The Forgotten and the Purged

by emperorsjudgement

We follow the events of the Great Crusade before they are denied, deleted, redacted, changed and outright expunged from Imperial history. It is a time before oaths are sworn by Imperial military personnel including the Emperors own mighty sons to never speak of these exploits again. What happened that was so catastrophic that the Emperor of Mankind decreed that they did not occur?

10. Colonists

Lord Antioch's throat was dry he wasn't ashamed to feel nervous about what they were heading into he stood on the bridge of a heavy trooper lander as it entered the atmosphere of Paradise, it was carrying a company of his Myrmidon Lancers. Many in fact all of his advisors had beseeched their liege lord to not lead this operation personally but Lord Antioch would not leave this operation to someone else. This was not some vainglorious attempt to emulate Ultio Ultionis charging headlong into battle. It was far simpler than that the lord commander could not bear the heart ache of waiting for his beloved forces to return and in what state they might be in when they returned or if they returned at all. From now on whatever his Myrmidon faced he would face too and if this led to folly at least he wouldn't survive long enough to regret it.

'We are beginning our combat descent, Lord Commander.' Stated the pilot

At the pilot's words the lander pitched forward in an even steeper descent, Lord Antioch braced himself and looked out through the armour glass portal, he could see the pitched battle taking place on the plateau. Thousands of xenos breaking against an island of silver, he knew the Primarch would be there where fighting was thickest.

Flying in formation with their lander were over three hundred more a total of one hundred thousand infantry, there were also landers carrying armoured squadrons as well as Marauder Bombers who would destroy any targets Lord Antioch designated.

The plan was to disperse across the mountains in a hope of finding a way into them. For now Lord Antioch was in awe of the destruction the Astartes were reaping upon the xenos, his eyes were then drawn further west at the sight of those xenos whom were striking past the forces of the Emperor's Judgement, heading towards the mountains. Following their intended path he could clearly see palls of smoke where the plateau met the mountain.

'We are to change our landing site.' ordered Lord Antioch. 'Take us down to the source of that smoke.'

'Sire?' asked the pilot, she looked confused by the order.

'We are to repurpose the entire landing force.' replied Lord Antioch. 'Pass the word to the rest of the landers were are to make planet fall as close to the smoke as possible. The Astartes broke out of the mountain before requesting reinforcements, if I was a gambling man I would bet that's where they exfiltrated.'

The pilot hurriedly passed on the orders then changed the landers trajectory, she then turn to the Lord Commander. 'Sire, won't they be a bit sore about the damage the Astartes caused.'

Lord Antioch laughed heartily. 'I am sure they will be mighty pissed off but their position may well be untenable, we would have a better chance of opening dialogue if they owe us a favour.

'Spread the word I want our birds to come down in a tight formation of three rows, two facing the xenos one facing the mountains, landers carrying armoured squadrons to the wings.

'I want our Marauder Bombers to hit our landing zones and the surrounding area with incendiaries to purge the xenos. Our landers are to clear the plateau of any xenos threatening to retake the landing site but do not fire on any humans without express permission from me.'

'My lord?' asked a gruff voice from behind the lord commander.

Lord Antioch turned to see General Horace Walsenburg, the commander of the Myrmidon armed forces. The General had a bushy handlebar moustache, this was a common trait of the Myrmidon infantry officer class. Most of the Myrmidon officers were aristocracy due to the martial tradition of the social elite. Surprisingly they all had accept the son of a Grox herder as their commander in chief without question. Perhaps the image of Lord Antioch throwing the Terran governors corpse from the balcony of the governor's palace was enough to keep them honest and loyal.

'We are landing where the mountain meets the plateau.' Stated Lord Antioch. 'I believe the colonists have been left vulnerable by the violent exfiltration of the Emperors Judgement squad. They will be vulnerable therefore coming to their aide will go a long way in terms of compliance.'

'I agree, my lord.' Retorted General Walsenburg. 'I just wish you would have stayed aboard the Achilles.'

'Your concern does you credit.' Replied Lord Antioch. 'I could not watch our brothers and sisters heading for Paradise for a second time and not be a part of their number.'

'Four minutes to landing, lord.' Cut in the pilot.

Lord Antioch and General Walsenburg looked out through the armour glass, they could see the Marauder Bombers dart ahead. They formed into arrowhead formations then they swooped low over the plateau near the mountains. In one moment the path below the bombers on the floor of the plateau was swarming with xenos, in the next moment the plateau was covered in a blossoming carpet of flames, the firestorm spread far and wide –for the next two minutes the Marauder bombers conducted carpet bombing runs.

At the commencement of the bombings General Walsenburg lead Lord Antioch into the hold of the lander it was a vast space, filling it were rank upon rank of his Myrmidon Lancers they were facing the landers debarkation ramp. They were checking equipment and psyching themselves up for combat. Lord Antioch walked towards the landing ramp passing through his men and women offering words of encouragement. The Myrmidon Lancers in this lander were shouldering Sarissa spears, they carried lasrifles slung across their backs with extra powercells in combat webbing.

General Walsenburg halted Lord Antioch several ranks from the front of the ramp, they halted near Colonel Cecil Stolberg the regimental commander of the 13th Myrmidon Lancers, the Colonel inclined his head in greeting –he too wore a handlebar moustache his was bright ginger matching his hair. Through the colonels vox operator Lord Antioch began refining deployment orders for the landers and the Myrmidon forces.

'One minute to landing.' Came the pilots voice over the vox casters in the hold, vibrations shook the lander as its assault cannons unleashed their fury upon the plateau.

Lord Antioch braced himself as he felt the lander slow while turning, he then felt his stomach churn as the lander dropped rapidly then shudder as it set down. No sooner had the lander set down did its ramp slam open, in rushed warm air fuelled by the firestorm, Lord Antioch could smell promethium and burnt flesh. The front Myrmidon ranks activated their Sarissa spears and charged forth their thunderous tread shook the heavy lander, Lord Antioch, General Walsenburg and Colonel Stolberg followed in their wake with yet more charging behind them.

Lord Antioch emerged onto the scorched earth of Paradise, he thought that he would feel awe at setting foot on a new world millions of light years from Myrmidon but he merely felt the tight knot of unease in the pit of his stomach at the prospect of imminent bloodshed. Their lander pilot had set down in the middle of the second line, the pilot no doubt wanting to protect her leader. The plateau sloped downwards to the valley floor therefore Lord Antioch was afforded an exceptional view of the battlefield, in front of him and as far as the eye could see to the left and right massive landers had set down disgorging Myrmidon soldiers, as well as armoured squadrons and serfs bringing down ammunition supplies from the landers.

Lord Antioch turn to look upon the mountains, they were around a kilometre from their foot of the mountain. The lord commander could not see the source of the smoke from his position but Colonel Stolberg reported that the regiment facing the mountain had sighted a massive adamantium bulkhead hung half open, beyond was darkness no colonists could be seen, perhaps they had abandoned the position to flee the firestorm –Lord Antioch's thoughts darkened perhaps they had been set aflame in the bombardment.

In what seemed like no time at all the landers began to ascend on thundering boosters heading into orbit, Lord Antioch knew that the only way to see the interior of the lander again would be in victory. Only now with the fiery exit of the landers could the lord commander fully appreciate the deployment of his field army.

The infantry were split into three crescent lines, the first line the ranks were facing where the xenos would hit first, they were twenty five thousand in number they bore a myriad of weapons from lasrifles, melta guns, plasma guns and hellguns. The second line in which Lord Antioch now stood, these troops slung lasrifles across their backs but their battle weapons were their Sarissa's. This line comprised fifty thousand Myrmidon they would be the main bulwark of defence there would be no retreating from this position.

The last line faced the mountains they carried a mix of Sarissa's and lasrifles these forces would stave off potential attacks from the colonists or reinforce the second and first lines –between the second and third lines were heavy mortars and artillery. To the wings were squadrons of Leman Russ main battle tanks, hellhound anti-infantry tanks, both equipped with heavy flamers and pintle mounted storm bolters. There were also squadrons of Tauros all-terrain vehicles and Sentinels walkers for outriding or chasing down fleeing xenos.

The weakness of their formation would always be the flanks, however to circumvent this Lord Antioch's crescent formations jutted up against the mountain itself, in order to get to their flank they would have to tunnel through the mountain. The central line of Myrmidon stood in a loose formation their ranks many hundreds deep, the Myrmidon in the front their ranks were narrower but they stood shoulder to shoulder. The armoured formation were to the wings but separate from the main host, they were the outermost forces ahead of everyone else –behind the first and second ranks of Myrmidon Lancers were thousands of serfs guarding cartloads of munitions and replacement weapons, as well as behind the third rank were aide stations.

Lord Antioch looked beyond his own ranks to the titanic conflict raging further down the plateau, there were thousands of Astartes on the battlefield now, they struck for the shield wall with heavy weapons, on jump packs, clad in terminator armour, whooshed in Jetbikes and Land Speeders or ground their way forward in tanks and armoured fighting vehicles.

Close to the lip of the plateau flashes stole Lord Antioch's gaze, four Warhound Scout Titans teleported and began to unleash their god-like power at the xenos, the force of their mighty tread could be felt from here. At the feet of the Warhound's and crashing against the Astartes were xenos, however to the north of the Myrmidon position were vast dust clouds the Lord Commander knew these clouds represented a xenos host, they were closing in on their position.

Lord Antioch turned to General Walsenburg. 'Artillery and mortars are to fire when the beasts are within range, of the guns. They are to cease firing when the xenos pass the two hundred fifty metre mark. Our armoured squadrons are to advance when the bombardment stops, they are to hit the flanks and cut a swathe through the host to stem the tide of xenos reaching us from the valley floor. The infantry shall take direct instruction from me.'

General Walsenburg inclined his head then with he and Colonel Stolberg they began ordering the regiment's vox operators to relay their liege lord's orders to the rest of the field army, almost immediately afterwards there was the crump of artillery and mortar shells being fired. Within seconds thousands of explosions blossomed amongst the xenos host killing hundreds with every blast but thousands more poured forth with impunity.

The bombardment continued relentlessly until the xenos host were a quarter of a kilometre away from their position, the armoured squadrons on the wings surge forward –even though the lord commander knew that thousands of xenos had died in the bombardment it didn't look like the bombardment had any real effect.

'Split the first line into three separate rank groupings.' Declared Lord Antioch. 'At my order they are to commence a triple fire line.'

The xenos were pouring forward more akin to a breaking wave than a solid mass, the armoured squadrons were engulfing the xenos with fire and cutting swathes through their chitinous ranks with assault cannons. Then the squadrons with the Leman Russ tanks at their head punched into the xenos just as Lord Antioch ordered, his plan was to keep them moving so they couldn't be swamped by the beasts. The xenos front ranks closed to within less than a hundred metres of the first Myrmidon line.

'Fire at will.' Ordered Lord Antioch.

At Lord Antioch's orders the entire first group of Myrmidon Lancers erupted in fire and sound as the crescent of men and women opened fire upon the xenos, thousands were killed in those opening seconds, the first group fired until their weapons were empty. Then the first group took a knee to reload, as they did so the second group opened fire, when the second group was empty they took a knee and then the last rank fired from a standing position as did the first rank fire from a kneeled position simultaneously.

This deadly pattern repeated itself in an unrelenting firestorm of small arms fire, serfs ran between the ranks distributing ammunition. The effect on the xenos was devastating their chitin exoskeletons bursting under the concentrated barrage, their advance was slowed to an absolute crawl but it was not stopped, they continued on with what seemed to be unrelenting determination –if he did not have such an ingrained racial hatred of the xenos he might have actually admired them.

The xenos grinded their way forward metre through metre with unrelenting losses the Myrmidon did not cease in the ferocious barrage. When the xenos got to within seventy metres of the Myrmidon front line Lord Antioch ordered his entire front ranks to conduct a fighting withdrawal, in perfect unison the front group fired until they were dry, they then retreated behind the third group as the second group opened fire –this fighting retreat was a perfect ballet of destruction until they had retreated through the loose ranks of the Myrmidon Lancers shouldering Sarissa spears.

'Phalanx!' ordered Lord Antioch.

At the lord commanders orders the second group of Myrmidon closed ranks, the first eight ranks brought down their Sarissa spears facing the xenos forming an impenetrable crescent wall of spears several kilometres long. Every Myrmidon Sarissa soldier activated their power plants, the weapons blades glowing an angry red as their power fields sheathed the adamantium blades. The xenos thundered forward with impunity as they were not longer being hammered with small arms fire, the xenos would hit the phalanx within seconds.

'Brothers and sisters of Myrmidon!' roared Lord Antioch, he unslung his great sword from his back holding it in the air. 'We now know that these xenos beasts feasted upon our fallen brethren many months ago. They have developed a taste for Myrmidon blood, now let them know the taste of Myrmidon steel! For the Emperor!'

The war cry was taken up by a hundred thousand throats as the xenos hit the front of the phalanx, several thousand beasts were slain within the opening seconds. They were ruptured by the power fields of the Sarissa blades, the xenos pressed forwards forcing the corpses of their fellow creatures further onto the spears, mounds of ruptured xenos were building up but still they could not get to grips with the Myrmidon soldiers. Hundreds of xenos attempted to get to grips with the Myrmidon by climbing over these corpse mounds and lunging through mid-air into the ranks, most were skewered by more soldiers holding their spears skyward –those that made it through killed dozens of Myrmidon before they too were brought down.

After forty minutes of solid fighting thousands of dead xenos were stuck on the spears the weight of them threatened to dislodge the spears from the hands of the soldiers, this was until the failsafe of the spears kicked in. Built into the haft of each Sarissa spear was a power field emitter, the spears looked to be one solid piece but they were retractable, the sheer mass of the xenos forces the spears to retract there upon activating the field emitter. All along the mighty phalanx a rolling sound of terrible thunder was unleashed as tremendous amounts of energy was unleashed from thousands of spears, explosive energy destroying the chitinous corpses freeing the phalanx of much if its weight burden allowing the Myrmidon to slaughter thousands more.

According to the estimates flooding in, Myrmidon losses were light whereas the destruction upon the xenos was catastrophic, the armoured brigades had now cut off the xenos from gaining access to their engagement zone, as well as a noticeable amount of xenos dying at the hands of the phalanx. Under orders from Lord Antioch the armoured squadrons –save for the Sentinels and Tauros all-terrain vehicles- would strike the rear of the xenos formation to crush the creatures between the hammer of tanks and the anvil of the phalanx. The Tauros and Sentinels would perform outrider roles striking down any xenos seeking to converge upon their position.

Within the space of ten minutes the xenos beasts were slaughtered, the armoured brigades took up position once more as outriders, the phalanx reformed, serfs surged forwards retrieving the wounded and the corpses of the fallen. The ranks of Myrmidon with small arms returned to their position at the front ready to repeat the pattern of fighting –General Walsenburg reported that at best estimate less than a thousand Myrmidon had been lost in the entire engagement.

'Lord Commander!' cried Colonel Stolberg, his ginger moustache wobbling with every syllable. 'The colonists are advancing!'

Lord Antioch about turned and surged for the rear of their formation which was not an easy task, dodging through thousands of ranked men and women, as well as the sick, dying and dead. After fifteen minutes of getting through the ranks of his fellow Myrmidon, the lord commander emerged onto the plateau ahead of his rear-guard, ahead of him were hundreds of thousands of colonists it seemed that the entirety of the mountain had been emptied –at half a kilometre from the Myrmidon forces the colonists halted.

Lord Antioch thrust his great sword into the ground he turned to General Walsenburg and Colonel Stolberg. 'If they slay me you are to hold them until the Astartes can strike them down.'

With that Lord Antioch advanced in unarmed towards the ranks of colonists, he felt foolish at walking out alone against such a numerous foe, his legs felt like jelly. Then he steeled himself he had not long ago faced down a son of the Emperor, if he could do that then he could do this. The space between the two forces was eerily quiet, it was only distant sounds of the fighting Astartes that could be heard. Emerging from the ranks of the colonists was a small delegation.

Lord Antioch met the delegation in the centre of the field, the delegation comprised of a man in a grey military uniform and a great coat, the rest of the delegation were armed guards. Lord Antioch was barely ten paces from the army of colonists.

'I am General Areal Stormont, commander of the forces now arrayed against you.' Stated the general, while gesturing to the hundreds of thousands of armed men behind him. 'I order that you return our leading then leave the surface of our planet. Will you comply?'

'I will not comply. We will not comply.' Stated Lord Antioch, he held up a hand to ward off further protest. 'We are here to unite lost strands of humanity with Terra. We have fought off xenos beasts for this moment of contact.'

'Perhaps we could have been brought together in a bond of brotherhood.' Retorted the General. 'But such a time has passed. You have taken our leader, your pet monstrosities took him and they butchered many of our people and weaken our western portcullis. You are too leave now or we shall slaughter every last one of you.'

'Where was your army before?' asked Lord Antioch, he decided to change tac.

'Before?' asked the general, he looked confused and wrong footed.

'Before when a great many of my people came to this world man.' Replied Lord Antioch, his voice getting sterner. 'You must have seen them fall victim to that beast, where was your mighty army then why didn't your army slaughter the xenos?'

'My people are afraid of the world snake.' Replied the general. 'We have evolved to keep to the mountains they rarely come for us there and if they do we are defended in our mountain fortress. We would not meet them in open battle on the plains.'

Lord Antioch laughed heartily, General Stormont had to order his guard detail to shoulder their weapons as they sought to slay the lord commander for this insult.

'So you mean to tell me that you are only able to stand here with this vast army as we have slaughtered the xenos beasts for you?' asked Lord Antioch, he was deliberately trying to be provocative. 'Now that my brothers and sisters have bled the ground red to safeguard the way into the mountain. Now that those "monstrosities" have landed en masse and are still slaughtering xenos beasts by the tens of thousands even as I now speak. Now that a safe zone has been carved out on this plateau do you feel confident enough to charge forth and set upon those very people who made it safe for you to do so!'

'You have not come here to help us.' Countered the general, his voice weaker than before the lord commander had struck a chord. 'You have come here only to steal our leader from us like cowards.'

'Cowards?' countered Lord Antioch. 'We have no need to be cowards, behind me on that plateau are fifteen thousand of those monstrosities as you call them. You and your band of rabble could not stop thirty five of them, if they chose to take your mountain fortress they could at a stroke but they have not. Instead they set down to strike down the xenos from this world as is their mandate given by the Emperor of Mankind.

'By his rule we are so ordered to purge the galaxy of xenos and reunite lost strands of human colonists whom were torn asunder and isolated by Old Night. We are not cowards no not at all we have come to this world with a noble ideal and for what to unite a human host that would stab their rescuers in the back. If anything you are the coward, sir.'

General Stormont's shoulders sagged, whether it was in shame or exhaustion Lord Antioch could not guess. 'But what of our leader if you did not take him who did?'

Lord Antioch had tried to sidestep this answer for if he answered this incorrectly he would lose all hope of compliance and no doubt lose his own life.

'At large here around your world and on it are various factions of a galaxy spanning empire named the Imperium of Man.' Stated Lord Commander Antioch. 'The greater portion of this empire are in to complete the mission set out by our beloved Emperor, but there are those whom are only in it for personal glory and personal greed. Even though these are in the minority they are still at large and some of them specialise in camouflage, subterfuge and infiltration.

'It is this small minority which has impersonated the warriors who are fighting on the plateau and kidnapped your leader. Their goal is to use your leader to unlock the colonisation vessel and take what they want from it, but fear now. Just as the Lord of the Astartes is fighting on the plateau he has sent his warriors to halt such a cowardly act and also launch a bid to rescue your leader.

'That Lord is Ultio Ultionis, Primarch of the Emperors Judgement, he will not rest until those who have wrong you and wronged us have been brought to heal for if they had not of launched their cowardly ploy then we could have peaceably made contact.

'If there is any doubt in your mind left at our intentions look now with your own eyes you shall see my forces from Myrmidon safeguarding these very talks. Look beyond you will see the Emperors Judgement slaughtering the xenos, if they wished they could murder every last one but they do not, instead they protect you.

'With your help they will vanquish these xenos and the world snake, your world will be at peace and you can leave the mountains without fear. If you need further reassurance know that I and my people were a lost strand of humanity from a world named Myrmidon, we to were brought into the Imperium and only through the will of the Emperor are we even able to have this conversation.'

'What would you have us do?' asked General Stormont.

'Join us now and drive the xenos onto the valley floor.' Replied Lord Antioch. 'Once they have been pushed from the plateau you shall see gargantuan war machines kill every last one of them then Ultio Ultionis will murder the world snake.'

General Stormont turned to his own army, Lord Antioch's stomach was churning it was now or never. General Stormont's next words would mean either peace or war, the lord commander's life was measure perhaps in scant seconds. General Stormont punched his clenched fist into the air 'We shall advance and purge this world of monsters once and for all!'