This drop was nothing like Paradise, there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the carnage being meted out in the skies above Cypra Mundi, there were Emperors Judgement and Bloodied Visage capital ships laying into one another, with Kerakian Feudal Guard, Myrmidon Lancer and Mechanicus vessels firing into the naval action from the outskirts. Fighters, interceptors and bombers of every class from every faction swirled in a maelstrom of death and destruction. Through the amour glass of Lord Commander Antioch's heavy troop lander he could see the Hammer of Ultio hovering over the city sized fog bank, hurling torpedoes and nova cannon strikes at the Blooded Visage's flagship Rakshasa which had just torn itself through what looked to be a rent in the space time continuum, said rent was still open like a wound in the sky but instead of blood it wept capital ships and attack craft.

Lord Antioch and General Walsenburg commander of the Myrmidon armed forces joining him looked on transfixed at every vector around their lander the skies were darkened with Myrmidon Lancer and Kerakian landers and escorts hurtling toward the sprawling hive city of Krimisha, their objective to secure the city, rearm the wall guns and defend the city in the event of a fall back. Lord Antioch could not see the fighting in due to the fog bank but there was black smoke rising from the centre as well as colossal flaming explosions. What hell the astartes must be going through, but there again that was what they were created to do to go where the brave not dare, that was where their home was always meant to be.

Suddenly over the bridges vox there was a cacophony of sound which could have been mistaken as interference but Lord Antioch's keen ear knew it to be the sound of warfare, then a stern voice cut through all of it.

'This is Lord Commander Tiberius.' Came the voice of Tiberius, tinged with atmospheric distortion. 'I am addressing all Kerakian and Myrmidon forces we have been engaged by Bloodied Visage forces we have been betrayed they have threw their lot in with a previously unknown strain of xenos entities. We are being beaten back and are striking for Krimisha, hold the city until we arrive.'

Two thoughts struck Lord Antioch at the same time both of which made him feel sick, the first was what could possibly make an entire legion of astartes to withdraw, the second was the fact that he knew the answer. These unknown xenos must be the creatures from the warp Uvall Jormungand spoke about aboard the Rakshasa, thinking of this the lord commander shuddered remembering his nightmares about a giant red monster coming for his soul.

Although the battle over the fog bank was hellish the combined Myrmidon and Kerakian landing forces were landing all but unopposed in fact Lord Antioch was sure the only shots heading their way were stray ones that missed their intended targets.

After several moments the gravel voice of Lord Militant General Agrippa came over the vox, he had de facto command over the Myrmidon forces for the duration of the Cypra Mundi campaign.

'Lord Antioch I am assigning your forces to cover the main ingress point into the hive where your formidable Sarissa's can do the most damage if the gates are breached.' Stated General Agrippa. 'You are to seal the main gate as well as tertiary and maintenance access points, they are only to be opened when we confirm the Emperors Judgement forces are clearing the fog bank and closing on the city.'

'General Agrippa I am unfamiliar with the capabilities of hive cities.' Stated Lord Antioch, he had been thinking about this since they deployed. 'Especially such colossal mechanisms, how long do you suppose it takes to open the main gate once it has been shut?'

'If its anything like Kerak Guard it will take upwards of forty minutes.' Replied General Agrippa.

'How fast can the Emperor's Judgement forces move over open ground?'

'From that distance their outriders will reach the gates in ten, perhaps fifteen minutes.' Replied the general. 'The main force will not be far behind, astartes can move fast over open ground.'

'That still means the Emperors Judgement will be trapped outside the city walls for nigh on twenty minutes.' Replied Lord Antioch.

'It is an acceptable risk.' Countered General Agrippa. 'Krimisha has to be secure if they get in here this siege will become a slaughter, we cannot defend the urban sprawl we can't defend a city we don't know.'

'I suggest a middle ground we shut the gates only half way.' Replied Lord Antioch. 'I form up my forces outside the gate to guard the other side, if anything goes awry the gate can be shut well before anything hits the walls.'

'Which would put your forces outside the wall with the gate shut.' Glowered General Agrippa, he evidently wasn't enamoured with the lord commanders plan.

'It is an acceptable risk if it means we can ensure the ingress of the Emperors Judgement.' Replied Lord Antioch, he had no more counter arguments.

'It is your call Lord Antioch.' Stated General Agrippa, after a long pause. 'But I will station one of my regiments at the controls to the gate, if anything goes wrong I will seal those gates regardless of what side you are on.'

'I would expect nothing less.' Replied Lord Antioch.

'Very well.' Stated General Agrippa. 'May the Emperor watch over you, Agrippa out.'

Without needing to be ordered General Walsenburg began issuing new instructions to the entire landing force, the heavy troop transport they were aboard banked sharply heading for their new landing zone, after relaying his orders General Walsenburg turned to his lord commander.

'I have taken the liberty of giving deployment orders similar to Paradise.' Stated General Walsenburg. 'Three crescent formations with our armoured fighting vehicles at the flanks and our support echelons as well as artillery in the centre near the gate.'

There was an uncomfortable silence between the two that Lord Antioch picked up on instantly. 'I would have you speak your mind, Horace.'

General Horace Walsenburg cleared his throat. 'I would be remiss in my duties if I did not question the tactical soundness of this plan. But we are landing two hundred thousand soldiers, our entire expedition might I add, outside perfectly good and very high walls. Not only that we are facing off against a legion of bestial astartes and an unknown strain of xenos.

'I would never seek to impugn the honour of a fellow military force but the Kerakian Feudal Guard are blood relatives to the Emperors Judgement and I don't see them volunteering to hold the hive cities gate for the astartes.'

'I appreciate your position.' Replied Lord Antioch. 'If it wasn't for our unique fighting style I would position our brothers and sisters atop those high walls, with our Sarissa's we can hold that gate I know it and I have a feeling we will need to.'

Lord Antioch fixed General Walsenburg with a worrying stare. 'We saw the Emperor's Judgement subjugate the xenos on Paradise and that was just their First Great Order. Their entire legion is deployed here over two hundred thousand astartes, if they are being forced to retreat then I don't think they can afford to wait twenty minutes trapped in the open.'

'I fear what may have forced them to turn heel.' Admitted General Walsenburg, with a worried look.

'I fear that also but I will not let fear dictate our actions.' Replied Lord Antioch. 'Paradise might be named three hundred ninety three one but it was the Emperors Judgement who won the world, re-forged our expedition and gave us the honour of effecting our first compliance, I will not let them down when they need us the most.'

General Walsenburg nodded his understanding. 'We will not let them down.'

There was a mighty shockwave reverberate throughout the heavy troop transport as it set down on the ground of Cypra Mundi, Lord Antioch and General Walsenburg rushed out of the transport along with several hundred Myrmidon Lancers, hefting their trademark Sarissa's.

For the second time Lord Antioch emerged into the sunlight of an alien world and all he felt was a deep sense of foreboding, around him were hundreds of landers setting down disgorging tens of thousands of troops every minute. Lord Antioch forced himself to savour a moment of calm, he took in a deep breath closed his eyes then set off for the front.

'My lord.' Stated General Walsenburg, starting after his commander in chief. 'I assumed you would stay in the second line.'

'I have to be at the forefront to properly assess our disposition.' Replied Lord Antioch.

'To put yourself in harm's way more like.' Grumbled General Walsenburg.

Lord Antioch looked over his shoulder and winked at General Walsenburg then continued on through the avenues of landers, some of which were already taking off and thousands of troops, serfs and menials rushing about their duties. Lord Antioch flinched when he heard a deafening shriek, followed by a minor quake in the ground as the colossal gates of Krimisha began to close.

As they were heading to the front Lord Antioch and General Walsenburg came across hundreds of abandoned vehicles with belongings thrown on the ground beside them, the line of traffic seemed to wind its way all the way back to Krimisha. They moved through the abandoned conveyances as well as thousands of men and women forming into their crescent formations.

'It seems that they left in a hurry.' Commented Lord Antioch, referring to the abandoned vehicles.

'Let's just hope we don't have to leave in a hurry.' Replied the general, he was unable to keep the reproach from his voice. 'I am sorry for my choler, my sleep has been troubled of late a vast red monster with great wings.'

Lord Antioch looked away from General Walsenburg to hide his sudden spike of fear, it seemed that he wasn't the only one to be visited in his dreams, Lord Antioch chose not to comment and was saved from commenting as they reached the very front line.

The sight before them was surreal before them kilometres away down the plain was an almost impenetrable fog bank lit up by the flash of massive explosions every few moments, the fog muffled the sound as hardly any reached them. Above the fog was the battle in the heavens it was impossible to say who had the upper hand, joining the melee in the skies were the Myrmidon landers heading back to their parent vessels.

Lord Antioch stepped forward and walked fifty paces ahead of his armed forced followed dutifully by General Walsenburg, he then looked back at his forces they were a sight to see. Three colossal crescent formations curving back to the city walls, their formation so vast he could not see the end of the crescents like the curvature of a planet let alone the armoured fighting vehicles at either flanks. Atop the vast walls were tens of thousands of Kerakian Feudal Guard, they had brought online the wall guns which were swivelling into position looking to the skies and to the plain. Lord Antioch knew without asking that their artillery pieces would behind the second crescent line they would hammer any oncoming foe in concert with the wall guns.

Lord Antioch and General Walsenburg stood in complete silence for what seemed an eternity, then the silence was broken by the patter of fresh rainfall but it was surreal for two reasons. The first reason was the fact that it was only raining near the fog bank and the second reason was that it was crimson rain. A shiver ran down his spine as it was raining a torrent of blood coming out of the sky, he knew that there was no earthly reason for such an occurrence, General Walsenburg knew it too and so did their men, he looked back and the ranks were suddenly disordered.

Lord Commander Antioch opened a channel to his forces over his personal vox on his lapel. 'I will not lie to you brothers and sisters there is devilry afoot but stand firm and I shall stand with you. We meet whatever foe presents itself head on ignore the blood it is a ploy to unman you but they have misjudged their enemy for we stood firm against the horrors of Paradise!'

There was a true roar of support from his troops a wall of sound hitting him from two hundred thousand Myrmidon Lancers, it shook his bones and tugged at his heart strings but he knew he had to do more for he had a feeling that he would be asking everything from them soon.

'Whatever comes out of that fog bank you will hold your ground, no matter what horrors you see, no matter what ghastly enemy comes at us. We hold this gate until the Emperors Judgement come through it, we have the son of the Emperor needing our aid will we fail him?'

'NO!' Came the resounding cry.

'You had better not for there would be the devil to pay!' roared Lord Antioch.

'That has certainly put fire in their bellies.' Commented General Walsenburg.

'We are going to need it I think they are coming out of the fog.' Replied Lord Antioch, he called for a serf to bring him a pair of binoculars as did General Walsenburg. Lord Commander Antioch took the pair from the serf and looked to the fog and immediately wished he hadn't.

Surging out of the fog were beings from the depths of his darkest nightmares, there were tens of thousands of red humanoid beings with horned heads and giant black swords in clawed hands. Lord Antioch felt nauseated just looking at them he felt

physically sick to his stomach, evidently so did General Walsenburg for he vomited over his dress uniform.

'My god what are those things.' Managed General Walsenburg, fighting back dry heaves.

'They are coming from the aether, General Walsenburg.' Replied Lord Antioch. 'They are coming from the warp.'

'How can you tell?' asked General Walsenburg.

'Because they are clawing themselves from the ground of the plain.'

'What is it with us and enemies coming from fucking underground.' Growled General Walsenburg.

Lord Antioch didn't reply that previous comment titillated him, in the end he didn't have to as Lord Militant General Agrippa spoke to them on a private command channel.

'Lord Antioch these are denizens of the warp.' Said General Agrippa. 'They are not to be trifled with I beseech you to withdraw.'

'We will hold this ground no matter what the warp throws at us.' Lord Antioch closed the command channel and switched back to his forces. 'We are going to be hit by monsters from the darkest depths of the warp, the creatures will shake your very souls but stand firm for the Emperor will be watching what we do here will echo in the annals of history! For the Emperor and the Imperium of Man!