Dawn of War: Where They Belong

Every person has endured an experience that changes the thoughts and mind of a being. Without experience and challenges to shape one's character, how can one learn anything? Most of us grow, but others require brute force.

Chapter 4: Section 4 - 1

The air is horrid and smells like a thousand decaying bodies. They step lightly as the journey takes them to the top of the hive city. Anything below the pipe lines is too toxic and deadly. All around them are the sounds of gears turning; the noise from the exhaust pipes pump out the toxic fumes from within the city. The men are annoyed and tired of climbing. As much as they want to give up, they push on and see him standing ahead of them. From the company of nine, the imperial guardsmen and guardians see Lord General Militant Lucas Turner lead on. The companies reach a high area above the smoke and air. Lucas orders the groups to take a moment to recover and breathe in the oxygen from their tanks. As they all rest, he takes a moment to contact the War Harbinger.

Lucas contacts the ship, "We are nearing the entrance of the hive city. You sure there is no other way in?"

Lina replies, "All other access points are too dangerous to enter or hazardous for your health. This point here is the best option for you to enter. Once you have found the survivors, the rest will be in your hands. And no dying on me either, my Lucas."

He acknowledges her wish and happily takes her words to heart. After another few minutes of rest, Lucas leads his companies to the entry point. It is easy to open an simple mesh entrance; it is even easier to enter inside a hive city for the first time. Lucas and his companies move inside the hive city through one of many chutes. The imperial guardsmen and guardians land on the solid floor of the hive city. Lucas calls to everyone and checks for any signs of injuries. All men and women report no signs of hurt or pain minus the landing. Once they adjust their gear, they remove their helmets and preserve the oxygen left in their canister. It didn't take Lucas long to come across a few new faces of humanity. They are poor, meager people who run from them in fear and praying. Lucas finds a man falling to his knees and praying before him. The hand goes under his cloak and removes the blade with quick hands. Before the man can stab anyone, Lucas fires a single bullet into the leg. The man falls to the ground screaming.

Lucas thought, "Well, this is how the people live in these cities. If they are not in need of goods, they will take anything from anyone to survive."

The sound of foot steps come to every ear. Lucas and the others look forward to see a woman step forward with an unusual armor covering her. She cocks her gun and looks at the soldiers with a disappointed frown. She wants to laugh, but this is a bad time to do any humorous speaking. She takes notice to the man at the ground by Lucas. He gets up and limps away screaming about being shot.

She says, "So, you are the new faces around here. I would introduce myself, but this isn't the time. You are trespassing on Blue Moon territory. I suggest you leave before they get here. You just shot one of their recruits."

The woman points at the fleeing man Lucas just shot. He keeps calling for help as he gets away from their sight.

Lucas asks, "Who are the Blue Moon?"

Instead of giving him a answer, the woman runs from the area as fast as she can. Lucas and his teams take a moment to locate a defendable position. Every section of the hive city shows an advantage for the enemy in many spots. Some are above their head and others provide flaking routes. The hive city didn't show many areas they can hide or take cover at. Many sections and zones are too out in the open. After a long search, they come to a dead end. Despite there is no exit, they have the element of superior fire power. No one could flake them and the only thing in front of them are walls of cover. Lucas orders his officers to setup as he takes a moment to scout the area ahead. He manages to cover some ground before he hears the voices of two new individuals. He quickly takes cover to hear the words of two men nearby. He slowly sneaks to the next wall and listens to the chat.

One man says, "I hear we got visitors today. The motion sensors went off judging by the number of people that came by."

The second man asks, "Oh, we do huh? Well, which clan is attacking our recruits? Is the Red Fists? Are the Orange Rats making a move? Did the Ground Shakers finally try to step up?"

A new person joins them and says, "No, these new people are from somewhere else and not of the hive city. They are wearing new armor with something else added on. I want to see these new people."

The sound of a gun locking in a bullet goes off near his ear. The words "Get up, slowly" are heard. Lucas slowly stands to his feet with the gun pressing his head. Instead of wanting to be captured, Lucas ducks to the side and counters with hard punch to the face. The gun goes off and alerts the others. The other Blue Moon members fire at him only to see Lucas run back to his company. He arrives at the defendable zone and informs his troops of the coming danger. The guardsmen hold the dead end with the imperial guardians standing at various areas in cover. Lucas keeps his eyes forward to see who will come. It didn't take them long to see the Blue Moon attackers stand before them. They are highly out-number and many types of guns are aiming at them. Lucas orders his men to be ready and the leader of the Blue Moon comes forward. He is joined by his second-in-command as they both walk together with confidence and pride.

He says, "Ah, so you are the new people who have been walking through my territory without paying me tribute. This will not do and you clearly don't understand what you have done wrong. I'll let my second-in-command, Elara, explain the rest to you."

Elara steps forward and says, "You step around the Blue Moon territory. Our leader, Mar, is willing to let the mistake go as soon as you lay down your weapons and join our cause. The only other option for you is to die in this dead end. So, what is your answer?"

Lucas steps forward and activates the device on his arm. He answers, "Read my lips: Go to he..."

Mar shouts, "Open fire and spare no survivors!"

The Blue Moon shooters aim and fire their guns at Lucas. In a surprise of light, an energy shield appears before them stops all the shots coming at him. The imperial guardians move up and add their shields with Lucas. In return, the Blue Moon attackers keep pouring on the fire power and using everything they have at them; Mar orders them to stop firing. The smoke clears away and the results are shocking. Mar and the Blue Moons find Lucas and his company still alive. Not a single shot has hit them. Lucas scoffs and orders his team to fire at them Blue Moons. Many of them are hit and killed; Mar and Elara retreat and leave their groups behind to hold them off. After a few minutes of fighting, only two groups step forward and offer their guns to them. Lucas orders his men to take them all into custody. The action did more for them than expected.

The sound of a door creaking is heard everywhere by the men and women under within the area. The people of the hive city step from their hiding places and look upon the results of a small skirmish. Lucas and his teams look around to see many people come out with a surprise on their face. Never in a thousand years did they believe this is possible. All they knew was the Blue Moon gang makes the rules and everyone pays their dues. Now, they see new faces that easily push back the Blue Moon clan with ease as though they are deities of old. Lucas and his men keep the captives on their knees; the others watch the poor people come to them. An old man approaches Lucas with a metal cane. Lucas looks upon them with some interest. Many more people join the old man and surround them. The old man looks at Lucas and takes his hand. He falls to his knees and starts to cry.

The old man asks, "Who are you? Where did you come from?"

Lucas answers, "We are the imperial army of the imperium of man. My name is Lord General Militant Lucas Turner of the Imperial Guardians and the twentieth imperial guardsmen."

The very words shake the core of every meager person around them. The old man and others bow their heads to Lucas. The companies around them don't understand, but Lucas forbids the man from bowing. He pulls him up and questions his reason for why he is bowing.

The old man replies, "We are unaware of what else has happened. Long ago, we came here to this planet during the Age of Iron Men. We left before the war concluded between men and iron machines. The only thing our ancestors told us is fear the intelligence of machines should they rise against us. I take it humanity won and it is safe for us to return now."

Lucas scratches his head and finds hardly any words to explain how long they have been away from the Milky Way. With the area secure, the soldiers take the captives and place them inside the area next to the dead end. The cage holds the captives and the people come out to touch the troops under Lucas' command. Lucas continues to question the old man about how the hive city came to be. The story goes on from their arrival to when the gang clans rose to power. The chat goes on for a time until Lucas receives word from Lina.

She radios, "The tau commander is coming in to help you out. I hope you found survivors inside the hive city."

Lucas says, "We can use the extra help. Based on the intel I gathered, there are at least four troublesome gangs inside the city. We just met the Blue Moons. I can't wait to see the others. Also, we do have some survivors in here. If our ship has any room to spare, we will take as many as we can and bring them to our new world."

Within minutes, the tau fire warriors drop in and journey to the secured area. Lucas and Shas'O Kais compare notes about the structure. To see an alien species, the tau stand nervous and willing to accept new humans into their empire. It didn't take long before the news of unusual characters to spread everywhere. All the gangs of the hive city start receiving word from others about what is going on. At the den of the Blue Moon, Mar and Elara stand in the center of their gang trying to calm them. They promise that revenge will be theirs once they bring the best.

Mar says, "They caught us by surprise, but they are nothing to the Blue Moon. We will either have them on our side or they all will die. None of you need to worry about this problem. I will end this upstart before they try to overpower us."

Elara agrees, "They will regret the day crossing the Blue Moon. So, time to show them what happens when they screw with us."

As loud and proud as the Blue Moon gang sounds, they too would stand against the other gangs of the hive city. In the far western zone of the city, the Red Fists leader sits back in her chair with a smile on her face. The news of how dangerous the new people are excites her greatly. A loyal follower comes to the Red Fists leader.

He says, "Boss, the enemy seems to be fortifying their position and expanding. How do you want us to handle this, Asuki?"

Asuki replies, "We will wait and see what happens. I would have made my move on the Blue Moon gang, but I want to see what these new people will do."

As the tension in the hive city begins to climb, everyone starts taking the side they wish to stand with. Lucas and Shas'O Kais stand ready to face the gangs of the hive city; the gangs are ready to battle the tau and imperial army. Only one will find victory and the others shall receive death.

Chapter 4: Section 4 - 2

The technology of the tau helps reduce the toxic air around the hive city on the outside. Each device is tall and round like a pipe. It sucks in the hazardous air and changes it to clean air. With every device active, the areas on the outside are easy to travel with some exposure. Within the hive city, the gangs organize their kit and gear to be ready for combat. Every single gang member and leader never thought the day would come when their authority would be on the line. The Blue Moon gang loads up every kind of weapon they have. The Orange Rats scavenge any piece of tech that hasn't been tested. All the Ground Shakers stand ready to move out. Only one gang stays back and waits for her opportunity to show itself.

A toss from his arm and the explosive device lands in front of the enemy. It blows up, but it doesn't do any damage. Instead, the tau fire warriors aim their rifles and fire at the enemy. Though they take cover behind walls and metal sheets, the pulse rounds crack through the metal. Many brawlers of the Orange Rats die in great numbers, but more come to join the battle. The tau advance their lines up slowly as they wound or gun down every gang member. At the rear of the gang, Orange Rat leader Skavic does his best to keep teams organized. None of his methods or tactics work against the strategy of Shas'O Kais.

Skavic says, "What?! How are they doing this? Where did they come from?"

Another explosion goes off and cries of pain are heard. Skavic looks out into the open to see the tau move up their line of attackers. The Orange Rats do what they can to hold back the enemy, but the tau prove themselves a formidable force. Each tech the Orange Rat members use is ineffective against the tau's superior technology. Skavic orders more men to try flaking routes on the enemy. Every attempt is met with a counter and more gang members dead. Skavic sees the enemy is closer than ever. The tau attackers stop and out comes the commander from the rear. He points at the gang leader and sends him a message by broadcast.

Shas'O Kais says, "Your plans are worthless and it is pointless to continue your fight against us. We offer you the chance to surrender and embrace the Greater Good. Stop this madness now."

Skavic fires his pistol at the commander only to see it stopped by his shield.

He says, "Damn you to the warp, alien filth! I am Skavic of the Orange Rats! You will die!"

Shas'O Kais looks on to see the members of the gang bring forth a cannon. Skavic declares his victory and proclaims nothing will be left once the cannon fires. The gang aims it at the tau commander. Kais orders his squads to back up; he stands alone and keeps his focus on the target. Skavic orders his men to fire the cannon. The weapon charges up and gathers energy. The Orange Rats cheer and proclaim victory will be theirs. Once charged, the button is press. A blast from the cannon flies at the tau commander. The results are massive as the gang cheers at the sight of seeing the area destroyed. The sound of hovering is being heard and lighting is cracking. As the smoke clears away, Skavic and the gang members can't believe that Shas'O Kais is alive and unharmed. He floats in the air with his shield still active. The only thing the cannon destroyed was the ground under his feet. Enraged by what he sees, the Orange Rats leader tries to match his enemy. With a press of the button, a shield of energy comes up.

Skavic says, "You may have survived that blast, but I can survive anything. Go ahead and take your best shot. I am wearing the best gear out of all the gangs in here. And my shield will stop anything you fire."

He lands back on the ground. Shas'O Kais uses his suit to scan how strong the shield is. Once done, he aims his cannon at the target. The gang still brags and shouts their victory will belong to the Orange Rats.

Shas'O Kais offers, "Surrender now, human. You can still walk away and be apart of something better."

Skavic roars and declines the offer for surrender. With a deep sigh, Kais locks his target in sight and fires a single shot. The ion beam is slightly larger than the pulse rifle rounds. It shatters through the shield of energy and collides with the arm of Skavic. The force is quick and painless as he sees his arm is missing. Nothing but utter shock and silence surrounds the Orange Rats. They couldn't fathom what they just saw. As he grips his arm and screams in horror, Skavic backs away with only a handful of his loyal guards trying to help him. Before another word is said, Skavic calls for everyone to continue fighting. It didn't take the Orange Rats long to throw down their weapons and surrender. Skavic didn't want to believe what his eyes see, but there it is. Every single gang member walks forward with their hands held above their head.

Shas'O Kais calls to the enemy, "There will be food, water, and acceptance within the tau empire. If you wish to join our allies, we offer you no trouble."

Skavic comes close with his personal guard escorting him. Shas'O Kais looks upon the man with his arm missing. He falls to his knees and begs for forgiveness. Before Shas'O Kais can accept his hand, a single shot comes from behind his back. Everyone nearby turns to see Carl holding his bolter. He places it away only to face Shas'O Kais and hear his disappointment.

Shas'O Kais asks, "Why did you kill him? He had already given up."

Carl answers, "I was told by the locals here that Skavic and his personal guard are known for being treacherous; the most common feature of their behavior is to feign surrender and eliminate their enemy as they sleep. Is this not the method you are trying now?"

Shas'O Kais and his honor guard turn to the last six men left. They start feeling nervous and fearful. Suddenly, they drop to their knees and beg for mercy. Carl and his small unit walk up to each of the last men and put a single shot through their head. Though the methods shocks the tau and scares the remaining Orange Rats, Shas'O Kais disagrees with his act tremendously.

He argues, "Your tactics and methods are extremely uncalled for. The enemy realized how pointless their battle is and surrendered willingly. Why did you execute the leader and his guards? These kind of atrocities will not keep your empire intact if they continue. You would do well to rid yourself of this manner."

Carl says, "You have your peaceful methods, but there are times when that won't work against the stubborn, insane, mad, deceiving, and manipulative kind. If you had tried this kind of diplomacy against the other hive cities I have seen, they would have laughed your grey-skin butt off the planet. Don't let the idea of peaceful talks be the way to fix all problems."

Shas'O Kais replies, "It is just as it was on Kronus with your Blood Ravens and imperial guard. Neither wanted to accept the Greater Good concept and refuse to let down their arms. Instead, we fought meter by meter and mile by mile. We easily overcame the imperial guard, but the Blood Ravens assassinated my...our ethereal before I could save him. It is that kind of stubborn, vicious attitude that will keep the imperium of man in the shadows of darkness. Where you see a means to eliminate, I see peace. If there is a moment of negotiation, we should accept it. It is your empire that continues to show me that all forms of peace talks will never be possible unless you are willing to accept and learn from others offer you. There is something greater than your own selfish desire to see your empire thrive."

The remarks nearly cuts at Carl's pride as a soldier of the imperium. He turns to the tau commander with some rage in his eyes.

Carl says, "You may be quick to use your words, but the imperium of man will find glory in the Milky Way even if it must stand against your tau empire. Yes, we have our ways but you also have your ways too. I will not debate or waste my words with one who isn't an honorable soldier of the imperium. Humanity is fighting for its very soul to stay alive in the harsh galaxy and you wish to speak of peace talks and harmony. You must be suffer from an illusions of xeno mixing and creating an empire where all of us are one single race. I will always stay true to my empire and never allow anything to shake my faith. If you want your peaceful talks, I can promise you that they will not exist in this life."

Before a heated chat begins, a sweet voice calls to them both and says, "You both can argue the issue later. I have received word from Lord General Turner that another group of people are looking for a way to join us. Both of you are to return to the base and plan for the next task."

Shas'O Kais and Carl turn to see Suu barely holding on. She nearly falls over as she endures feeling uneasy.

Carl raises an eye brow, "You don't look so well. I doubt you will be able to handle any tasks."

Before she can answer, Kais replies, "She is here of her own freedom. Suu requested to be here the moment she found out you came into this hive city. Let's return to the base and continue our planning from there."

As the tau and imperial escort return, a single member of the Red Fists watches and reports what she sees.

She radios her leader, "Asuki, the groups are moving on. What are your orders?"

Asuki replies, "Just maintain your distance from them. Report anything they have and we will have our plan soon."

As she moves from her location to get closer, a set of stealth teams from the tau hold her at gun point. She tries to reach for her weapon only to be stun. She falls into a unconscious state. At the base of operation, Lucas oversees the advantages and disadvantages around the hive city. As more and more innocent people come into the camp, each group is transported to be aboard the War Harbinger and Great Spear by ship. Many agree to fight for the imperium and others join the tau to fight for a better future. Lina processes as many people she can when they come up; the tech teams join her and get the names, ages, and status of every person fighting for the imperium. The tau tech teams promise each person that their place in the empire is worth having. As more continue to come, Lucas sends out his orders.

He says, "I need men to secure this section here. We may be in a dead end, but this will be an entry point for the gangs. Squad two will make sure it is secure. Squad three are to head over here and scout the area. Everyone else is to secure and expand the perimeter. We need as much room as possible."

As the others acknowledge his orders, the others walk up. Carl, Shas'O Kais, and Suu join Lucas to finalize the plans for taking out the gangs of this city.

Suu weakly says, "We managed to eliminate the Orange Rats. Only the Red Fists and Blue Moon gangs are left. I..."

She nearly falls over and Carl catches her. She looks at him and smiles.

Carl says, "You look out of it. Head back to your ship and recover."

Shas'O Kais tries to speak, but Suu says, "I am fine. I just want to be here with you. I will be ready soon."

Suu regains her composure as Lucas informs them of what is left to handle.

He says, "Well, this whole hive city has only half a million people in it. I'm told from the inhabitants that the lower levels are full of others who are insane and pose a threat to everyone else. It is the only thing the gangs have agreed on when they try to come up and take what they can. So, we need to stop the Red Fists and Blue Moon gangs. The last gang thought about fighting us, but they agreed to join us instead. So, the Ground Shakers are out of the fight. They seem to be curious about the tau technology."

Shas'O Kais steps forward and says, "I will happily deal with the Red Fists gang and leave the Blue Moons for you to deal with. The weapons they are using are about a century or more old; I highly doubt they will put up much of a fight."

Carl steps up and disagrees, "Oh no, you would do well to stay here and be our defensive leader. After that last stunt with the Orange Rats, I highly doubt the Red Fists will join us willingly. Leave the rats to me and you can go all out on the Blue Moon gang."

Before they can argue any more, Lucas interrupts, "Neither of you are thinking straight about how to handle it. I will give you an idea to try. First, both of you are to offer them a chance to surrender twice. If the attempts fail, then use of deadly force is authorized. Any P.O.W.s will be given mercy. So, get your high heads back in the fight. Shas'O Kais and I will go after the Red Fists and see if they want to make a deal. Carl and Suu will lead the fight against Mar and Elara. I am sure they will give you both a reason to use deadly force. Are we all in agreement?"

Everyone nods their head and a tau fire warrior approaches them with news. It didn't take long for them to find the prisoner in chains. They wake her up to see what information she has and who is she working for. Lucas approaches her and loads his pistol.

He says, "You are gonna tell me what I want to know, or this is going to be messy. So, which is it going to be?"

Chapter 4: Section 4 - 3

The walk to the territory is easy. It is smooth and easy to find your way through the territory of the Red Fists. Asuki is the gang leader for her people; she treats them all fair and runs a tight group. As much as she keeps the other gangs from her zones, Asuki makes sure that everyone knows one rule: Do Not Cross Asuki. Lucas and Shas'O Kais arrive to the Red Fists front gate. They bring forth the prisoner to show the guards that she is unharmed and doing well; she shows the gate guards that she is doing better than she had thought. The guards contact their leader on what to do. Shortly after contact, the gate into the Red Fists base opens.

Lucas says, "I still can't believe we are using your plan. We should've just blown open the gate and went for the leader. Once their leader is caught, we end the threat."

Shas'O Kais cleverly points out, "I do recall your orders to us: Offer them two chances to cooperate. Use of deadly force is only authorized when all options fail. Those were your words were they not?"

Lucas grumbles under his breath and moves into the base. As they enter, all around their head is a place of people with discipline, proper manner, and no lack of focus. The place is mostly full of women and handfuls of men. The Red Fists gang keeps to their word and honors the command of Asuki. The orders from her keep broadcasting over the radio as none dare to break their word to her. After walking for five minutes, the leader comes to them with her personal guard ready to fire. She informs everyone to remain focus and keep their guns down.

Asuki says, "Welcome to Red Fists territory. My name is Asuki. I'm sure my scout told you everything about me and how I do business with uninvited guests. So, since you are here, make me an offer before I kill you."

Lucas replies, "That would be unwise on your part. I'm sure your scout told you what happen to the Orange Rats. They tried to attack my alien ally and it ended with the leader having a bullet in his head. As for the offer, I'll tell you the same thing I told Mar and Elara."

Shas'O Kais raises his hand to Lucas and steps forward. The height of the suit causes the women to be more alert than before.

He says, "This is no proper way to introduce yourself to guests. You do understand the proper idea of common courtesy?"

Asuki answers, "I ain't speaking to you, metal boy. You should step aside before I put several bullets through you. Don't think that your armor is stronger than the guns we have."

Shas'O Kais happily replies, "I highly doubt any of your weapons can match or compare to the imperial army or the tau military. The currents ones you have may wound us, but they are only meant to be melted down."

Asuki steps forward with a fierce look in her eyes, "You better watch yourself. Any of my people can easily kill you all before you reach for your gun."

Lucas looks around and sees several more gang members come up with weapon aiming at them. The tau fire warriors stand calm and relaxed; every imperial soldier looks on with curiosity. Only two people ignore the others around them.

Shas'O Kais asks, "Are you willing to put your best skill to the test? If so, there will be no need to fight you. In return, you will submit to us and your gang will no longer exist. Do you accept the terms?"

Asuki proudly smirks, "And if I win, you give up your ship, your weapons, and join my gang under my command. Do we have an agreement?"

Kais and Asuki shake hands. Lucas smiles and orders his teams, "All of you stand down. Something tells me we won't have to lift a finger for this."

The pair walk through the base to the far side of the area. The gang members at the shooting post step aside and watch them take a spot. Asuki is greeted by her members while Shas'O Kais remains calm. The gang members boast of their weapons, Asuki's skill, and how they are the greatest. Shas'O Kais allows her to lead the way with her best weapons. Asuki didn't hesitate to begin with her best.

She says, "This is the Noise Maker. We've taken two cannons and reshaped them both to create this gun. I assure you that nothing is stronger than this. But, we can get to that gun last. This next gun is our very best for long range penetration. It is the Silent Night. The range on this gun is over two-hundred yards, but its best feature is how much it will rip your arm clean off. You will see this gun fire just before the Noise Maker. Now, these rifles and guns here are the standard issue for Red Fists gang. I made sure each one is capable of killing any being no matter the size. So, which one do I need to show you that gets the job done? Better yet, don't answer that. I'll give us some targets."

Asuki points to the target on the walls in front of them. From various points in the distance to high areas marked with targets, the walls are perfect to test anyone's accuracy and eye sight. Asuki takes a handgun and fires a few shots at easy targets. Her speed at firing and reloading is astounding and effective. Shas'O Kais continues to wait and allows her to continue; Lucas and the others stand back as the gang members of the Red Fists cheer her on and hope the display will cause their enemy to give up. After easily showing off her handgun and rifle skills, Asuki switches to the Silent Night sniper rifle. She calls out to a target at four hundred yards away. A screen is pulled up to show the distance and target. After she adjusts the scope and takes aim, Asuki concentrates and keeps her breathing low. She takes a deep inhale and holds it. A single fire from the Silent Night and it hits the mark.

She proclaims, "Ha! How is that for you? That shot went through the target. If that was your head, you would not be alive. So, what say you now about the fire power of the Red Fists?"

Shas'O Kais calls forth one of his fire warriors. He places his own cannon on the ground beside him. Asuki asks for her members to remove the weapon, but they can't lift it from the ground.

He says, "That is a burst cannon. It can only be lifted by me thanks to the suit or a space marine. You will not be able to lift it at all unless you are inhumanly strong; however, that is not why it is on the ground. This weapon I am holding now is a standard pulse rifle. Allow me to demonstrate how well it works."

He looks at the targets in the area. Shas'O Kais wastes no time at firing every shot perfectly at the walls. Each shot from the rifle leaves a large hole in the area. Asuki and the gang are shocked; never in their entire life have any seen a rifle do so much damage. Once he stops, the rifle carrier takes back his gun.

Shas'O Kais turns to her, "Do you still want to finish our challenge? Or, are you convinced that the tau weaponry is far superior to your own technology?"

Asuki nervously laughs, "There is one thing you haven't won yet. I am impressed with your shooting, but this will not work on the Noise Maker. Let me show you why you will fail."

She grabs the Noise Maker cannon and aim it at the walls. With a few adjustments, Asuki charges up the cannon. She fires off a single blast and manages to devastate an area. The Red Fists cheer and know that nothing can stop the destructive power of the Noise Maker. Shas'O Kais pops his neck muscles and picks up his burst cannon. He modifies the cannon and orders everyone to stand back. Lucas orders his men to follow the tau where they go. He goes to Shas'O Kais.

Lucas calls to him, "Are you sure about this? What are you doing?"

Shas'O Kais replies, "I alone can handle the blast once the gun is fired. The gang members will do what they wish. Your safety and my team being safe are my only worries. Now, fall back to the position where my teams are at. Make sure you are all in cover."

Lucas hurries to catch up with his own teams. He orders everyone to take cover. The Red Fists members look on with some curiosity and laugh at them. Asuki feels that victory is hers.

She says, "Looks like you lost a crowd. I hope they went to get my ship ready."

Shas'O Kais answers, "They are merely taking cover. As for your last gun, I hope this will settle everything. You should get back."

He aims his cannon at the area where Asuki fired. As he charges up the cannon, Asuki and others back away from him. The sound of his battle suit frightens the gang members; Shas'O Kais aims his cannon at the targets and fires a single shot. Though his burst cannon is meant for various targets, he amplifies one blast to be strong enough to do more than a little damage. Shas'O shot hits the wall in the distant of the city. Upon contact, the shockwave throws debris as the explosion sends a light across the area. Many gang members take cover as the blast shakes the area of the hive city. As the gang members look for cover, Lucas and the rest do their best to stay standing.

Lucas thought, "I hope Shas'O Kais didn't blow up a section of the city. We are trying to impress them and not give them a reason to fear us."

The damage is done; everything is quiet. Asuki and her members come out from cover to see what is left after the single shot. Shas'O Kais stands firm, but the suit is shooting out sparks. Asuki nearly uses this opportunity to capture him, but the sound of tau fire warriors approaching stops her wicked idea. The tau join their leader and praise him for his work. Asuki looks at her followers to see them all dumbstruck and frightful. She questions one of her followers only to see him point to what is left of the wall. Upon looking to the targets, Asuki finds nothing is left in the area he fired. There are no targets and nothing else but an empty opening with metal all broken around. Asuki is lost for words and didn't have anything to back up her claim.

Shas'O Kais turns to her, "I believe this show of strength is over. Your weapons are nothing and hardly effective against us. You have lost."

Asuki smiles and replies, "You must really be stupid if you believe I am going to submit to you and your allies. Asuki of the Red Fists answers to no man or xeno."

The sound of a gun clicking from behind her head goes off. Lucas aims his bolter next to her head without her knowing. The sound of more weapons locking in place alerts her. Many of her members want to aim their guns at them, but several energy shields come up.

Lucas says, "I'll make it easy for you. Surrender to me, or give yourself up to the tau commander. This is your last chance before I and my teams start cleaning house. What about you, Shas'O Kais? You ready to start eliminating the problem?"

She turns to hear him sighing, "As much as I am hoping to not resort to violence, I see that this will be impossible."

With the tau forces and imperial teams ready to eliminate, the question falls to Asuki on how this will end. The noise of the gun locking in the bullet is ready. A shot is fired from another gun. Many take cover behind anything that will stop the barrage of firepower. A member gets hit in the shoulder; a second person is hit in the leg and the next takes a shot to the side. As they move up the line and continue to push in the territory, the others pull back from the onslaught coming from their enemy. As he looks on at the devastation, Mar is beyond enraged.

He screams, "No...no...no! We can not lose! We can not fail now! How is this possible?!"

Elara comes over with a wound on her leg and arm. She sees the chances for winning are low.

She says, "Mar, we don't have the means to win any more. They are too much for any of us to handle. We must stop and see if they will let us live."

With a slap to her face, Mar roars, "Do not speak to me of surrender. I want everyone to continue this fight until all of them die. No retreat, no surrender."

Elara looks at a man gone mad with rage. She limps away only to hear more news from one of the members. The news is horrible; the enemy is still pushing forward. Other members of the gang are gladly giving up and surrendering. Elara whispers some words to one of the gang members. She grinds her teeth and grips her weapon. With her wounds hurting, she walks back to see Mar looking on with no desire to retreat or surrender. Elara didn't want it to end this way, but she sees that the choices have come to this.

Chapter 4: Section 4 - 4

They march forward and oversee the results of their conflict. The Blue Moon are scattered and many have lost the will to fight. Nearly all of the gang members surrender to the alliance of the tau and imperium. As they finish checking with their teams, Elara steps forward with a piece of the crown that belong to Mar. Carl and Suu come forward and see her wounded. Her pain is nothing, but she stands before them.

Elara says, "Mar of the Blue Moon gang is dead. This is what is left from his head. We will not oppose you no more. The gang is no more."

Carl offers his hand, "That is fine. We will accept your surrender, but you get to decide how your future will be."

As the gang members throw down their guns and submit to the alliance, more and more people all from different parts of the hive city come to join the gathering. Many whisper of the new discovery. Some speak of new faces and heroes none have ever seen. Carl looks around to see that not all of humanity has completely given up on the idea of survival. With the gangs unable to function without any leaders, the reports go to Lucas and Shas'O Kais. Suu orders her teams back to the base. Before she can get far, she stumbles over and breathes heavily. As the tau medics assist her, all they hear is her words constantly repeating the same.

She says, "Carl...Carl, where are you? Please...come to me."

The news reaches Carl about Suu wanting to see him. He comes over to find her medics around her and worrying.

One medic says, "She is not feeling so well. Her breathing is low yet heavy. We have given her some herbs, but nothing seems to be going well for her. Please, we request that you stay near her side."

Carl scratches his head, "I don't know how else I can be of help to her, but I will need to see what else is causing her to feel so unwell."

As the medics use their small transport to take Suu back, Carl joins her. She opens her eyes to see him sitting beside her. Suu reaches up and tries to touch him. He grabs her hand and assures her that all is well. To his surprise, Carl touches her forehead. He feels her temperature is higher than it should be. She coughs lightly only for Carl to urge the escort to hurry back to the base. Once they arrive, Carl calls to Shas'O Kais about Suu's condition. It didn't take long to see him and Lucas joining them.

He says, "What is going on? I hope all is well with you two."

Carl replies, "I see why Suu is not feeling well. She has a small case of what we call illness. She is too hot and needs to cool off asap. Lord General Turner, I need to use some of our medicine to help her. With your permission..."

Lucas gladly answers, "It is alright. I remember my promise to the tau. We are helping them until they find a new planet to live on. So, give her medics the medicine we have."

Carl proudly salutes and calls forth any doctor to provide the tau with their medicine they have. As the base extends outward, Asuki and Elara finds themselves in charge of the new faces for the alliance. Mar is dead, the Orange Rats are defeated and the Ground Shakers surrendered. Everything within the hive city is now transferring over the imperial or tau control. After the base is fortified and expanded two miles in every direction, Lucas and Shas'O Kais salute their new commanders of hive city farewell until they return.

Asuki of the Gue'vesa says, "I fight for the Greater Good of the tau. We will hold this city for new recruits of the tau army. Any new gue'vesa joining the tau will be apart of the greater good. Any who refuse to surrender will find their face missing and their army obliterated with nothing left to bury."

Elara of the imperial army salutes, "Lieutenant Elara of the imperial guard. I stand here to offer any and all newcomers to join the imperium of man and expand its empire. We will not give up in the face of danger; we stand united against all enemies. Long live the imperium of humanity."

Both Shas'O Kais and Lucas feel that maybe both new commanders need to switch. It seems they both mirror each other to a degree. Once the arrangements and new civilians are aboard the ships, the armies agree to return. The morale for both factions are high. As Carl goes to join Lucas aboard the last shuttle, a tau fire warrior comes to them with a surprising request.

The tau warrior says, "I hate to stop our departure, but Suu requests that you join her aboard the ship until she has recovered. With your permission Lord General Militant Turner, we ask that Carl join her until we arrive at Xoen."

Before Carl can say a word, Lucas allows him to do so.

Carl says, "For someone who hates the tau, you are sure keeping me exposed to them a lot."

Lucas proudly laughs as the tau fire warrior leaves, "I will always hate the orks, the tau, the eldar, and the forces of chaos. I will keep fighting them when I can and stop them from destroying humanity; however, I won't ever let an opportunity to work with them ever escape my gaze. Right now, we are in a new galaxy and things will come to us unexpected. We have not seen any new species, but there are some out here waiting for us. For now, it is better to have an ally than make more enemies. We still have two dangerous enemies out there waiting for us. For now, we will worry about them later. Our next sector of this new galaxy to search will be north from this system. We will set up as many posts and space stations to secure home."

With his approval given, Carl goes with the tau warrior to join the tau aboard the Great Spear. As they take the shuttles back to the ships, the hive city slowly changes under the conditions of Asuki and Elara. The citizens continue to join and change the area up more and more. Although the activity is improving, a new source of trouble is slowly emerging. The hammering sound is loud and powerful as it crushes metal into a sharp weapon. The object is turned over to the other side and hammered as well. Once done, it is placed in the heat once again. A second blade is crafted to perfection. It is placed inside a large bowl of water. To hear such happiness from the upper levels, they dislike what they hear. The words hope & faith scratch their ears; the others above do not know of their activities. A rod of metal with a brand on the head presses against the skin. It hurts him, but the man takes the pain with no show of weakness. The woman receives the same treatment. Once they are done, they join the others to hear his words. Though none can see him, the words are spoken in a low tone. He waves his hands with ease and turns his staff to the air above him. With a strike to the floor, the spell travels through the ten people. All five men and all five women hear the words of false destiny spoken to them. The warp spell is strong; it takes them over and opens their eyes to the true nature of the galaxy. Once he steps to the new recruits, he smiles and gives them the orders they must follow.

Balrok says, "Our enemy is here. They will enjoy their new found hope, but we will shatter it. They will return to see and remember that we are here. Go forth and destroy their base of progress. The dark one Malice sees this as his plan."

As the ships journey away from the hive city on the near dead world, many new faces crowd the corners, hallways, and levels. The Great Spear and War Harbinger bring not only success, but they carry hope for many who barely knew their rescuers. On the War Harbinger, imperial guardians and senior guardsmen train the new followers of the imperium. From the stories of xeno allies to experienced leaders battling hordes, none of the new faces would miss any details about the imperial truth. Lucas smiles greatly at his report as he sends the details to Xoen headquarters. Lucas takes a moment to step away from the top level and journey through sections of the ship to see how things are. He comes down the first hallway; every soldier salutes Lucas with pride and admiration. All he does as he passes them by is repeat the same order 'As you were'. From the top deck of level one, he reminds each man and woman that they are doing good work for the emperor of mankind. He makes it to the second level and welcomes any new person into the arms of the imperium of humanity they are building. He arrives at the fourth level to give everyone a praise for joining their cause.

He thought, "This is how the imperium of humanity should be ruling. No secrets, no lies, and no half truths. The emperor of mankind would surely praise us for our work, but he is lost to us in this galaxy. So, we will remember him and spread the message he laid down for us. I hope my dear brother-in-arms will return in time to see this before I pass him the title."

Aboard the Great Spear of the tau, he walks around to see everyone working well together with their new recruits. Carl may have been the only imperial soldier aboard the ship, but they welcome him with open arms. He didn't know where Suu is at, but the signs make it easy to find out where you are. Carl looks at the next display monitor only to feel his arm being pulled at. He is quickly escorted to the area where Suu is at. The rush for him to be near her seems urgent. After rushing by tau facilities and military zones, Carl is brought to a doctor and medic who stand by Suu. She reaches out to him only to feel herself weaker than before.

Carl looks to the doctor, "What seems to be the issue? Is she more sicker than before?"

The medic says, "We don't know how to use the medicine your doctor gave us. We have our ways, but they may prove useless."

The doctor adds, "This is for the benefit of the tau; we need your assistance."

Carl looks at the items they were given. He nearly laughs at the pair only to turn to them with a calm expression.

He replies, "This is a small herb we use to heal battle wounds on the field. I'm surprise the imperial surgeon gave you this. You also received the common cold sap we apply to quickly recover our soldiers from getting sick if they show early signs. I will show you how to use this, then you can modify it to your liking."

As Carl begins to mix and instruct the medical teams, Suu looks up with weak eyes. It is an amazing sight to see him near her. She wants to reach for him, but the sickness is too much for her body to handle. She hears his words as the others take in every syllable spoken. The sap is easy for them to follow and start applying; however, the small herb is more complex for them to handle and challenging. In five minutes, everything is understood by the medical support. They start to change up the method of how the herb and sap are used by imperial hands. Once they leave, Carl turns back to Suu. She speaks in a low voice, but her words pass through his ears.

Suu says, "I am...grateful that you...are here."

Carl answers, "You don't need to talk. Get your rest for now. I promise to be here when you wake back up. I am sure you will want to talk."

He looks down to see her hand reach for his. Carl wants to pull away from her, but he surprises Suu. He takes her hand and squeezes. She gives him a smile.

He quickly adds, "Just because I am holding your hand doesn't mean we are closer than the last time. I am here because you wanted me here. For now, rest up. I will remain here and will not go anywhere. You can explain to me how you got sick."

A chair is brought to Carl. He takes a seat and feels the heat come from the chair. The idea of him receiving items from the tau force him to lock his mind up. He keeps repeating the same words to himself as a reminder of where he stands.

He thought, "The God-Emperor of Mankind once walked among men in their form. He is and always has been the one, true god of Humanity. The God-Emperor of Mankind is the one true God of Mankind, regardless of the previous beliefs held by any man or woman. It is the duty of the faithful to purge the Heretic, beware the psyker and mutant, and abhor the alien. Every human being has a place within the God-Emperor's divine order. It is the duty of the faithful to unquestionably obey the authority of the Imperial government and their superiors, who speak in the divine Emperor's name."

Though the words stay on his mind, he looks down to see Suu sleeping perfectly and at peace. As much as he wanted to keep repeating the words, he stops thinking of her as a future enemy. Carl now sees Suu as a being in need of help. He slides his hand on her shoulder.

He leans to her ear, "You better not die on your people. That is an order and I expect you to follow it to the letter. So, fight through this problem and get your grey-skin self back to duty."

As Carl relaxes in the chair, he thinks back to the new challenges they face. The old orks of Bone Snappa are running loose; there is no telling how many planets the green tide has taken over as their own. Despite the overwhelming number of orks, the Sons of Malice are still a serious threat. The numbers of the dark one seem endless. Carl didn't let his doubt overcome him; he feels ready to take the fight to the enemy more than ever. With the new recruits and the tau working along side them, the enemy will face more than the Emperor's fury.

Chapter 4: Section 4 - 5

The journey back home is a welcome sight for many, but the new faces are beyond words of how to describe what they see. No one never thought they would see a whole planet full of life. The tall, beautiful trees are a wonder to the eyes; the green grass nearly causes a twinkle in their eyes. As the crowds of new imperial citizens take in the view, they stand ready to embrace the new life they are coming into. Lina and Lucas quickly get the people settled in as fast as possible. Many go towards the technology and knowledge area to brush up on the new features. More people go towards an imperial officers for learning how to fight the new enemies they will face. The majority of people are assigned homes and begin adjusting to the new life. With the people still undergoing the change to imperial living, Lina finishes up her reports and gives out her last tasks to the tech teams. Lucas orders his officers and second-in-commands to manage things; it only takes him a few more commands and orders before Lucas disappears from the eyes of everyone. As fast as he leaves, Lina is also unaccounted. Once the pair are out of sight, they happily embrace each other. Lucas smothers Lina with affection and care. She nearly wants to give in to the desires that trace her mind, but they remind each other to breathe.

Lina says, "I know you miss me every time you go out into space or fight the enemy. I just didn't know you plan on being overly affectionate to me when we return. What has gotten into you, Lucas?"

He locks his arms around her waist and pulls her closer, "We already know that going back to the Milky Way is out of the question. We know that our child will grow up to be a proud imperial soldier for humanity. So, before anything happens to me, I want to make sure that you remember how much I love being here. Plus, the new recruits of the imperial fortress will make things more interesting around here. So, my officers and your people can help them get acclimated to our way of living. I just hope the imperium of man will forgive us for changing up a few things from our text."

As the two enjoy their time alone, Carl sees the other humans more than overly happy. The humans, now called gue'vesa, happily accept and enjoy the process of being apart of the tau empire. The technology is amazing and shocking to see; every single human likes the idea of being called the gue'vesa. Many feel it is apart of a blessing from above, but the tau officials dismiss the idea of them trying to see anything they do as a higher calling. Carl walks by to see his escort waiting for him. He walks through to hear the various voices of people ready to join and start their new journey to making the tau empire a better nation. All Carl did is shake his head in disappointment. He can see so many lost and unfaithful people join an empire unworthy of the mercy from the immortal emperor of humanity.

He thought, "These people are lost without proper guidance from the true believers of the emperor. I don't hate them nor will I pity them. I shall just whisper a prayer to the emperor of man and ask that they see the truth in their flaw."

Carl makes it to his escort only to hear her calling him. He turns to see her rushing to him full of life and energy.

Suu waves to him, "I hope you are not leaving so soon. I want you to tell you more."

He replies, "It can wait. I have to get back to my people and continue to help them. Once things quiet down, we will continue our chat."

After Carl steps inside the transport vehicle, Suu feels her heart leave her body. She wants him around more than ever; the feeling is there, but how will she tell him about the interesting surprise. As the transport leaves the base, Shas'O Kais approaches Suu with details on her new assignment.

He says, "It would seem you are unfit until the doctors clear you for fighting. For now, you must only instruct the new gue'vesa on how they must fight. You will be the first ranking commander for the new empire in this galaxy. Also, I take it you were successful at telling him of your new position and health?"

Suu rubs her head, "I didn't get to tell him about the new title I will take. When and if there is time, I will let him know of my situation."

As everything slowly falls into place, Carl hurries back to the base to begin seeing to the new recruits and new people. Once he is close to walking distance, Carl orders his escort to drop him off and allow him to walk home from there. Carl holds his head high up to the sky and believes that more positive challenges will change the fate of the imperium. Despite being lost and still exploring the new galaxy, he feels a sense of hope in his heart.

He thought, "We still can find new things in any universe and make sense of them regardless of the danger. I understand and remember why those in power keep saying hope leads to disappointment, but for the first time in my life, I feel that hope will be our new source of courage. Emperor of Mankind, please forgive me for having hope in my heart. I shall recall and remember your words when the good things happen. For every moment of peace and happiness, there will be danger waiting for me."

Out from the shadows, the silent woman appears from behind and startles Carl.

She smiles and says, "I see you are still alive. The orks have not killed you yet."

Carl draws his pistol and sword, "What are you doing here? Where is Noble One Max Johnson? What did you do to him? Tell me!"

The silent woman smiles and nods her head. She draws her own blade and stands ready to strike at Carl. As he advances to her, he sees the silent woman is not acting or moving the same. He easily slams his sword against her blade, but her defense seems weaker than before. She shoves him back and readies herself for the next attack. The silent woman attacks him, but Carl counters her assault only to see her keeping defenses high. After a few more bouts, Carl stands back and looks at her with interest.

He says, "You are not as strong as before. Something has changed you."

The silent woman lowers her head, "You return with seeds for your future. The tau have their own plants to grow. By the next day, you will lose more than just a few of your precious heroes. My master has seen it. Enjoy your glorious night. By tomorrow, everything will change for you, your allies, and the fate of this galaxy."

As the woman places her sword away, she leaps back into the warp and disappears from the area. Carl is left baffle by what just happen. With nothing else to do, he rushes to his base. He contacts Lina and Lucas as soon as he can. With no soldiers around to hear the news, the details leave them all lost for words on what is coming.

Lucas says, "I see that the warriors of Malice are still around to make our life harder than what it is. I don't like how she gave you the message. Now our time table just went up some more."

Lina adds, "I suggest we only rest us for the next eight hours and return back to the others at the hive city. We need to make sure they will be ready for any kind of attack. The tau will join us."

Carl agrees, "Yes, we won't need much time to get ready. I'll see you two in the next eight hours."

Before he can return to his own room, a web way portal opens up. From the web way, they all step forward with a serious look in their eyes. Shelia, Veldoran, Kayleth, and Xiwe step forward to speak with him.

Kayleth steps forward, "I hope you are more than ready for the next problem we must face together. You will want to get Lucas and Lina involved in this too."

Veldoran includes, "Yes, the tau leadership must be included too. Despite the protesting of Xiwe, we agreed to speak with you all about what is coming."

Shelia questions, "Have you spoken with the silent messenger of Malice? She left us with a mystery note."

Carl quickly contacts the tau and notifies Lucas of the surprise from the eldar. After gathering together in the center of the imperial fortress, they all stand among each other with a purpose before them. Lucas, Lina, and Carl stand shoulder to shoulder. Aun El Rai, Shas'O Kais, and Suu await with itchy fingers should things go wrong. Lastly, the eldar leaders of Kayleth, Xiwe, Shelia, and Veldoran are ready to present the surprise to them. The future is looking dangerous.

Kayleth steps forward and says, "While we were keeping ourselves away from any pointless plans you had, we received a surprise from the silent follower of Malice. We will require your help to deal with the problem."

Lucas scoffs at them, "So after all of this time, now you want help? We can deal with the enemy ourselves..."

Xiwe cuts him off, "This is not up for debate. You will help us, or we will all die. I already loathe the idea of working with mon-keigh such as you. But, at least your allies are useful and more able than your kind can ever be."

Aun El Rai steps forward, "You would be wise to mind your words carefully, witch. Humanity and the tau stand together against common foes that threaten our empire. You offer us nothing but orders and worthless causes to fight that only help your people out."

The tension is heavy and many are ready to let the steam blow off. Only one of them voices reason.

Carl says, "We don't have time for this pointless arguing. We've made contact with our main enemy. Now, we need to work together if we want to survive this problem. It is what I want for us all. I am sure it is what Max wants too if he were present with us."

Shelia adds, "You are right, but Max is not here with us. For now, I do see our next dance being together against not just the Sons of Malice, but even the orks. Shall we be ready for them tomorrow?"

Shas'O Kais agrees, "It would be better for us to prepare in our own way. By tomorrow morning, we will be ready to face the enemy."

Kayleth calls to Carl, "Did the woman fight you? Has she engaged any of you?"

Carl answers that he did fight the woman and Kayleth continues, "It would seem that neither of us are strangers to this woman. She appeared before our base only to deliver the message. Once she spoke her words, I notice her stance is weaker before she vanished. It is as if she is slowly being harmed by someone."

With everyone properly informed about what the next day will bring, they all retire for the night. As the night time covers the land, many soldiers receive their instructs on what they must do within four hours. As the forces of order continue their ways, the orks of the new war boss continue to prep for what is to come. On a planet cover with sand and flower, War Boss Tharacka keeps his own clan in order and rallies his boys for war. They manage to make planet fall on a stable planet with enough resources to continue their war against the inhabitants of the new galaxy. He stomps outside of his tent and roars to his clan.

Tharacka says, "Oy! Lisen up, ya gits! Now dat we'z got dis ere planet unda our control, dis galaxy is ready fo da greatest waaagh eva seen. Even da otha chieftains ar ready fo da biggezt, baddezt waaagh. So, dey ar anxious ta fight. I'll show em dat I be da next great ork prophet eva. So, keep ya shootas loaded and ya choppas sharp. We'z gonna kill em all."

The orks roar, "WAAAAAGH!"

Out from the shadows, he looks on at the next targets before him. He sees a massive city of green muscle moving deeper into the landscape. The orks have a desire to destroy and slaughter anything in their way. The savage beasts may still play a role in the galaxy's future. The real question is will they be a problem or an opportunity. There are so many endless possibilities of how the future will present itself, but he stands ready to see what else he can do to help his lord of chaos.

Balrok thought, "The plans for Malice are going accordingly. I have suffered much to make sure his time will come, but now, I fear the real danger is coming to us. I won't give up; I will not fail him now. The time has come for us to remind our enemies that we are here."

He raises his staff above his head and strikes the ground in front of him. The warp cloud appears behind his back; they come forth from the warp. Many have their mouth sewed shut and others have their forehead branded with the number eleven. Many wear clothes of black and white. Some keep only a pair of black pants on their body. Balrok turns to see an army of many standing at his command. He didn't need to do much but only wave his hand or whisper. He smirks at the followers under his command. He points at the orks in front of him. It didn't take much for the silent army to charge forward into the enemy. The plans for Malice will continue, yet hope endures even when all is full of darkness.