Dawn of War: Where They Belong
All things must come to an end. No war truly lasts forever. There will be peace. Even when the goal is hard to see, there will be a generation and more that can enjoy the life they should live. This is not the end.
Chapter 12: Section 12 - 1
The ground is hard and barren; it is rough and gray. The soil can produce life, but many areas are covered in blood, bodies, and bullets. At the front of the alliance between the humans, aeldari, and tau is Carl of the imperial guardians. He fought against the orks of Bone Snappa and the drukhari raiders of Rela. Now, Carl leads the imperial guardsmen, imperial guardians, skitarii squads, and ogryns against the orks of war boss Tharacka with Commissar Elara giving orders at the command center. By his side, the tau army of Aun El Rai of the ethereal caste follow fire warrior Shas'El Suu into battle. The fire teams keep close to their human allies and provide them support with advance weapons; the kroot packs leap into battle with their weapons for melee combat. They bite down on the flesh of the orks and tear through the enemy. Not too far from the tau and humans, the aeldari farseer and warlock continue to hold back the enemy as they battle the ork weird boys. Many of the howling banshess, dire avengers, and warp spiders vanish before the eyes of the enemy. Despite the waves of orks, the alliance continues to push forward.
Elsewhere, the orks of Tharacka hammer and crush the silent warriors of the Chaos God Malice. They fight the green horde in silence using various weapons from the other four Chaos Gods. They speak no words of Khorne and find no pleasure in battle for Slaanesh; the strings of fate are not in control of Tzeentch nor shall anything rot for Nurgle. The Sons of Malice fight only to continue to spread the will of absolute chaos in his name. They take what they can and leave nothing to chance. As the flow of battle rages on, Kayleth and Shelia stand strong despite how power Balrok is. Kayleth leaps at him to strike him down, but Balrok employs a warp shield to block her attack. Shelia moves quickly from behind his back; however, Balrok turns in a circle to send out a massive warp blast. The damage is done, but they both stand as he chuckles at their attempts to slay him.
Balrok laughs and says, "I see the aeldari are nothing. You fight on and know that the end is coming. How much longer shall I keep toying with you both?"
Shelia moves to the side, "You believe you truly have won this battle? I see that you let your own thoughts cloud your mind. This battle shall not end with you winning."
Kayleth roars, "You think I delay the future? You are wrong for it is you that shall fail when you are ready to fight. How much longer must you hold back?"
Before he can answer, a soft hovering is heard around the area. Balrok swings his right arm to his backside and forces Commander Shas'O Kais to reveal himself. He lands beside Kayleth and inform them of what is coming.
Kais says, "You are not in this fight alone. I have come to help you end this mad follower of Malice."
Balrok looks at Kais and replies, "Shas'O Kais, I know you."
Kais is surprised as Balrok continues, "Yes, I remember you well enough. You failed on Kronus to keep him alive and now here you stand. You failed once and will do in this new galaxy."
Instead of giving into his rage, Kais calmly answers, "My only failure right now is not making sure you stand down."
He tries to fire only for Kayleth to stop him and begs him to wait. Kais questions her reason but Balrok laughs as he shoves them back. He employs a massive warp shield around him and points in the direction behind them.
Balrok says, "He will be here soon. Once they arrive, the real fight shall begin. We will wait."
Unsure as to why he wants them to wait, the trio wait for the others to come. At the alliance command center, Elara and Aun El Rai look over the details of the battle. It is a slow and long process with so many orks still holding them back.
Elara says, "The Bane Blade is suffering from too much damage and over-heating. The tech teams are repairing it to ease the machine spirit. My forces will keep pushing in at the front. I need you to stay here and keep sending out alerts to everyone. I didn't come this far to sit out from a fight. I shall lead a strike force from this direction here and surprise the orks. I have a second bane blade ready to give the enemy problems."
Aun El Rai grabs her arm and says, "I shall accompany you with my finest honor guard to ensure your safety. I am not like the others of my people. They believe staying at the base keeps the morale up. I prefer to face the enemy with an ally. I do this to honor your fallen leader. He may have hated my kind, but I will honor him in battle."
As the two head out to another area of the land, Carl and Suu take a moment to keep the orders flowing and urge the officers to push on. Many medics for both the tau and imperial army find their work not too hard as many only come to them with a few scars and wounds.
Carl says, "Our army fights well, but we must keep pushing in. The orks are getting more relentless in their attacks on us. I'll send a team to sweep this section over here; they may surprise the orks."
Suu agrees, "That is a good idea. I'll have a few scouts and fire warriors go with them to provide them backup. Right now, anything will be helpful. The weak are still coming from the battle, but we don't have many KIA as you call them."
With the orks not attacking at the moment, everyone does what they can to be ready for the next assault. Carl and Suu take a moment to enjoy what they see as they look out. They see kroot, ogryns, humans, fire teams, and everyone helping out where they can. Though they each proudly represent their own empire, they take a moment to smile at their success.
Suu looks to him, "I am happy to see our people working together. I didn't think we would be alive to see this kind of team effort."
Carl turns to her, "Yes, I didn't think this would be a possible future for me. Here I am fighting along side you and actually giving myself hope that we live to see a new day."
Suu smiles and blushes as she turns away. Carl finds himself wanting to continue the chat, but they both hear the alert system go off for more trouble. They rally the troops once more and get ready head into the enemy lines. Behind a warp shield in the center of the battle, he calms his mind and body. The excitement is overwhelming and it is time. He can hear the footsteps in the distance; however, he can't sense what is coming. All Balrok knows is that the main problem to his plans is here. He opens his eyes and looks ahead to see him ready for battle. He holds a war hammer and stands before everyone in heavy armor made for him. At this side, a woman blessed by the Great Omnissiah. As they step forward, Balrok dispels the shield and sees his targets before him. Noble One Max Johnson stands with the Blessed Techno Woman Lina. At his right, Autarch Kayleth is ready as harlequin Shelia keeps her blades sharp. To his left, Commander Shas'O Kais keeps his guns up and Shas'El Asuki is alert. Balrok looks at Max and disregards the others.
Balrok says, "You could not live with the idea of me still alive in this galaxy. Where did that knowledge bring you? It brought you back to face me only we are both different than the first time we fought. And you have not chosen your path to take. Why is that?"
Max replies, "You speak to me as though you saw this coming. And if you did, you know how it ends for you and me. One of us won't be alive to see the rest of the future."
Balrok smiles with a twisted look and continues, "The imperium is crumbling and hates you; the aeldari fears you and their kind is facing extinction. Where you go, there will be nothing but death that follows you to any world you touch. I stand here before you, Max Johnson. I have the power of my God and his blessing to change the galaxy. He laughs at his other Chaos Gods and sees the Emperor of Mankind dying slowly. Now, I give you a choice as I always have: Will you serve a dying empire, or will you follow me to spread the true voice of chaos?"
All eyes fall to Max as he steps forward with his hammer in his hands. He looks at the weapon and exhales greatly. Now, he looks at the fallen space marine with eyes of rage, hope, wrath, and sadness.
Max says, "I think you will find that we are more than enough to stop you and Malice."
Max lifts up the hammer and grips it tightly; the energy from metal circles around it and flashes. Balrok smiles only to see the others step next to Max. Lina activates her suit and four metal arms extend out from her side.
Lina points at Balrok, "You took someone important from me. I promise you that I will get retribution."
Shas'O Kais powers up his guns and adds, "You have threaten the greater good for far too long. I failed to save Aun El Shi'Ores on Kronus, but I won't fail to keep Aun El Rai alive to brighten the future."
Kayleth, Shelia, and Asuki stand ready and willing to take down the fallen space marine of Malice. He draws the warp into his body once more.
Balrok says, "You disappoint me, Max. And your followers are nothing but corpses for the pile. Now you must all die."
Shas'O Kais takes to the sky and flies far from the area to launch his missiles. Shas'El Asuki uses her teach to become invincible and runs to the side. As the warp draws more into Balrok, Kayleth and Shelia stand with Max and Lina. Once Balrok has enough, he sends a wave of warp power at the team. Lina steps in front of everyone and uses her energy shield to stop the warp blast. It works and halts the attack. Though the damage sends dust and smoke everywhere, Balrok is waiting for them to strike. The dust clears away and Max comes charging at his foe with his hammer ready to strike.
Before he gets close, Kais sends missiles and pulse shots at Balrok. The chaos space marine easily stops the attack and doesn't get hurt from the missiles. From behind his back, Shelia slashes at his heels to make him fall. He stumbles only to block the next attack from Kayleth and Max. Max slams his hammer down only to see Balrok use his staff to hold his weapon down; Kayleth tries to cut out his eyes, but Balrok uses the other end of his staff to block the attack. Lina powers up the suit to be ready to blast. Kayleth and Max get blown back from the warp power of Balrok only to hear Lina scream for them to move. The pair get away and watch a blast from Lina shoot out from the four arms. The energy pushes Balrok back, but he blocks the blast with his warp powers. As he holds the blast back, a second shot comes to him and hits his back. Lina stops firing her blast only to scan the horizon and see Asuki firing and moving. Balrok turns and sends warp rings at the attacker, but he can't find her. Shelia leaps at Balrok once more only to be grabbed by his warp hand and thrown into Kayleth. Max wields his hammer and tries to strike at Balrok. To his surprise, Balrok leaps into the sky and blasts the landscape with waves of warp energy. The attack causes everyone to stumble but this is only the beginning.
Chapter 12: Section 12 - 2
The shot to the orks kills it quickly; the mob keeps coming. Instead of wasting a new shot, a set of grenades are thrown at the mobs. The more they push at the orks, the more others seem to replace them. Carl and Suu continue to lead the alliance, but it isn't easy for them as the orks press in. The bane blade comes to a stop and can no longer move forward. It continues to turn its main cannon and fire into the mobs. As Carl and his squads keep up the pressure, Suu and her team join them. They fire into the crowd of orks only to see a new foe join the enemy. The Sons of Malice fight the orks silently until they see the imperium of man with the tau. Before they can make a move, warp lighting comes at them and shocks the front line away. Floating just above their head, Xiwe joins Carl and Suu with her aeldari warriors. It is a surprise to see her willing to help.
Carl greets her and asks, "What brings you here to join us? I thought your people matter more to you than a fight."
Xiwe lands by them, "I may disagree with helping you, but there is more going on here than you know of. For now, I will see this through and leave once we have done enough."
Suu looks at her with disappointment, "Typical of your kind. As soon as the fight is no longer your problem, you are ready to leave. I pray you find what you need as we grow stronger from this."
Carl calls to them, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we got incoming."
They look to see more orks come at them; the new wave is half of what they were facing. Carl and Suu didn't understand until they hear from their other partners.
Elara contacts Carl and says, "I hope the orks are coming to us. You should have less since we are here getting their attention. Our attack run is successful and now the green horde has three attackers facing them. Keep up the pressure."
Aun El Rai broadcasts to the tau, "I have joined you my fellow warriors. Let the Greater Good guide us all to victory. We fight as one."
Xiwe is glad to hear of the success. She telepathically alert Veldoran and says, "I hope you are with them and bring their battle to conclusion. We must be gone from here before the danger comes to us."
Veldoran agrees, "I am with them and we are making progress. I hope the others are doing their path against Balrok."
As the alliance fights on, the battle against Balrok continues. Max is thrown back only for Kayleth to leap at him with the fury of Khaine burning through her. Her attack is blocked, but Balrok had to be quick. He twists to the left to dodge Shelia from slashing his back. He shoves Kayleth back and uses the warp to push them back more. The attack works only for Kais to launch more missiles at Balrok. The field is blown up greatly and damage is everywhere. Balrok uses the fire from the attack and directs it back Kais. The fire sends the tau commander flying through the ground. Max swings his hammer at him with his blank powers stretching out.
Balrok slams his staff against Max's hammer, "You dare to continue to fight against me when you know you are doomed to fail?"
Max roars, "It is you who fears failure and I will stop you."
In a surprising display, Max brings his hammer down and shoulder bashes Balrok. The attack knocks him off balance only for Max to swing his hammer into his face. The attack sends Balrok flying back. Before he can summon the warp, Max uses his blank powers to stop it. He uses the weight of the hammer to hold Balrok back. He calls to everyone to take a chance. Kayleth leaps at Balrok and slashes his back only to feel the void from Max. Once the weapon lock is done, Max counters with a right hook to Balrok; Shelia jumps in and kicks the leg of Balrok and forces him down. Kayleth adds a roundhouse kick to him and Max ends the assault with a power swing of his hammer. Before they can continue, Shas'O Kais, Asuki and Lina fire shots at him. Max, Shelia, and Kayleth get away to see these attacks slam into Balrok.
The rage blinds him and Balrok teleports away. He comes to a high landscape and slams his staff into the ground. He summons the warp to him and uses it to lift up the land behind him. Max, Lina, Kayleth, Shelia, Kais, and Asuki watch as the chaos space marine uses the warp to lift massive rocks from the ground. Max calls to everyone and lets them know to be ready; he uses his blank powers to stretch as far as he can. The void is uneasy to endure, but they all stand and take the pain of being near him. With his rage causing the rocks to be on fire, Balrok takes his staff and swings it forward. The large rocks come at everyone only to break apart and smash into the soil. Kais leaps high into the air only to get hit a wave of smaller rocks. Kayleth uses her own warp powers to burn the rocks away, but many still hit her. It is a wave of rocks and dirt coming at everyone covered in fire.
A pulse rifle is firing into the faces of the green horde. The ork numbers are now down to no more than only a hundred thousand. Orks may be numerous, but they can die as the others can. Carl and Suu take their squads to a new section of the land only to come face to face with two strong followers of Khorne and Slaanesh. Though these strong fanatics were followers loyal servants, the only voice they know answer to is Malice. Suu and Carl stand ready and eager, but Veldoran appearance beside them.
He says, "Keep the other silent ones away from me. I shall deal with these crazed warriors. They are too much for you."
Carl motions to Suu with a nod. They advance and fire upon the other fighters to keep them back. Veldoran walks calmly to the fanatics and empowers himself with the warp.
Veldoran raises his hands, "You made a poor mistakes coming here. Your dark Gods of Chaos will not aid you in any way."
The blood soaked warrior holds up his blood covered axes, "Khorne should've followed Malice, but he won't last much longer."
The second warrior pulls out a pair of long swords, "And you won't live to see the end of what comes. Prepare to die, eldar witch."
The fighters leap at Veldoran only to be easily knocked back. They warriors look at the aeldari warlock and see the warp circle around him with ease.
He says, "You may be strong, but your mistake was attacking me."
With a leap at his foes, Veldoran uses the warp to his advantage and easily handles his foes with no difficulty. As he keeps them occupied, Carl and See find themselves fight both orks and followers of Malice. They gun down as many times as they fire; the squads following them keep up with them only to see green muscles and twisted forms come at them. Not too far from them, kroot packs munch down on the flesh of the fallen. Some kroot members are put down after taking in too much tainted flesh. After more waves are eliminated, Suu and Carl take a moment to breathe in their success.
Suu says, "There seems to be no end to this. They keep coming before we can even take the time to pull back our wounded."
Carl rubs off the dirt from his chin, "We are close to beating them back into the warp. It is our time to give the enemy a reason to be on the defensive."
Not too far from them, a radio broadcast alerts Carl and says, "I am eager to see you both when we come to your location. Our attack did more for our army than expected."
Suu pulls on Carl and she hears from his device, "I pray that nothing else is going wrong with you and Carl leading our forces. We are nearly there to help you bring this battle to its conclusion."
Suu nearly hugs Carl only to pull back from him with eyes of happiness. He gives her a thumbs up and they take a moment to wait for the others to arrive. Veldoran dodges an axe to the head and shocks the enemy. He leaps over the blades of the other warrior. Both warriors stand before him only to receive one more surprise. The warp consumes them in flames and Veldoran ends the attack with more lighting. The two fighters fall over and farseer Xiwe comes to join him.
She says, "Our time is nearly over. I fear that more trouble is on the horizon, but we are ready for it. The future is not showing itself and only darkness is here."
Veldoran agrees, "Once this war is over, we will see the future more clearly."
As the tau, aeldari, and humans join together once more, they take the time to strategize for the final battle. They see the last of the orks holding strong in the settlement near the ork rok. Instead of going in for the kill, Elara hails the War Harbinger to bombard the landscape around the ork rok. Aun El Rai orders the Great Spear to assist in the matter as the ships destroy the area. The followers of Malice prep for the next battle, but the aeldari send their warriors to catch them off guard before they can begin. Xiwe and Veldoran alert the others of their plan; they take their leave to destroy the Sons of Malice. Carl, Suu, Elara, and Aun El Rai agree to the plan; the destruction of the orks is in high demand and soon, the Sons of Malice shall fall.
The battle is close to an end; there is more flaming rocks falling to the ground. The dirt from the soil is in the air and making it hard to see. He leaps into the air and lands beside his Shas'El. They retreat to safety to avoid any more warp attacks. From the smoking rubble of the rocks, she stands up with fury in her eyes. It didn't take long for her to scan the land and see him landing on the soil. He smiles at her and stands ready to unleash more upon them. Kayleth enhances her own power and gathers more into her sword. Balrok breaks his staff into two halves to gather more warp power. He strikes the ground and sends dark lighting into the ground at Kayleth. She leaps above it and throws her sword at Balrok only to see him knock it away. The fire sends out a shock wave around the land and causes more areas to catch on fire.
Max gets from under the rubble and sees them battle. He rushes over to Kayleth as fast as possible. Balrok reconnects his staff and gathers more warp again. Kayleth retrieves her sword from the ground as Balrok sends a massive warp sphere at her. Before she can react, Max steps in front of her and slams his fist against sphere to cancel it out. Kayleth stands by his side once more; they are ready to act in union against Balrok. Max speaks into his com device and makes sure Lina is ready. He looks to her and they nod their head in draws in more warp power and lets her power scorch the ground. She aims her sword at him and sends a spiral of fire at Balrok. Upon contact, Balrok twists the spiral around him and sends it back at them. Max uses his blank abilities to scatter the attack and rushes at him.
He holds his hammer and comes at Balrok. He leaps at him only to see the warp powers of Balrok enhance him. Balrok stops Max's hammer attack, but Kayleth leaps into battle right beside him. Balrok shoves Max back and blocks the attack coming to his right. As the duo continue to engage him, Shelia moves through the land unseen. Once she is close enough, she tries to strike at his heels only for Balrok to surprise her and grab her by the throat. Kayleth rushes in and brings her sword to his neck. Using the warp at his disposal, Balrok lets his staff hold back Kayleth. Even with the power of Khaine infused within her, she struggles to try and save her harlequin. Max comes at Balrok only to see him grab the head of his hammer. The trio struggle to make a mark on Balrok, but he laughs at them.
Balrok says, "If this is all you have to offer me for battle, then your end is near. I do thank you for bringing Malice more victims to empower him."
Max looks at Shelia and Kayleth. They both glance in his direction. He knows what comes next. It would hurt the aeldari, but it is worth the pain to see Balrok fall. Max lets his blank powers and abilities stretch over the land. Balrok feels his defense weaken against him. Shelia and Kayleth suffer from the void only to see Max give Balrok a hard right to the jaw. Kayleth follows up with a kick to the chest. Lastly, Shelia kicks Balrok in the head. The method works and forces him the let Shelia go and take back his staff. The pain iss strong, and Balrok uses the little warp left in him to send Max flying into the air. Before he gets far, Shas'O Kais leaps up and grabs him. They land back on the ground and Max unleashes his plan with Lina ready to play her part.
He calls to her com device, "Lina! Do it now! This is your moment!"
Far from the land, Lina feels her mechanical arms surge with power. She didn't think the energy from the warp would enhance them, but she is ready. Kayleth and Shelia sense the coming danger; they leap away and Balrok looks into the distant land. Lina aims her arms and mechanical arms at him. She sends a blast from her suit at Balrok. He blocks it with all his might. The attack slowly pushes him back and Kais leaps back to Lina and Asuki join her. The do what they can to give her more power. With his suit at full capacity, Kais also fires a energy beam at Balrok to continue pushing him back. Asuki hooks up her remaining power supply from her rifle to Lina. The method is horrible, but it gives Lina a boost. In a bright erupting light, Lina and Kais fall to the ground exhausted. Kais feels the surge within his suit and Lina nearly passes out from using too much. After the bright light clears, Balrok stands before everyone weakened more than ever.
Chapter 12: Section 12 - 3
The attack leaves him bleeding in various areas on his body, but Balrok is still ready to fight on for the glory of Malice. He looks to his left and engages Max as he charges at him, but it won't be as it was before. Max leans to the side and counters with a hammer strike to the body. The attack causes Balrok to stagger. With a surprise from Kayleth, she slams her sword against Balrok and gives him a cut. Shelia rushes from behind his back and slashes at Balrok again. Max crushes his fist on his jaw and forces Balrok back again. Shelia spins low and kicks a leg from under Balrok. Finally, Kayleth unleashes the wrath of Khaine and forces Balrok to fly backwards. He smashes into the ground and bleeds more than before. Shas'O Kais, Lina, and Asuki join Max, Kayleth, and Shelia. They watch Balrok stand on his feet and bleeds more. The pain is too much for him, but he refuses to give up. He lets his rage and the warp consume him.
Balrok shouts, "I can not lose. I refuse to die. You won't win."
He takes his staff in hand, prepares to stab the ground. Everyone stands ready. They would endure once more to bring him down. Balrok stabs the ground with his staff, but nothing happens. The warp leaves from Balrok. Everyone is surprised. He does it again and nothing happens. Max moves ahead of everyone with his hammer in hand. Balrok stabs the ground once more and nothing happens.
Max shouts, "What is wrong, Balrok? Did you master find you unworthy to accept his power?"
Balrok roars in rage only to see his staff go above everyone into the sky. In seconds, the staff gathers power and shoots out a bright light around the area. As the light slowly retreats back into the staff, everyone is looking at a new person holding the staff. The person has dark-grayish skin and eyes as dark as the night. The man steps to Balrok and smiles at him. Balrok didn't understand nor did anyone know who this person is. Balrok is forced to his knees and looks up at the man. The man whispers to Balrok. Everyone looks at Balrok to see his body grow and tear itself apart. He grows slightly larger and takes on a new feature. Max orders everyone back. Once the transformation is over, Balrok looks at everyone. He has three eyes and wings on his back. There are horns sticking out from his head and all the wounds are healed completely. Nothing else can be said about Balrok, but he appears to be a daemon now.
The man taps his forehead and says, "You have done all that I needed you to do. The rest is for me to do. Go forth my daemon prince. Go forth and continue to spread my coming to those that don't know."
Balrok nods his head hisses at the others. Balrok is given back his staff and takes his leave of everyone. Max, Kayleth, Kais, Lina, Asuki, and Shelia didn't understand who they see, but it is safe to say he is an enemy like Balrok is. Max steps forward more and the others stand ready.
The man looks at everyone only to see Max. He says, "Ah, so you are the one who can change the course of everything I am doing. It is an honor to finally meet with you. I come to you all in my avatar form; I am Malice, the Renegade Chaos God."
Everyone backs up in fear, but Max holds his ground. Malice smiles at him. With quick hands, Malice takes Max into a place beyond space and time itself. The others call to him, but he is long gone. Max falls on the flat surface of hollow space. He sees only the avatar standing from him.
Max asks, "What is this place? Where are my friends and allies? What have you done to them?"
Malice replies, "They are safe as are you. I only wish to see who has given Balrok so much trouble over the course of his campaign."
Max charges at Malice and slams his fist against him only to see it blocked. Malice is impressed, but he easily shoves Max back with no trouble.
He says, "There will be none of that so long as we are here. I am here to offer you something no one else will."
Max refuses to accept the gift, but Malice continues, "This is more than just a petty gift that I give you. I offer you the chance to serve at my side to usher in a new age for the galaxy to experience. Ever since I was born from the War in Heaven, I have looked upon the galaxy with such disappointment. My brothers continue to fight for souls of the living; they do not understand how the order of things should be. But I will share this knowledge with you so you can know of what I see coming here and in the milky way."
Malice waves his hand and shows Max a small light before him, "In the coming centuries, my brothers will be faced with their own death. Khaine and Khorne will battle only to fall during the conflict. Slaanesh and Ynnead will face each other only to claim each other's life. Nurgle will be left with one world in his name only to see one of his followers turn against him. And Tzeentch won't be able to control any more fates and destinies. Only when three of the big four are dead shall another take their place, but he too shall meet his end. My time is coming, Max. I only give you this power because I see giving me what I need to reshape this galaxy. The Chaos Gods will fail; the Emperor of Humanity will died. All that will be left is a new beginning for me to ushering in a new age. So, I ask you again. Will you serve me, or continue to follow the dying Emperor?"
Max nearly smiles at Malice and answers, "So, you see an ending to all of this? Well, you know what I see. I see a being that is afraid of what I can do and where I stand at. My fate in this matter is to pick the choice that a fool and coward won't take. I don't want your power Malice, but I will stop you, the Chaos Gods, and bring peace to the galaxy."
Malice angrily responds, "In two-hundred years, you will continue the chaos here and I'll make you pay for this."
Max says, "You can't live in fear forever, Malice. Death comes to us all."
Malice roars once and fades away. Max didn't mind facing the threat of the Renegade God. All that needs to be done is tell the others. Max turns to see the portal open behind his back. He steps through it and finds himself back at the area where he hears everyone calling to him. Shelia sees him and calls to everyone. Max steps forward with his mind full of questions. Everyone greets him, but he informs them that they must return to their army; the orks need to be finished and everything must be told. Max, Lina, Asuki, and Kais hurry back to the shuttle. Shelia and Kayleth open a warp portal to quickly return back to the other aeldari.
The shuttle arrives at the imperial landing site. Upon exiting the shuttle, Max and Lina arrive to see the imperial army saluting and cheering. Kais and Asuki exit to see Aun El Rai and Suu happy. The battle was a long, hard fight. In the end, the alliance beat back the orks and the Sons of Malice left as easily as they came. Lina checks in with her tech teams to see and look over what she missed; Max finds Carl and Elara glad to see him. It is a time of celebration, but Max needs to send the word. Kayleth and Shelia join their kin. Veldoran and Xiwe inquire about the battle with Balrok. All they can tell them is how it went. Though the news didn't sit well with Xiwe, the future changes for the aeldari as they hear Max broadcasts his voice over the entire base.
He says, "This battle has taken a lot from us. Let us collect and burn the dead. We shall honor them for the years that come. We all must return back to the Primarex system and come together on Xoen. I have more to share with everyone. I need the tau, aeldari, and everyone of ranking status to be there. Let's not waste too much time here."
With his words given, the imperial army collects the dog tags from the fallen soldiers. It takes them two-three hours to place the dead in a single mass grave site. There are two thousand plus bodies of the imperial army in this single mass grave. Max steps to the edge of the grave site and holds a torch.
Max says, "We burn these bodies in the name of the emperor. May their souls find peace and we honor their deeds in the name of the immortal emperor."
Max tosses the torch. A few others toss more torches in the grave site; a set of flame throwers set the ground a blaze and three shuttles fly over the grave site to drop more oil on them. With the dead now burning away into the ground, Max marks the location and names it "Warriors of the Emperor". Everyone packs up the supplies, guns, ammo crates, and deconstructs the buildings. It takes the entire day before they are able to pull away from the world. It is a long and quiet flight back home to the planet of Xoen in the Primarex system. From the battles of the orks to the chaos followers, the journey home is filled with some joy, victory, and questions. Max keeps to himself and sleeps off some of his troubles. Carl makes sure all soldiers are still alert as they rest away their own issues. Lina and Elara make sure the guns and ship are well taken care of. Aboard the Great Spear, Aun El Rai keeps everyone motivated and praises all their hard work for what they do for the Tau Empire. Though he has cuts and scars on him, he assures everyone that sometimes even great leaders must get their hands dirty so victory can be achieved.
In the Faded Light, the aeldari keep their mind at peace. They know this is not the end and the future has changed. Xiwe, Kayleth, Veldoran, and Shelia now stand on safe grounds, but they wish to know what else does Max have to let them know. After their long journey through the warp, the imperial army arrives at home to see it shone ever so bright. Xoen looks amazing from orbit to see. The aeldari arrive shortly afterwards, but the tau would be at least a few more hours before they get here. This would give everyone time to get settled in and take inventory of what is here and what is not here. The aeldari leave the majority of their kin aboard the ship and only the important ones appear landside by the imperial base. After hours of checking, mending the wounds, and helping, the tau arrive and quickly set themselves up just above the imperial base. The gathering is beginning and all the ears would fall onto Max's voice. After making themselves comfortable within the main chamber, Max takes to the floor and looks around the room to see them all. From high ranking to low rank officers, everyone is ready to hear his words. Max takes a deep breath and lets the words flow from him.
Max says, "We won a great victory and have stopped the Sons of Malice from achieving their dark lord's plan to spread chaos; however, this is not the end. They will return to try and finish what the started. It will be a long time before we see them again. So, we will keep ourselves ready for battle when that time comes. And on that day, they will regret facing us. The orks of Bone Snappa have a new war boss. This one is no fool and wants to make sure he destroys us. He won't attack us now since his numbers are less than what they are. He will use this time to prepare, wait, and ensure the survival of his kind. For now, we will make sure that all will be ready and secure our position within this new galaxy. I hope the imperium of man thrives in this galaxy. The tau and aeldari allies are not to be destroyed or attack; we will open up a trade among each other and continue to resist the assaults from any force of chaos. I hope to see a bright future for us all. Now, go forth and bring a brighter future for everyone."
The majority leave the room with only the active leaders staying behind. Max, Lina, Carl, and Elara stand as the leaders of the imperial army. Kayleth, Xiwe, Shelia, and Veldoran represent the craft world of their kin. Shas'O Kais, Aun El Rai, Asuki, and Suu proudly proclaim themselves as the best of the Tau Empire. With no one else in the room, Max calls to them and lets them know of what is truly happening.
Max continues, "I am glad the others see the future as a bright one, but this isn't why I ask you all to stay behind. After I was taken away from the battle field, I had an interesting meeting with Malice. He told me how the future will be for the milky way. His four chaos brothers will fall in battle against the forces of order. Only when one of them is left will another step into their place. He will return in two hundred years, or it may be later on that he comes back to makes sure we continue to finish his plan. I don't know what else will happen at that time, but we can all enjoy peace in this galaxy with only the orks causing problems around the galaxy. We will deal with them when it is time."
Carl says, "Then, all we have left is nothing more than a bunch of orks to kill. This is unusual for us to have peace at a time such as this."
Aun El Rai agrees, "Peace is what we all desire for our people. This is what we have fought for."
Farseer Xiwe disagrees, "Peace can be what you all desire, but the aeldari will remain ready when you shall not be alert."
Shelia spins before everyone and replies, "Do not mind our farseer. Xiwe only see the possible threats that come over the horizon."
Shas'El Asuki says, "We will continue to fight for the peace we have when war calls us to battle. For now, we all should be happy that peace is here for us to enjoy."
Despite the threat the orks still represent, they all agree that there is nothing for them to do. They all would be ready for war when it is time. With nothing else left to say, they all take their leave of each other. The future is showing them promise of happiness and peace; however, they remain ready for what the future of war will show them.
Chapter 12: Section 12 - 4 Epilogue
High on the the mountain top, he looks down upon one of the settlements. It is a wonderful sight to see. There is much construction for the buildings, houses, and walls. With so much going on, Max smiles at the effort everyone gives to each other. They lift up piles of wood and haul them to the areas for more cutting; everyone cuts down trees and begins taking off the branches. The bring stones, tech, and more supplies from the fortress to enhance the area. Max is glad for such a sight, but now he feels his ears being annoyed by a small sound. He sighs and turns his head slightly right.
Max says, "You can stop hiding from me. I know you are here to speak with me, and I hope you are alone."
As he turns around to see the web way portal open, she steps through and comes to Max with a serious look on her face. Though the war is over, there is still one more issue that she must get out in the open once and for all. Kayleth is wearing all red, white, and orange clothes for her attire. She wants to be at peace, but the issue annoys her greatly.
Kayleth says, "I had a feeling you would be here and away from your friends. Your people are doing well and making this world into a proper imperial home. I hope you keep the planet mostly the same as it is than turn it into a landscape of metal."
Max looks back to the settlement, "This world will still be looking as it should. Only a part of it will be a fortress and many others shall be settlements that become a city. Other than that, we know what is coming our way in the future. There will be war within two hundred years. I will make sure my people and soldiers are ready for war when it comes."
Kayleth joins Max by his side to look at the settlement. It is large and constant activity is going on. She gives her graditude to Max for making things good, but now it comes to her. She groans slightly and keeps her pain muffled. Max looks over to see her struggling to hold in the pain.
He says, "Are you ok? You don't sound good."
Kayleth replies, "I am fine. It is nothing but a small issue."
Max takes one last look at the settlement and says, "If there is nothing else you wish to say or comment, I'll be leaving you Kayleth. It was good that you came here to see the future of an empire. I promise you no harm shall come to you nor your kind. We will maintain peace and usher in a new age of peace."
With his words give, Max turns to head back to his shuttle. Kayleth calls to him and he stops in his tracks. Max listens to her.
She says, "I hope all goes well for you. I look forward to seeing your progress."
Max nods his head and continues to leave. Kayleth now feels the pain grow within her more by the minute. It hurts her to try and endure it, but the time is upon her. She had more than enough time to let go of what harms her or embrace the new path she would take. Now, the pain is slowly burning and twisting her soul. She sees the future happening more and more. The pain is burning her soul; she looks at Max to see him walking away. This is the moment. She wants to cry out from within and scream a thousand times. Everything slows down for Kayleth and now each moment is passing for her. She can feel her mind turn to thoughts of pain and sensation. There is another step Max takes from her to leave.
Kayleth feels her legs move her forward and the light channel through her faster than ever. Max takes another step and Kayleth takes her first step. The future is becoming clear to her as she rushes to him. Her hand now reaches out to Max; every imagine flashes before her eyes. First, she sees her hand reaching out only to recall the events of seeing the spirit stone on Max. Kayleth can nearly grasp the spirit stone only to see it move away from her. Now, her sword is coming to her hand, but it changes to something else. Max takes another step and Kayleth quickens her pace. She barely calls out to him only to see everything pass through her mind. From see Max nearly die against War Boss Bone Snappa to him stepping beyond the warp shield that Elenwe used against the daemon prince of Slaanesh, everything comes to this one moment.
Kayleth finally calls to him with passion in her voice, "Max!"
Upon turning around, Max sees her brighter than ever. He didn't understand why she shines brightly. Max can't form words as everything slows down for him too. He only sees Kayleth move at him with unmatched speed with her arm extending to him. Max barely holds his arms up only to be surprised by her. The connection is making time flow calmly yet slowly; she didn't grab his arm or touch his shoulder. Kayleth did one thing that her emotions demand. Her arms wrap around his neck. Once they make contact, light blue electricity sparks around them. Though it is not as powerful as it should be, it shines more brighter than ever. A few people at the settlement look up to see the flashes. They alert Elara and Lina to the issue. They dispatch a team to head out there. As they remain locked on each other, the passion is strong and fleeing. There is nothing else left for them to think of; it is a moment Kayleth shares with him that lasts for eternity. Each moment and second lasts her as long as a year. Once the motion is over, Kayleth pulls back with eyes of full of joy and happiness. Max is unable to speak and understand why she would do that now after all that has happen. Kayleth smiles once more and leaves him with one final message as a web way portal opens behind her.
Kayleth says, "Until the end of time even when we can never be, remember this when I am never beside you. I will always love you, Max Johnson. Never forget that."
As she pulls away from him, Max snaps out of his daze to see Kayleth pull away from him and slip back into the web way portal. He tries to reach for her and sees the web way close in front of him. Once she is gone, Max is left puzzled by why she tells him now. He looks up to the sky and sees the additional shuttles fly over to his position. Max contacts them and assures them that all is well. He climbs aboard his own shuttle and heads to the command center. He alerts Lina and Elara to be ready the broadcast system for all to hear his voice. After thirty minutes of flight, Max sits his shuttle down on the landing pad and goes to the command center. He takes to the helm of the podium and lets everyone hear his words.
Max says, "Listen to me one last time and hear my words. I come to you all as a human and a friend. We all know that we can't return home to the milky way; the lives we once had out there are gone. Even our brothers and sisters of war have moved on. Yet, here we are fighting and growing side by side against the enemy together as a whole. Where you all see two hundred years of preparation, I see true happiness and peace. I see a lot of us growing old and looking back on hundreds of battles that have taught us to never, ever turn our back to the enemy. And where you see Xoen as base, I see it as a home. This is our home and it is worth fighting for any day. The orks shall come back and the Sons of Malice shall return. So, remember this as you go about your day. The imperium of man shall never give up and we shall always find a way to thrive during the times of peace."
With his message given, everyone returns to their tasks. Many smile greatly to know that Max is still more human than a machine of war. Several others try to worship him, but Max reminds them all that there is only one God. As he goes out to help his fellow men, he reminds everyone that they have two hundred years of peace to enjoy. He promises to make sure each day is spent learning, growing, and supporting each other. Max tries to call Carl, but he receives a message from Elara.
She reports, "Carl has taken the Purity Blade to Tova'Sho for trade. He would return within a day with more supplies for us."
As everyone continues to work, Kayleth arrives back on her home world to a welcome she didn't expect. After exiting the web way portal, she finds two sets of Howling Banshees taking a knee and bowing to her on both sides. She walks by them and finds Veldoran, Shelia, and Xiwe standing before them. There is something going on, but what is it. Kayleth questions Shelia, but the harlequin dances around her. She looks to Veldoran and he points to Xiwe. With all aeldari eyes coming to them. Kayleth stands beside Xiwe as the aeldari gather before them.
Xiwe says, "The time is now; our future is ready to accept a new farseer."
Xiwe turns to Kayleth and bows her head. Before Kayleth knew it, every aeldari accepts her role as the new farseer for craft world Alaitoc and Ctho. She is over taken by the shock and asks why.
Veldoran answers, "You have completed your last task for the aeldari. Now, it is your time to lead us into a brighter future. Xiwe and you are the new farseers that we can now look to for wisdom, knowledge, and guidance. Please, accept your new path and join Xiwe as the new farseer."
Xiwe nods her head. With no hesitation, Kayleth changes her sword into a staff of great power. The aeldari guide her through the ritual and bow their heads once more with Kayleth as the new farseer. The imperial army is ready and improving; the aeldari of Alaitoc and Ctho continue to grow. Nothing shall stand against them. With Max and Kayleth finally closer than before, the future seems bright for them and their people. On Tova'Sho, the tau empire stands proud and great. Commander Shas'O Kais and his team returns back from hunting in the wilderness. The kroot packs have found new beasts to feast on, but too many of them have suffered from the tainted flesh. After taking in the flesh from the Sons of Malice, several packs of kroot had to be executed for fear of chaos spreading. The tau empire keeps on growing as sections of the area become home to the species. Vespid fighters create a small hive for them to stay in. Many reformed humans of the tau now share the knowledge of what they know despite how old it is.
In her home, Suu goes over the items that are being traded among the tau and imperial traders. As she looks over what they are given, Suu finds herself deep in thought and wonders what can happen next for her future. She starts going through the next candidates for her to pick from. She easily finds one and confirms that they will join each other. Before she can authorize the rest with Aun El Rai, a surprise comes to her. She receives an alert from her com device.
A tau trader says, "You are to expect a package at your door soon. A person is bringing it to you."
Suu replies, "Who is this package from? How large is this item?"
She didn't get any answers from the trader. Suu waits for the item to arrive. After waiting forty-five minutes, an alert comes to her door. Suu opens it and finds Carl standing at the door with a small package. She nearly smiles only to find herself falling over her stuff. Carl bites his lip to try not laughing. Suu picks herself up and asks why is he here.
Carl places the package on the counter and answers, "Well, I wanted to see how you are doing and to hear of the tau empire."
Suu smiles and replies, "The improvement of the tau military is going well. We manage to receive a small section of the battle tank designs that your people use. It is nothing new to us, but we are trying to add small attachments onto our tanks. Our studying into resources here is greatly making things easer for us to adapt to. The flowers of the planet are beautiful, but they can kill anyone within a few days. Since we have no need for war now, we are going to dedicate our time to growth and self-improvement. We did manage to make the planet a home for the the vespid, kroot, and humans within the tau. Everything has been going well for us and thanks to Shas'O Kais using his knowledge, we manage to create many more ways to battle our enemy. But, before I continue, why have you shown up here?"
Carl sighs and looks into her eyes, "Then, there is only one thing left before I go. I do recall you wanted to talk and spend time with me once the war was over. Now, I have one last thing that I must do with you before I keep to my affairs."
Unsure as to what he means, Suu asks Carl. Instead of a reply, he walks up to her and surprises her. He locks his arms around here and shows her the same method she once gave him before. Suu starts to blush and feels vulnerable to his touches. Carl pushes her against the counter and repeats the same words to her "Show me who you are, Shas'El Suu of the Tau Empire". As her hands rest on him, every thought turns to duty and keeping the tau great. The only issue is Carl didn't think of duty, honor, nor anything righteous for the emperor. For the rest of the day, he would enjoy his time with her. Time goes on and no one hears from them until Suu is needed for her assignment. With no reply from her, Shas'El Asuki goes to her home and check on her. Asuki is no more than a few minutes from her home, but she sees Carl leaving from her direction with a pleased look on his face. After Asuki arrives at Suu's home, she enters to see her getting ready.
Asuki asks, "What have you been doing? Did Carl come by and see you?"
Suu turns to her and answers, "Yes, Carl was here. And, he gave me what I need to continue his legacy within the tau. I didn't expect him to do that with so much eagerness."
After a few more hours go by, Carl takes his traders back to Xoen. With the Purity Blade flying high in the sky, Carl opens his personal journal and writes his last few sentences. He ends the entry with the words "For the Greater Good, I do this for myself."
Hello, this is Shaun Pugh aka Big Boss. I hope you enjoyed the story from Dawn of War: Destiny War to Dawn of War: Fateful Tide and Dawn of War: Where They Belong. It has been a long one for me, but I hope you got as much enjoyment out of it as I did. And here is a few things you didn't know in case you are still in the dark.
1st: Max and Kayleth do still love each other, but they can never be.
2nd: Lina was pregnant at the time of her battle with Balrok but lost the baby.
3rd: Carl did do something with Suu, but it isn't what you think it is. ;)
4th: It will be two hundred years of peace for them, but there will be more dangers coming.
5th: War Boss Tharacka has many orks on his home world and still is a threat.
6th: Malice will return and his servants still have much to do for him.
For now, I'm off to complete my other projects and get them published. Thank you for your time and I hope to return one day.
