Sacrifice
Sitting in his command throne Lord Solar Chesknov looked at the tactical display presented before him. The city was almost completely in imperial control, only small pockets of resistance remained and the growing flood of imperial troops would soon cause the city to burst with the might of the unstoppable imperial guard.
"I just realized something." The old lord said aloud to his bridge crew.
"w-what is it m-my lord?" one brave crewman asked.
"I don't know what this place is even named."
"t-the cities name i-is displayed on the upper right of your display my lord." The man said bowing low.
Chesknov looked at the name of the city and pouted. "what a disgusting name rename it! This city only continues to exist for the tactical purposes of the guard and other forces of our glorious imperium. From this point on we refer to it as city one.
"Yes my lord."
Slightly hidden in the entrance to the command deck Titonus leaned against the doorway and chuckled to himself. "was the original name so bad, after all if you translate it from it's original language, English, I believe they called it the name means 'sacrifice'."
* * * * *
"Data from the network has arrived; enemy forces are confirmed to hold 98.8% of the city with slowly shrinking pockets of our resistance holding the rest. Shadow forces have all disappeared and have not engaged in combat against the enemy. Enemy hourly troop deployment rate has leapt up to 900% of original rates. Basic fortification procedures are being enacted to secure the city." A technician told Slavic from his position in front of a red glowing screen.
On his command pulpit Slavic was board, the shadows covered his eyes, the frown on his square jaw, showing how unhappy he was, and with his head resting on his first one would question if he was even awake.
"How pathetic. All I ever heard of this imperium was how great its army was, how elite its marines were, how they had countless warriors, warriors who were so superior to any man and could easily survive a cannon shell. Now I see that GDI was more advanced when it came to actual troop management and armament than these weak excuses. Such a textbook use of force do these men not realize that they face the children of Kane?"
The statement from their commander caught many of the men off guard. They had never fought this GDI compared to men like him they were recent converts, children, was GDI truly as powerful as these men boast.
"Are the vertigo squadrons ready? Once they launch have the specters launch the opening barrage. Then follow up with stage two. Truly pathetic, you never even took time to learn your enemies' language. Otherwise you gothic speaking fools would have known that this was a sacrifice!"
* * * * *
"S-Sergeant!" Anthony shouted. "hay stop move you idiots, I was here first…stop…your in my damn way!" he continued to shout shoving his way through a street filled with imperial guardsmen all relaxed and leisurely walking down the street. "S-Sergeant! Will you get back here! Sergeant." God, why doesn't she notice me, every other freaking person on this street wants to kill me because my shouting and she presses forward as if she doesn't even notice I'm here! God-emperor, Lurral could one of you help me. Oh, and Lurral wherever you are I pray that you can see what I help to do, look I liberated this city for you now I guess you might come back and we can see each other again.
Anthony pressed forward more so through the crowd. "Private Chesknov, even though you are our unit's medic and there is still much more for me to teach you. I still can not forgive you for pestering me with your presence. So unless you have something important to ask…"
"The imperial jackboot."
"What?"
"Tell me where did you learn the 'other' name to that song?" the sergeant frowned at the question.
"And how do you…"
"I was once a pilot; I've experienced 'the jackboot' but how about you? I don't recall you telling the unit you were once a pilot, nor do I recall you mentioning anything to do with any airlifts out of a world during exterminadus." Anthony challenged.
"Do you intent to challenge the experiences of a veteran soldier…how pathetic!" Sheena growled in the way a woman scorned could, before slapping Anthony. "I've fought all my life for the emperor! Every moment of it right up to…right up to the end. And I'll keep fighting even after my life ends, this life and any other 'life' the emperor gives me will be spent in his service."
"No mam, but I simply wish to know…"
"I said do not challenge a veteran! " Sheena shouted at the soldier.
"Yes mam!"
"Good you little shit! Now go…" however sheena's order was drowned out by sirens wailing in the far distance. Causing Sheena to turn in spot and glare into the distance. "What in hell, that's outside the city."
* * * * *
"M-M-My lord there are reports of many laud noises coming from outside city 1 but our scouts report no enemy forces detected!" a crewman reported.
"What? What the hell do those heretics think they are doing?...wait such stealth damn it is it those blasted eldar!"
Titonus began to laugh to himself from behind his long time friend. "well it seems that you don't understand the nature of our enemy. It seems that even I have underestimated them. 'sacrifice' so brilliant, I thought they were doing a deamon summoning but it seems that instead they are more intent on removing our forces from their world."
* * * * *
Gregory Slavic, one of Kane's chosen commanders, a warrior of Nod and tactical leader sat forward and laughed. "One last touch and it will be truly fitting of the prophet's teachings." With that he pressed a button on his command chair which launched a specially modified jamming missile. "NOW LEVEL 'SACRIFICE' LEAVE NOTHING, LET NOTHING LIVE, LET NO ENEMY OF THE BROTHERHOOD LIVE. FOR THE TECHNOLOGY OF PEACE!"
* * * * *
Chesknov spared a moment to glare at his old friend. "you may be an inquisitor but do not insult me." He threatened.
"Lord Solar remember my master has complete authority to question your actions." Borus reminded the lord solar while standing safely behind the more experienced inquisitor.
Titonus only giggled before making a mocking pout and smiling sadistically "awww. And here I thought that a commander kept his cool in situations like this."
"I do. We do not know what is out there, however if it's elder that is the worst I can think of. Remember you might be smart, but you are a brave fool. I on the other hand made it this far by being a rational coward, to be fearless makes you weak, to defeat your fear and acknowledge it that makes you brave." The Lord solar countered before the soft sound of music came through the bridge speakers. "who in the four hells of the warp…" the lord solar began before stopping as he observed his bridge crew desperately trying to re-establish any form of communication or even a visual of the city on the surface. Then the tune registered with the lord solar, it was 'hial to the emperor' also known as the 'imperial jackboot'.
* * * * *
"T-temple Prime… Luxodia's Temple Prime? I…I'm at Temple Prime!?!" Lunimaria declared in a shocked tone before throwing herself to the ground and worshiping both god and Kane. Her light dark hair that seemed almost red sweeping over the floor.
"Ah, child, at last the wanderer from the desert has been lead to the gates of the promised land." A famous voice called from nearby, causing Lunimaria's eyes to widen in awe, fear, wonder, and desire all at once.
"K-Kane."
* * * * *
They came from nowhere, just appeared in the sky and began dropping explosives into the city. Vertigo bombers, the stealth sky weapon's of Nod viciously attacked the thickest vehicle concentrations of the imperial guard. At other points of the city that guardsmen had for their barracks hidden explosives detonated killing men instantly. All of this only the lightning quick opening to the vicious rain of death to come. Soon artillery shells rained into the city destroying whatever they came into contact with. Specter the name of Nod's stealth artillery just thought of as a rumor started by captured militants now was the word the guardsmen cursed as each shell struck.
Cowering in the midst of it all was Anthony, hidden close to his sergeant they were separated from their unit by who knew how much city. All they knew was that the city was in danger and most likely this was just the opening of what was next to come. The real bloodshed was only just about to begin.
Emperor above! Look at this, blasted heretics! What next? Next to Anthony a soldier with a vox-caster finally got the device to work enough to pick up reports and instructions from local command. "Repeat, enemy armored forces are advancing on the city outskirts reroute all forces to intercept." Funny, very funny emperor what next an army of deamons…don't answer.
* * * * *
"Damn them…what will be my reaction?" Lord Solar Abraham Chesknov questioned aloud. Looking at the sudden destruction wrought on his forces by the hidden enemy.
"Wow, m-my master did you see…?" Borus began before Titonus cut him off.
"Why don't you simply turn to the ecclesiarch surely their forces whicht have been loitering around in this fleet should make a difference." Titonus suggested with a sly tone.
"Don't tease me, you always were looking down on me Titonus but this needs more. I will call them but right now dropping them in the city is foolish. We need to identify the enemy command and then we'll launch them. Until then I guess we'll just let our forces in the city slug it out with the enemy."
* * * * *
"move you fools! Move damn it! The emperor needs you to move!" Sheena shouted at Anthony and a group of soldiers who had taken cover to avoid the mass of artillery fire that was pounding the city.
Easy for her to say, she doesn't care about living, hell she's practically invincible look at her artillery shells are landing all around us and yet she has yet to be scratched. Lucky insane, suicidal, gunho, sadistic bitch! Anthony seethed in his mind, ready to verbally attack his sergeant.
"Oh, you all won't come out, well it's sooooo bad that I'm the highest ranking officer present…" Sheena began as a shell landed just behind her lighting up her figure with the cruel flames of war, making her seem quite terrifying. "I mean, if a explosive were to fall into the hole you are all hiding in my word would be the only one that anyone would listen to." She stated mater-of-factly as she pulled a krak grenade out of her belt, pulling the pin and holding the grenade just outside the entrance to where the men were hiding. Many of the men looked scared, others pissed with the sergeant. "look I guess that if I were to kill all of you here then it would be a mercy killing because it's obvious that you'll be cowering here as the women from the enemy forces find you and rape all of you weak little men." Sheena taunted, angering one man enough that he actually reached for his las-pistol only to have the weapon shot out of his hand by the sergeant.
"sergeant, what are you implying?" Anthony asked, grasping what his commanding officer was saying, if only just.
"I'm saying that this is just the warm up, they are intent on killing everything in this city, a mere artillery bombardment, an air raid, even these bombings won't satisfy them." With this the men paused in thought, if this was just the opening, then what was coming?
* * * * *
"So you understand what I require of you my daughter? Child of faith do you hold any doubts in yourself?" Kane asked the kneeling Lunimaria.
"no I would never doubt my prophet, you have given me my life and how can I question the purity of my existence. I will go forth with your protection, and I will create oceans of our enemies' blood. So much so that the kings of chaos would be jealous."
"Then go forth my child so that our endeavor may prosper into the future that I have foreseen."
* * * * *
The front that is what the edge of the city was now called. Here the fighting literally leveled buildings in seconds, artillery from both sides and now massed tanks battled for supremacy. While the guard should have far outnumbered the enemy the stealth tanks of Nod quickly killed their opponents in masses. Soon the city edge received a new name 'the husk' in recognition for the now thousands of ruined vehicle corpses.
"hells, everywhere we go in this blasted place is a new form of hell! First we fight enemies all around, next invisible guys and invincible towers now it's raining doom!" a soldier cried as Anthony hid next to him.
"don't worry it could be worse, you could be sitting next to the sergeant." Anthony joked with the near panicking soldier.
"she's the one who dragged us here. That insane bitch! She went out of her way to make sure we were on the front and doomed to die!" the man stated.
"yea but let's just hope that if anything worse than this happens we'll be at the back instead of here."
"What is wrong with you people? I mean it sounds to me like that sergeant infected you or something." Anthony just shrugged in reply before rising up to shoot another target, the 128th man so far. Overhead a bomber became visible dropping its payload before vanishing.
"Well if we give then enough time I think they'll find the enemy base."
* * * * *
"sir our observers have something."
"the enemy HQ?"
"no but we have located the enemy's airbase. It is well concealed and possibly invisible but we still have the main location pinpointed."
"I must say though…this certainly has turned into a war for geniuses."