In the deep caverns under the city, the warriors waited. They had been
told to hide and wait for the attack they were expecting to take place any
time now. The reconnaissance fleets had been intercepted and destroyed by
an unknown enemy, and it was no longer safe on the surface. They did not
know when, how or where it would strike, but it would be soon, and there
was nowhere safer on the planet than here. The civilians had been hastily
evacuated from the city and pulled away here, in the artificial light. It
would not be long now…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Exarch Kasley awoke to the side of banging on the outer shell of the shelter. He jumped up, scooping up his shuriken catapult and awakening his squad mate in one fluid motion. In a minute or so, the whole squad was awake, visibly nervous. The banging continued. "Sergeant Dalroos?, shouted the exarch, Check the outer cameras!" "Nothing sir, came the hesitant reply, something must have knocked it out…." At these words, the tension visibly heightened. Soon, all the members had their safety catches off, their weapons nervously pointing at the door. Suddenly, the banging stopped, replaced by the sudden whir of an engine.
"GET DOWN!" yelled the exarch, already one step ahead of his enemies. Most of his elder warriors obeyed unquestioningly, but one looked questioningly at the exarch. For him, it was too late. The laser flew threw the wall cleanly cutting the guardian in half. And then the fighting began. "What are these… things?" Shouted the exarch, aware of the threat the enemies could be. Suddenly all was hell, as the daemon worshippers entered into the shelter, opening fire with their bolters and chain-swords. The repost was swift with the guardians drawing their blades and leaping to meet their opponents. Kasley drew both his blades and attacked what looked like the leader, his helm decorated with unholy runes, and in his hand stood and evil looking axe. He ducked his opponents swipe, feinting with his left blade, then spinning around his opponent and slitting his throat in one graceful swipe. Around him, many of the chaos warriors fell to the ground, dead or dying, for only a few of elder losses. But it had only just begun. Suddenly, a flash of bright light flew around him and out of nowhere, more of the abominations appeared. Still his men fought on, their shuriken pistols and force swords ruthlessly cutting down the abominations before them. He heard screams to his left and saw that an enormous blue man-bird had appeared, and was walking towards the defenders, a gush of green flame flying from the staff the creature held. It let out a raucous laugh and advanced onto the lines.
He was about to call the retreat, when out of the ruins of the city appeared an enormous, towering figure, wreathed in fire, and wielding and enormous fiery axe. Kaela'Mensha Kain. The avatar of the bloody handed god. At the sight of it, his warriors fought on with renewed vigor, knowing now that victory was close. The avatar stormed through the enemy lines, swinging his blade around him, sending the abominations flying or burning them to a crisp. It arrived in the elder lines, running at the great blue daemon bird creature. They fought, apparently oblivious to the carnage unfolding around them. Suddenly, before the avatar cut down his opponent, out of the sky came a fearsome creature, a great red bat thing, its leathery wings, holding it aloof. It its hand, a fearsome axe stood, and his tail was a flurry of whips. He advanced upon the avatar, but before any of them could strike the first blow, an evil laugh sounded behind the hill, and another daemon creature came out, all white, with 4 arms and one sword in each. Both creatures launched themselves at the avatar, tearing at it with whatever weapons they had. Around them, the fighting had ceased, as all stopped to admire the fearsome duel. The fighting seemed equal, but without warning, one of the great bats many tails passed under the avatar, sweeping his legs away and collapsing him to the ground, where the daemons hacked him to bits ruthlessly. The elder warriors stared, unbelieving at the scene before their eyes. Then, they collapsed onto their knees and stared and the fallen god.
The last scene Kasley saw was the swamp of dark creatures jumping onto him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beneath the battlefield, the farseers thought. They had heard of the defeat of the avatar, and the mind scream of their compatriots on the other planets had also been heard. Something terrible had happened, and they did not even know what it was. They did not talk, but they new each others thoughts. Suddenly, they all got up and headed towards the landing bays.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The psychic message flew threw the minds of all the eldar on the system.
The warriors stopped fighting, the children stopped crying, and in one wave, they ran to the bays…
The daemons wondered what was happening. It was not like the eldar to run like this. They regrouped and prepared for another assault. But before they had even started the attack, the roar of ships engines started, and out of the landing bays flew the largest ship sny had ever seen. Its wraithbone structure was the size of a moon. On every planet in the system, similar ships launched. They flew across the skies, into the open space…
In them was the eldars last hope. All who arrived in time to the bays had boarded them, knowing that those who stayed on the earth would die.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In space, it was a sight to behold. All the eldar craftworlds assembled in a single spot . Behind them, a great shadow sprawled across the system. A great eye, that radiated fire and flame, but overall, it radiated….. Terror.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Exarch Kasley awoke to the side of banging on the outer shell of the shelter. He jumped up, scooping up his shuriken catapult and awakening his squad mate in one fluid motion. In a minute or so, the whole squad was awake, visibly nervous. The banging continued. "Sergeant Dalroos?, shouted the exarch, Check the outer cameras!" "Nothing sir, came the hesitant reply, something must have knocked it out…." At these words, the tension visibly heightened. Soon, all the members had their safety catches off, their weapons nervously pointing at the door. Suddenly, the banging stopped, replaced by the sudden whir of an engine.
"GET DOWN!" yelled the exarch, already one step ahead of his enemies. Most of his elder warriors obeyed unquestioningly, but one looked questioningly at the exarch. For him, it was too late. The laser flew threw the wall cleanly cutting the guardian in half. And then the fighting began. "What are these… things?" Shouted the exarch, aware of the threat the enemies could be. Suddenly all was hell, as the daemon worshippers entered into the shelter, opening fire with their bolters and chain-swords. The repost was swift with the guardians drawing their blades and leaping to meet their opponents. Kasley drew both his blades and attacked what looked like the leader, his helm decorated with unholy runes, and in his hand stood and evil looking axe. He ducked his opponents swipe, feinting with his left blade, then spinning around his opponent and slitting his throat in one graceful swipe. Around him, many of the chaos warriors fell to the ground, dead or dying, for only a few of elder losses. But it had only just begun. Suddenly, a flash of bright light flew around him and out of nowhere, more of the abominations appeared. Still his men fought on, their shuriken pistols and force swords ruthlessly cutting down the abominations before them. He heard screams to his left and saw that an enormous blue man-bird had appeared, and was walking towards the defenders, a gush of green flame flying from the staff the creature held. It let out a raucous laugh and advanced onto the lines.
He was about to call the retreat, when out of the ruins of the city appeared an enormous, towering figure, wreathed in fire, and wielding and enormous fiery axe. Kaela'Mensha Kain. The avatar of the bloody handed god. At the sight of it, his warriors fought on with renewed vigor, knowing now that victory was close. The avatar stormed through the enemy lines, swinging his blade around him, sending the abominations flying or burning them to a crisp. It arrived in the elder lines, running at the great blue daemon bird creature. They fought, apparently oblivious to the carnage unfolding around them. Suddenly, before the avatar cut down his opponent, out of the sky came a fearsome creature, a great red bat thing, its leathery wings, holding it aloof. It its hand, a fearsome axe stood, and his tail was a flurry of whips. He advanced upon the avatar, but before any of them could strike the first blow, an evil laugh sounded behind the hill, and another daemon creature came out, all white, with 4 arms and one sword in each. Both creatures launched themselves at the avatar, tearing at it with whatever weapons they had. Around them, the fighting had ceased, as all stopped to admire the fearsome duel. The fighting seemed equal, but without warning, one of the great bats many tails passed under the avatar, sweeping his legs away and collapsing him to the ground, where the daemons hacked him to bits ruthlessly. The elder warriors stared, unbelieving at the scene before their eyes. Then, they collapsed onto their knees and stared and the fallen god.
The last scene Kasley saw was the swamp of dark creatures jumping onto him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beneath the battlefield, the farseers thought. They had heard of the defeat of the avatar, and the mind scream of their compatriots on the other planets had also been heard. Something terrible had happened, and they did not even know what it was. They did not talk, but they new each others thoughts. Suddenly, they all got up and headed towards the landing bays.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The psychic message flew threw the minds of all the eldar on the system.
The warriors stopped fighting, the children stopped crying, and in one wave, they ran to the bays…
The daemons wondered what was happening. It was not like the eldar to run like this. They regrouped and prepared for another assault. But before they had even started the attack, the roar of ships engines started, and out of the landing bays flew the largest ship sny had ever seen. Its wraithbone structure was the size of a moon. On every planet in the system, similar ships launched. They flew across the skies, into the open space…
In them was the eldars last hope. All who arrived in time to the bays had boarded them, knowing that those who stayed on the earth would die.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In space, it was a sight to behold. All the eldar craftworlds assembled in a single spot . Behind them, a great shadow sprawled across the system. A great eye, that radiated fire and flame, but overall, it radiated….. Terror.
