This will be a more detailed and longer work, so bear with me if chapters take longer to be up. I claim no ownership to any Games-Workshop stuff mentioned here. N Kage
"This, Sergeants, is the world of Orpheus VII.' Captain Mepesto paused a moment, gesturing to the holographic map on the chart-desk. 'The Council has decided it is in the Chapters best interest to help the Imperial forces defend it from the Tyranid Hive Fleet, designated "Giganteus". You will each receive more detailed briefings. Chaplain Kylan is going to be leading the Company in prayer at 1530 and I suggest you all be there. Dismissed."
Erasmus picked up a data-slate and walked back to his squad-bay. It would be expected of him to individually brief his squad and get them ready for the battle to come. His hearts filled with revulsion at the thought of the Tyranids. For his entire life, Chaplains had preached how the alien deserved nothing but hatred and death. He banished the thoughts from his mind; this was one of the first assignments were he would be fighting alongside Captain Mepesto. Reaching the squad-bay, he shouted at his squad, "Form up!" With a crash of booted feet, Squad Erasmus snapped to attention. "We have been reassigned to the world of Orpheus VII, to fight the 'nid threat there. You will all receive additional information in your cells, and there is a Company prayer at 1530. That is all." Erasmus spun on his heel and returned to his quarters, to honor his weapons and armor before the coming battles. His bolt pistol had jammed in the last battle and it had almost cost him his life.
Mepesto had different things on his mind. The previous campaigns and missions had left the First Company battered and below-strength, at about one hundred and twenty Marines, instead of the standard one-hundred and fifty. One hundred and twenty Space Marines was a force to be reckoned with, but against even the smallest hive fleet, they would be hard-pressed to survive. Picking up one of the many data-slates that littered his quarters, he flipped through it, examining the numbers of Imperial Guard and PDF forces on the planet. Some seven thousand Guardsmen of the various regiments, and ten thousand PDF infantry-men, plus elements of the Twelfth Cadian Armored and Fifth Armageddon Steel Legion. Defenses were standard for an Imperial world of the size, orbital batteries and defense lasers mainly. It would be a hard battle. He picked up another slate, one that contained intelligence on this particular hive-fleet and scrolled through it.
Chaplain Kylan strode to the front of the Chapel, his Crozius Arcanum held high in his right hand, while in his left, he swung a censor, billowing orange clouds of incest trailing. His jet-black power armor had bone decorations around the greaves and helmet. He was an imposing sight. Few of the Company had ever scene his face, for he preferred to be thought of as a faceless icon of faith. As he reached the front of the Main Chapel, he about-turned and addressed the gathered First Company.
"KNELL!" his command rang out in the vast, pillared Chapel. Statues of the previous Chapels lined the entire Chapel, and they silently gave their approval of prayer to come. With a thunderous crash, the entire Company, including Mepesto, slammed to the floor in a kneel.
"Lord Emperor,' began Kylan, 'we go to war against a horrendous foe, the foul Tyranids. With your strength and guidance, we shall overcome this foe and your praises shall echo across the stars. Praise the Emperor."
"Praise the Emperor."
"When will my soul be like thrice-forged steel?" Kylan shouted, his Crozius raised high.
"In the heat of Battle!" The Company had stood and slammed their fists against the breasts of their armor.
"When does your duty to the Emperor end?" Kylan came again, his blood singing and his heart ablaze.
"In Deaths cold embrace!" The Company of Space Marines slammed their fists twice against their breasts, their voices causing flecks of dust to float down from the ceiling.
"What will be your reward?" Kylans voice was like thunder, able to cut through the sounds of battle and still be heard.
"The Knowledge I have done my duty!" Erasmus could feel his hearts beat faster, truly inspired by the Chaplains oratory.
"What will be your Battle-Cry?" Kylan was walking amongst the Marines, blessing each with holy water from Terra itself.
"Death comes for You!" The cry erupted from every mouth there, some Sergeants breaking discipline and thrusting their fists into the air.
Mepesto smiled to himself. It was a simple and standard prayer, but the way Kylan could say it, he could inspire even the most defeated soul.
The Thunderhawk screamed through the sky, cannons blazing a path through the swarms of gargoyles that threatened to tear it from the sky. Inside the armored hull of the Thunderhawk sat four squads of Warhawks Marines, sent to reinforce the garrison of the city Kenos. The rest of the Company was redeploying across the planet. The original plan was to get to the planet before the Tyranids, but the Hive Fleet got there first, and now, they had to fight their way in.
Veteran Sergeant Erasmus tried to remain calm, but the smacks of gargoyles hitting the sides of the Thunderhawk were unnerving him. Through the cloudy and ice covered port-hole, he could see hundreds, or thousands, of the flying Tyranids. Between the swarms of Tyranids, strange, organic seed-pods shot through the sky. Watching, he could see probably thousands of the pods. The sky itself was turning a bruised purple, and lightening flashed across the sky, even though there were no clouds.
Suddenly, the Thunderhawk was through the swarms, flying nape of the land. In the distance, the mighty defenses of the city of Kenos loomed. From around the city, orbital missiles defenses were firing, dozens of missiles streaking towards the sky. There were so many strange things coming from the sky, every missile hit a target. From further in the hills, massive defense lasers were firing, the unbearably bright flashes of the gigantic lasers causing Erasmus's auto senses to drop a filter in front of his eyes to keep him from being blinded.
With a rush, the Thunderhawk banked over the wall, dodging defense missiles that would have vaporized the relatively small gunship. Shuddering, the Thunderhawk touched down on a landing pad, steam hissing from broken pipes. Slapping the restraint release, Erasmus stood, drew his pistol and stormed out, his squad right behind him. Shrieking, a gargoyle that had latched onto the Thunderhawk swooped down at Erasmus, its symbiotic weapon firing. With a shriek, the fleshborer spit out its cone of fanged beetles. Erasmus stepped back and pumped a round into the gargoyle, blowing off its head. He looked down and could see a sheen of black beetles trying to chew through his blessed armor. He gestured to Gunner Morenas and the Marine sent small gouts of flame over the Sergeants armor, burning off the beetles.
Erasmus looked to the sky and was horrified by what he saw. The sky was purple-black now, billions of spores raining down twisting the very environment. Towards the direction the Thunderhawk had come, a massive black cloud was forming from the thousands of gargoyles. Now that he could see better, he could see the seed-pods were actually Mycetic spores, the foul drop-pod equivalent of the drop-pod. Watching one, he could see it strike into one of the missile silos. Almost instantly, the missile silo stopped firing, within two minutes, two other silos nearby stopped firing. The lack of fire from that location caused Mycetic spores to drift towards that location and a decent force of what looked like gaunt broods had formed.
"Lord Chaplain Kylan!' Erasmus shouted into the Thunderhawk, for Chaplain Kylan was leading this force, 'The Tyranids had taken the missile silos!"