slipped into the gaping maw of the warp above Tarth, the Sword-class Frigate only a few seconds behind us. I would have taken the time to talk to the commanders about the plan of attack to help take back the city, if I knew what needed to be done. But as of right now, we had next to no information on what the status of how the battle was going. I hated go into a battle blind, but we would manage, just as we had for the last ten thousand years. Last checks were made on the gear and readiness of the men. Unsurprisingly, they were going from being joking to nervous, many of them finally coming to terms with what kind of horror they would encounter on the battlefield. I took the time to walk among them as a demigod among mortal men and women, giving them courage to face the next day.

We eventually exited the warp above Rivia with weapons primed and shields at full capacity. I didn't know what to expect, and had seen more than one battle lost because a ship hadn't been prepared. The men were in the Thunderhawks, waiting to be sent down to fight. I scanned the space in front of me with scrutiny, looking for any signs of enemy ships. But I saw none. I looked at Alexander.

"Head to the area where this city is supposed to be at, I want a look at what we are dealing with," I told him. The engines hummed to life, causing a vibration to run through the ship. I saw Alexander smile, and knew he found the felling at his feet comforting. It was all going smoothly, until the communication officer looked up.

"We have a vox coming through my lord." I nodded and a burst of static came, along with some words.

"This is commander Rokar. This is a warning to the ships in orbit, the enemy inside the city have access to a defense turbo-laser platform, repeat, they have access to a Defense Laser platform. You need to get out of there." Alexander stilled for a moment before barking orders.

"Turn the fleet around; we need to get out of the area," He commanded briskly. The men hurried to do so, yelling orders to the engine crews. Alarms blared as a red light appeared on the surface of the city. Many of the crew stared at it with horror. I was thankful that Alexander kept a cool head.

"Initiate high energy turn, forty five degrees, then full burn." Once again the crews snapped into action, and the ship groaned as it was forced to turn abruptly. None too soon, as the defense turbo-laser finished charging, faster than anyone could react it raced to meet us. Luckily, the shot did not score a direct hit and only glanced our shields. Still, the entire ship shook from the force of just a partial blow. The ship finished the turn and went full burn, getting us away from the Laser. Alexander looked to me for orders.

"Continue to pull the ship back; we will have to deploy the men from farther away." It also meant that we would have no orbital support. Such was the sub-optimal deployment strategy, but I could not think of a better way, and neither could Roboute Guilliman when he wrote the Codex Astartes. "Take the ship into low orbit; I want the least amount of time spent on deploying as possible." He nodded and carried out my orders, myself turning to the communication officer, who straightened under my gaze.

"Get that commander back on the Vox, I need to speak with him." The man nodded and went to work. He nodded when he had a connection.

"This is the Chapter Master of the Iron Drakes, I come to help you in your time of need. I need a place to land my men, as well as to meet with you. I also thank you for your warning commander." The line was silent for a moment.

"A Space Marine? Perhaps the Emperor does watch over us. I can send you a location where you can land your men. I will be there to escort you as soon as I can." The line went dead. I turned back to Alexander.

"When the men finish unloading all of the supplies pull the ship back. I don't want to take any risk with that Laser still operational." He nodded and saluted, before turning back to command his men. I walked to the hangar, my Thunderhawk waiting for me. The entire hanger was filled with Guardsmen, all eager for the order to depart. I felt the need to give a speech.

"In a few minutes we will depart onto the planet below to fight the forces of Chaos. Forget the drills and simulations, for you are to be participating in real combat where death is permanent and any small mistake can be your last. I will not lie to you when I say we don't know how many there are, what kind of weapons they have, or how well they have dug into the city." The men were starting to look fearful. "But none of those matters, because you are the fighting men and women of Tarth. You are better trained, better equipped, better lead, than any fanatical Chaos scum could ever hope to reach. So we descend, to fight these traitors, to liberate a people from oppression, to bring hope to despair. For the Imperium, for the people of Rivia and for the Emperor!"

A resounding cry came up from them, each filled with the courage to face there foes, each wanting to fight. They would need it. I gave the order, and the Thunderhawks took flight.

We landed on a hill overlooking the city. As expected, the enemy activity in this area was thin and we did not have to worry about flak guns during our descent. The men disembarked from the Thunderhawks in order, guns at the ready. I gave order to a Lieutenant and his men to scout the immediate area; others would set the others to building up our camp. The Thunderhawks ran for hours, careering the rest of the men and supplies. Each man had his own tent, but I preferred the ten-man ones, each squad to their own. I waited in my command post, looking over a rough drawing of the city, captains sitting at my table. A messenger ran into the post.

"A vehicle has appeared a few miles away from the camp my lord," he reported. I rose, and the one of the captains came with me.

"It seems our guest has arrived. Come, let us meet him." The commander of the PDF forces arrived in a Chimaera. The machine showed the signs of a battle, black marks from lasrifles as well as scratch marks as though some rapid animal had assailed it. They did not seemed to be the kind that would come from a daemon, smaller and too numerous. Further inspection revealed the marks to be of human origin. A person must have scratched at it, likely with their nails ripped off after not too long. The commander that stepped out was haggard looking; most likely he just came from the front.

He still managed a crisp salute.

"Greetings, my lord. I am here from the front to assist in catching you up on events." I nodded and motioned for him to follow.

"I want to express my gratitude to the commander who warned us that the traitors had a defense turbo-laser." The man smiled.

"That was me, I had the fortune to be in our headquarters and saw you enter orbit." We entered the command post together. One of my captains set a chair for Rokar and something to drink; he looked like he needed it. I gestured to the map on the table.

"What can you tell us of the enemy fortifications? Do they control the entire city? Where is the defense turbo-laser and Governors daughter located?" Rokar finished his drink and grabbed a pen to mark on the map.

"The traitors do control the city, and have fortified most of the gates. The lady in question is in the palace of course, which is where the defense turbo-laser is also located." He drew an X on the map. "Right now our army is outside the city, any attempt at gaining a foothold so far have been pushed back." I saw his hand clench at the last remark.

"Your people built all of these impressive defenses, and now the enemy is using them against you?" I asked. The man replied with a stiff nod.

"The enemies are using a kind of sorcery to bring back the dead; all of the people in the city are now there puppets. While individually weak, they can direct entire hoards at our fortifications, one of the reasons that we don't have a foothold in the city." I was scowling under my helm. I had once fought a Nurgle-worshiping Chaos Sorcerer who also had used a spell to bring back the dead. We ended up using an level 1 Exterminatus on the planet. The death of the millions on that planet that had yet to be infected still weighted on my mind. There was nothing I could have done to change it back then, but now would be different, hopefully.

"I know of the kind magic used here," I told him. "I have fought if before myself. You would do well to stop any more attempts to get into the city until the spell is broken, less you swell the enemy's ranks with your own. The dead cannot remain for too long without sustenance. They must devour the living, or the Sorcerer would have to use more of his power to keep them going. Either way, they must be fed."

"I have tried, but the Commissioners are adamant on charging into the city." He shook his head. "They do not see reasons. Those crazy fools will get all of us killed." I was still looking at the map, silently agreeing with his words. More than once I had seen Commissioners lead entire armies to their death, all for the sake of glory and stubbornness. What good did glory do if you're where dead? I grabbed my own pen and started to draw on the map.

"I can only see a single course of action," I drew a route through the city. "We take a small force and attempt to rescue the Governor's daughter, as well as take out the defense turbo-laser. If there are no survivors in the city as you say, then we can shell the city from orbit." Rokar nodded but frowned.

"If you had a squad of Space Marines I'm sure you could do it, my lord. But us mortal troops are not efficient enough to pull off this kind of plan." I laughed at what he said.

"In the 700 years I have served the Imperium of man I have witnessed many a great feat from the Imperial Guardsmen. I believe that you will be successful taking out the defense turbo-laser question." He had been taking a drink at the time, and just barely held it in.

"Me, my lord?! Surly one of your own men would be better off." I shook my head.

"They have no combat experience as of yet, something that I had hoped to rectify in this campaign," I explained to him. "But you, you have experience fighting these infected. I will be heading deeper into the city, causing mayhem as I do, pulling the enemy's attention away from you. My ship in orbit will be above the city as soon as the turbo-laser is down. You will be picked up in a Thunderhawk and taken out of the city, when I have secured the lady in question, we will escape via teleportation. This entire operation depends on you." He had a look of trepidation on his face, one that quickly changed to determination.

"I will do my duty my lord, you can count on me and the men." And so the planning began. How many troops he would take, as well as how he was go enter the city, what to do if something when wrong, all needed to be planned. I wasn't going to take Despair with, but he had insisted. I always had a soft heart for him, so I reluctantly agreed.

At nightfall we scaled the walls, thankful that they were rather small unlike some of the gigantic bastions I had seen. It also appeared that the governor cared more about his wealth than keeping his city safe. I was a little worried about how Despair would get over the walls, but his claws where well adapted to climbing rock, a skill he showed off by getting to the top faster than the rest of us. A yell came from the top of the wall when he got there, until if fell silent a second later. A headless body was thrown from the wall a few moments later.

On top of the wall we went over the plan one last time before setting out. Alexander waited in orbit, ready to move in and begin the bombardment. Despair and I continued to climb down the walls and onto the streets of the city. Bodies, some moving, some not, littered the ground. I had on me my two bolt pistols, two power swords, grenades and several extra items. I didn't plan on using the pistols unless I had to, the sound would probably attract only half the city.

My power swords cut through those infected that got in the way. Even though they were inactivated for the light they emitted would give out my position to someone with more brain, the inhuman strength that wielded them made them still very lethal. I maintained a steady walk, the only speed that you could be silent in power armor. Every now and then I would pound my fist into a building, the echo drawing infected in the immediate area. Despair followed closely behind, tail sometimes lashing out to casually behead an infected. We encountered our first traitor guardsmen halfway to our destination. It was a small petrol, only ten men. We fell upon and gutted them before they could yell. Their bodies where soon eaten, the evidence gone.

All was going smoothly, until an explosion ripped open the sky, coming from the turbo-laser position. A hundred thousand infected started moving, an alarm sounded. My mission had gotten much harder.

That's is for now, hope you enjoyed. Austan out.