Chapter 4: Crusade of the Aurelian system
The planet of Indomitus was bustling with activity, on its surface were built origins of the great manufactoriums of the mechanicus, churning weapons and crafting wonders of war.
The ever hungry forges were constantly fed with ore dug by the Asari servitors, who toiled for 20 hours daily, never tiring even when their bodies were strained to the limit. The caverns filled with the enslaved xenos were void of any noise except the machine tools crushing rocks in search of metals. Occasionally a tech priest would be seen moving swiftly in the deep caverns, checking the workers, repairing their metal parts and injecting regenerative liquids, they might have been xenos, but they are now useful tool of the Imperium, and will continue existing, so long as their purpose is fulfilled.
Captured ships of the batarians were carefully scuttled to the planet, and scraped of all metal so as to produce more goods for the imperium. Mere handful were used to transport men and resources, sanctified beforehand from the vile xenos who used them. From captured ships, many slaves were freed, human ones, after the shock of knowing who and what the imperium is ,swore new loyalties to their liberators, the xeno slaves continued as they were, joined by the surviving batarians, slaving in the mines and factories of their new masters.
Military barracks were built daily, housing the imperial guard present on the ships, each morning the sounds of soldiers training could be heard, they were alone in this galaxy, only each other to keep company, and such camaraderie must be strengthened.
White eagles supervised their training, teaching them in ways of war no common man could, they would need every advantage they could get in order to survive this hostile galaxy.
Tech priests were working daily and without rest, tinkering with the taken batarian and Asari technology, although this was Tech heresy, Magos assured them ,that this was necessary evil in order to fulfill the desires of the Omnisiah. Their disgust was evident, but they kept manipulating the retrieved tech to better suit the needs of the expedition. This bore fruit, as the armor of the guardsmen was upgraded with a small force field, similar to that of the citadel races, carapace armor is well and strong, and their faith will protect them, but having a shield generator in their armor doesn't hurt either.
Human population on the planet began to expand, as the mixture of women and men in the guard came to fruition, and first human children graced this arid plains with their laughter. Mechanicus gladly helped with the ever rising population, building cloning vats and giving fertility pills to the women that helped the fetus gestate far faster than it naturally would.
In orbit around the planet the ever hardworking priests built the template for what would become a ship yard, creating glorious vessels of humanity, even though these will take years to complete.
The leadership of the Imperial expedition was on the ground, planning the strike against the closest system named "Aurelian Primaris". "Information taken from the Asari and Batarian survivors was plentiful; the planet of Aurelian was home to over 10 million citizens, mostly Asari with traces of human and batarian. These humans could be recruited "spoke the Feld Marshal Romeluss.
"Human population goes between fifty, to hundred thousand." He continued speaking. "The industries on it produce common goods used by the various xenos across the galaxy, it has a small defense armada common to the asari, with patrol ships and ground troops. Ground to space defenses are not present, it would appear they didn't expect the planet to be endangered in any way, foolish, but welcome."
Romeluss went silent, and the podium was free for Tesla to take word.
"We will apply the same principle we used to take this planet, critically striking at the heart of their military compound, softening it up beforehand with orbital bombardment. Cutting the infrastructure at these points", he pointed at the map, "effectively isolating the portions of the megacity, each pocket will be dealt with the combine power of imperial guard and astartes. Romeluss, what of potential dangers to our system while we are going on a crusade?"
"The amount of ships warping from the relay into our system has subsided massively", said Romeluss, "my spies note that due to the isolationist nature of our system, governments of the closest planets suspect nothing, few attribute it to piracy, and rest are convinced they are lost due to black holes and other anomalies. We are safe for the time being."
"I must inquire",added Magos, "that any and all industrial centers be kept from damage, as they can be converted into manufactorums producing necessary goods for the war effort, it is not necessary to spare any xenos in this engagement. Their numbers will be equally great, even after the culling."
The commanders agreed, the plan would be fleshed out in the coming days. And then the invasion would begin.
It all began with a probe, a probe emitting a single cry for help, placed next to the mass relay of Aurelian system. This got the attention of the Asari patrol fleet, some ten strong, small to medium and quick, they were not made for much more than chasing pirates away and keeping the peace in space.
As the fleet approached the relay and began scanning the probe, it flared to life, and through it warped the Imperial fleet, the shock of the asarians were so great, that they lost half the fleet before raising their shields. The rest of the fleet fared little better as lances and sanctified portside gun batteries ripped them apart like scythe would wheat.
Imperial vessels stormed towards the planet, at that moment, only few informations about the invaders reached the planet, nothing detailed, it didn't help that imperial agents used communication jammers and destroyed power stations drowning the megacity in darkness and silence, communication silence maybe, the city streets were rife with life, looters and panicked people only heard of the invasion, from doom sayers yelling that reapers were upon them, to many afraid it was the slavers come to take them and their children, to hundred other real and imaginary enemies. Megacity Jana was in total chaos, the agents done their part well, resistance is already softened up, now the rest lies to the imperial ships and the brave soldiers who will face war upon disembarking.
Ships took position above in the orbit of the planet, then the bombardment began, asari lacked any void shields like the imperium did to protect their cities from such tactics, a foolish mistake on their part, they wouldn't live to regret it.
Military positions of the asari were fried from the lances of the imperial cruisers. The port side batteries hammered maze like infrastructure of the megacity, cutting water, and permanently destroying power, without ground to space canons to prevent this, the planet was at the mercy of the invading fleet. The guns kept firing, firestorms engulfed western hemisphere as the vast forests burnt to a crisp taking with them all refugees who sought to escape the city.
Then, just as it started, the orbital bombardment stopped, for those in city it would seem a blessing, but only for a short time as the orbital drop pods began raining from the skies, smashing into the giant government centers, and the marines began hunting the residents. In the outskirts of the city landed the prestigious Titanicus Legio "Martio Tarantum legio" that saw combat against Tau during one of the many crusades waged against them.
Three god machines were now marching against the city to the dread of many. Their canons roaring as the projectiles and energy beams slammed against the pale marble of the asari architecture. In various other parts of the city, uncountable numbers of drop ships unloaded tens of thousands of imperial guard and scitarii detachments led by the militarized Enginseers, who led from the front, firing their lethal techno marvel rifles that vaporized the enemy upon impact.
Local pockets of resistance fired upon the guard, killing hundreds in the convoluted mess or ruins that was megacity Jana, asari reinforced the most secure buildings and from there used the combination of biotics and rifles to stall the unrelenting advance of the guard. These would not last though, as flame throwers were used to flush out the stubborn guardians, screaming as the promethium melted their flesh off the bone.
Asari used biotics to make barriers and counter attack at the guard, for a time it seemed to work somewhat, that was until the psykers entered the frame, one of the more eager xenos threw a biotic ball of pure energy against the first of the psykers to step in front, raising his hand he stopped the ball in flight and clenching his fist, the ball vanished. The eager commando attempted to summon another one ,before the psyker let a blood curdling scream, and yelled, "Witness your doom!"
In that moment from his hand appeared a purplish lightning bolt, impacting the asari who could only scream in terror as the warp fire burnt her flesh and soul. Leaving nothing but dust in her stead.
The steady march of the psyker and his brothers drove the guard onwards, as they used their assortment of warp born powers that crushed anything the asari could conjure with their biotics, the defense was utterly broken and defenders were slaughtered.
In one of the city squares, the entrenched asari waited for the upcoming assault, guarding the monument to their goddess. They wouldn't have to wait long, for the sky was pierced with the scream from a thousand throats. "FOR THE EMPEROR!"
Thousands of guardsmen charged, led by their commissars and priests who held the chainsword in both their hands uttering litanies of fury and faith. The lasguns flashed, the autoguns barked, and the asari responded in kind using their assault rifles to fight back. Lasgun met assault rifle, biotic met warp powers, the death toll kept rising astronomically.
The charging guardsmen overwhelmed the defenders through sheer numbers, using their bayonets to kill their staggered opponents as they sought to fall back. Commissars used their swords and crashed against the asari commandoes who used their omni blades in opposition. Veterans of many wars fought against the elite of the asari society. But the sheer weight of the ever coming guard broke their backs. Soon, there was nowhere left to run, and they were slaughtered to the man.
The flag of Aquila flew freely from the decapitated statue of the Asari goddess, much to the cheers of the victorious guardsmen, megacity Jana Main Square was theirs.
As the pockets of resistance fell one by one , the megacity center was rapidly being taken over by the White eagles. the defense seemed unrelenting, this was the seat of the government and elite soldiers were holed up in here, the mighty astartes reflexes fought against the biotic capabilities of the asari. The hall was now being flooded by the stream of guardsmen and scitarii who invaded from the main gates of this 100 meter tall building. And from the balconies, stormed by the drop troops of the Aquilan IVth who attacked from the top.
One of the marines was surrounded by near hundred asari palace protectors, who used their biotics to rend the armor from the struggling superhuman. Who kept cutting them down even as they began rending the flesh from his more and more exposed body, at the end of the battle, marine was more flesh than man, killed his foes, but in turn was killed by them. "Only in death, does duty end", he whispered from his destroyed throat, before collapsing onto the floor and joining the Emperor.
As the governor's office laid in front of them ,two assault brothers broke through the doors ,their chainswords buzzing. One was cut down as the asari used one of the anti-tank mass driver weapons, that took the arm clean off as he charged them, he staggered, but didn't yell, their next round was meant for his chest ,before being stopped by the second brother who was already on top of them, ending their lives with swings of his sword, seconds later tactical brothers joined the combat ,storming through the doors, opening fire on the present asari, who used all at their disposal to stop them. For a full minute the combat raged, and when it ended, the entire room was filled with smoke, and countless dead xenos, and two marines who lost their lives.
Brother Captain Tesla, sword bloody from overuse, marched to the last doors of the secured office of the asari leader, who decided to cover while its kin died. Rage filled and vengeful, he sheeted his blade and used his arms to rip open the doors apart, inside he saw a defiant looking asari that pointed a pistol at him, he stood nearly thrice its size, as the she pulled the trigger, and the bullet harmlessly bounced off his artificer armor, without rush he extended his arm, grasping the pistol and he governors hand, before crushing them in one stroke together. the asari leader howled with pain as it felt to its knees, Tesla spoke to her.
"You will call your soldiers and citizens over the megacity vox, and you will announce the surrender of this planet to the Imperium of man, not complying will result in termination." His helmet vox enhancing his voice.
Tears in the eyes, grasping her broken hand, the governor looked up to the marine, and said, "I will not. Asari do not bow to the tyrants."
Calmly, the brother marine got his bolt pistol and placed it against the xeno forehead. ''Submit, or see your entire planet exterminated.''
''Slavery or death'', she said, ''I know what I choose.''
It was the last words of the alien, before the bolt round ended its existence.
Tesla turned back and said to one of his brothers. ''Bring her here.''
''Yes brother captain'', the marine responded and went away, quickly returning with another asari.
It was T'yala, the former governor of the colony of Eluna. She was frightened out of her mind, but her mind was her own, as Tesla thought she would be more useful this way, rather than the lobotomized servitor.
He came to her, and pushed her near the governor vox com, and said.
''Tell your people to surrender, or I will see this planet erased from existence. Surrendering means they get to live another day. Make your choice.''
With hands shaking, she grasped the vox come and pleaded to the planet
''My sisters, the governor is dead, the megacity hall has fallen, and our military command is crushed, it is pointless to resist, surrender, and there will be an end to the horror.''
Her voice was carried over to the few powered com systems in the city, and from the vox devices placed by the conquering guard around the city.
Even the most stubborn of defenders realized that it was all over, it was only a matter of time before they were all killed or captured.
The Megacity has fallen. Flags of the Aquila flew freely from the megacity hall. Aurelian system has fallen to the Imperium of Man. Guardsmen led the captured asari to the plains of the city, they were to be processed and put to serving the imperium. Human citizens were taken to rehabilitation and indoctrination, many joined willingly; as they held anti xeno sentiments, First contact war still fresh in their minds.
Pacifying the planet will take time, but securing the system was paramount, for sooner or later, someone will come to find out what happened to the planet and its inhabitants.
War was declared, and it will only end in total human victory, or their utter annihilation.