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Chapter 12: Battlefield Kronus

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Part 1

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It would take time for the Imperium at large to take notice of the momentous events that unfolded on Kronus. First confirmed reports of the planet's new status as a Shrine World would come from Astropaths part of Task Force Nemesis, dispatched to answer a request for aid by General Lucas Alexander.

To this day, those pious and sensitive enough could feel the God-Emperor's touch upon Kronus. To those blessed enough to witness the events firsthand, it was and I quote: "This is His Divinity made manifest! A veil of light is shielding the whole world!"

The Emperor's direct intervention was more than enough to bless Kronus to the end of time. The events unfolding on the surface and which might have warranted the attention of Him on Holly Terra were no less memorable than His intervention.

An Inquisitional Task Force, Imperial Guard Elements under the overall command of General Lucas Alexander, and members of the Blood Ravens Adeptus Astartes faced a terrible Traitor Incursion and slew the Heretic Champion Skulltaker, reaver of Armageddon and slayer of Astartes…

A pilgrim's guide to Shrine World Kronus,
3rd Edition, Victory Bay Publishing House


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Deimos Peninsula
Kronus

Lieutenant Martin Vough was in his element – he was operating on a poor bastard, trying to stitch his guts back inside where they belonged, when a commotion rang alarm bells in his head. The last time, Tau war-beasts tried to eat him and his patients. What was this time? Demons?

"LT, a bunch of Astartes just arrived with high priority casualties. Your expertise is needed right now."

"I'm busy!" Martin snapped.

"The Inquisitor requires your attention, Medicae." An impossibly deep voice rumbled just outside the operation theater.

"What did he do to himself this time?!" The surgeon exclaimed. "I was barely able to put him back together the last time!"

"We had a close encounter with a powerful Daemon." The Astartes, because who else would have such a voice, blithely explained.

"Did you at least banish the fucker, so he won't come here to eat my patients?"

"I'll be taking over, LT, go see the Inquisitor." The Captain in charge of the field hospital announced. "I'll be there in a moment. I can't do anything more for this poor bastard."

Martin glanced to the left and winced. The Captain has been working in the open head of a guards-woman, who might have been kind of pretty before something smashed through her face.

"She's brain dead. May the Emperor have mercy on you, child." The old Medicae made the sign of the Aquila over his patient and went to clean himself up.

"Give me the Inquisitor's status. I'll be there shortly."

"Right arm, lost at the shoulder, second and third-degree burns in the area, however, the wound wasn't cauterized. Severe blood-loss, a Medicae is providing transfusion as we speak. The wound was delivered by a Daemonic Hellblade."

"What about taint?" Martin grimaced.

"We have counter-measures. We'll need to see if they're effective."

The Captain sent Martin away, and he hurried up to see the Inquisitor. The man waited on a stretcher outside, under heavy guard. Several worse to wear Blood Ravens and Guardsmen stood around the Inquisitor, ready to tear the head of anyone who looked at him the wrong way.

Veil looked like the death warmed over. He was deadly pale, courtesy of a crude tourniquet and bandage on his right shoulder. His neck was exposed, and a Medicae had stuck an IV there attached to a blood bank.

Right, the damn fool already got his other arm mangled and replaced with bionics.

Martin got himself clean gloves and carefully removed the crude bandage to look at the wound, and grimaced.

"Prepare him for operation. I'll need to cut off some flesh around the wound at a minimum, then stitch him up until its clear there's no taint."

"Selene comes with him. Prepare her to enter." A large Astartes ordered. His right arm was gone as well.

Martin was sure he didn't want to know what they faced,

"Do you want me to keep him alive or not?!" He snapped when he saw an unnerving small armored figure hiding behind the Blood Raven.

"She's the counter-measure against taint. She'll be present alongside guards. You'll deal with it, Medicae." The Astartes growled dangerously and Vough rapidly nodded.

That crazy Inquisitor was going to be the death of him.


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Eliphas' armored units had to quickly pull back behind the now dubious protection of the arcane defenses. His plan had been sound, he was sure of it. It came close to working too, only for those soulless machines to ruin it in the last possible moment. If it wasn't for their anti-Warp tech, he might have pressed the counter-attack anyway.

However, taking out a number of those damnable Pylons, not to mention summoning that many Daemons, took a toll upon his available Sorcerers. They were running painfully low on sacrifices too.

That was bad enough.

The Skulltaker taking the field had been unnerving. His appearance implied Eliphas' Patrons were less than happy with the current turn of events. U'zhul failing his mission was unheard of.

The Corpse Worshipers somehow managed to murder the favored Herald of Khorne himself, and several Lesser Daemons for good measure too, that rattled Eliphas. Now, despite what most people believed, Daemons weren't immortal, not really. A number of artifacts could kill them. They often died in the Warp, usually when defeated and consumed by something stronger.

It was the way, the Corpse Worshipers and the machines did it that would prove problematic. This wasn't some one-off event, the deed of a very powerful and rare artifact, not to mention purchased at a great price.

What they did was something that could be replicated with relative ease, and that was going to be problematic. This disaster changed Eliphas' calculations. He could no longer rely on a sufficient number of reinforcements. Any Daemons he threw at the enemy might be lost for good, which wasn't necessarily a problem as far as the endless hordes of Lesser Daemons were concerned. There would always be more from where those spawned.

The loss of the Skulltaker was going to sting. He could feel Khorne's fury. The potential loss of the Greater Daemon imprisoned on Kronus would be another great blow. One Eliphas couldn't allow.

"Gather all my Sorcerers and remaining sacrifices. Make sure that those allotted for the special ritual remain untouched!" Eliphas snarled at his minions.

The Dark Apostle looked at the tactical map and glowered. The Necrons were busy gathering in ever-increasing numbers, and it wouldn't be long before they attempted to neutralize the Arcane Defenses. With those breached, the Corpse Worshipers would be free to attack as well. Then there were the Eldar.

Their small but potent force was largely intact, and Slaneesh didn't get to enjoy a single soul from their numbers. The two Guard Regiments in the region fared worse, predictably, however, there would be more where those came from. It wasn't like the Imperium would run out of cannon fodder!

Eliphas left the command center. It was time to get his primary objective done and depart while he still could. Turning Kronus into a Daemon World would have to wait.


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Part 2

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Deimos Peninsula

Kronus

Colonel Fahid Roval found himself commanding the remaining Guard Armored units on Kronus from the deck of a restored Baneblade. Usually, such magnificent machines didn't make good command vehicles. They had to be in the thick of battle if you used them right. A commander would lack sufficient awareness of the battlefield at large, and might be unable to effectively communicate, and command.

In this particular case, many crews politely refused to volunteer to serve on board the Baneblade due to the way it was restored. It was operational only due to the help of the Necron Xenos. They not only repaired the machine but supplied various upgrades. Better armor, stronger drive-train, more accurate weapons, and the Emperor only knew what nasty surprises they left behind.

Initially, Colonel Roval was considering leaving the venerable machine behind. That way, the Tech-Priests could properly study and restore it using good old-fashioned and reliable Imperial technology. Now he knew better. After he saw how they acted around the Xeno artifacts, Fahid left in a hurry, hugely disturbed by the experience. Going to General Alexander didn't help – the Lord Inquisitor was backing the unusual alliance with the Xenos to the hilt. Besides, they needed all the firepower they could get to face the Traitors.

After spending the last day within the Baneblade, Colonel Roval wasn't sure if he had been too paranoid or not paranoid enough. The machine ran like a charm. It obeyed every command with unnatural grace, shot with incredible precision, and its armor was unreal even for a vehicle of its class.

There had to be a catch, a terrible surprise waiting to go off at the worst possible moment, right?

Any such traps failed to materialize, and Colonel Roval had no more time to doubt himself or the Baneblade. The final assault upon the Traitor positions was already beginning, and he would soon have to lead the Imperial Armor into the breach.

Multiple monitors showed crystal clear auspex feeds from the nearby front, where three huge Necron Monoliths slowly advanced surrounded by infantry squares and floating Destroyers. The sky was dark with Necron Drones, offering intelligence data, sweeping for Heretical fliers, and ready to attack ground targets on command. It was an unnerving sight. After the battle against the Eldar and their Tau minions, Colonel Roval knew the Imperial Guard on Kronus scarcely had enough assets left to face such an onslaught, much less to fight Traitors and Heretics at the same time.

He could see the Inquisitor had been right, that without the alliance, they all would be doomed. Yet, at the same time, a life-time's experience cried to expect Xeno treachery. His heart rebelled at the thought of working with the alien! All the while, he was grateful that this alliance kept many of the people under his command alive.

These were strange days to live in.

The Necrons opened fire simultaneously. Lighting and emerald beams slammed into wicked sorcerous defenses. Multiple Regiments' worth of artillery opened fire, and explosions blossomed, slamming into an invisible wall. Whatever the Heretics did last for a whole minute before the sorcery shattered like glass and the Xeno firepower struck true. Twisted profane monuments disintegrated. Precise shots and drones intercepted Heretic counter-battery efforts. The Necrons advanced with the bloody-minded determination and lack of fear that only machines could display.

They were cold, methodical, and unrelenting.

Drones descended in their thousands, and the horizon burned.

"Sword Actual to all Sword Elements. We will advance now. Keep your wits and check your fire. We'll be explaining any friendly fire incidents to the Inquisition. Good Hunting and the Emperor bless you all!"

The Baneblade's engine purred to life. It was a far cry compared to the usual angry roar. The super-heavy tank accelerated faster and smoother than it had any right to be.

For half an hour, the Imperial Armor and the Mechanized Infantry accompanying it drove behind the Xenos, who crushed any and all resistance without slowing down. It was only when the crushed enemy defense lines were fifteen kilometers behind them that they met stiff enough resistance to slow them down.

Dug in Traitor Astartes, Daemon infested vehicles, and Traitor Guard Regiments chose a low row of hills to make their stand. Far behind them, Auspexes could barely make up the mountain in the far end of the peninsula. The Warp Gate was over there, and to reach it, they had to crush the Traitors in front of them.

That was all right with Fahid.

The Necron forces splint in three groups, each formed around a single Monolith. The Imperial formations drove into the available space and opened fire as soon as they were in range. It soon became clear why the Necrons slowed down. They dedicated a significant amount of their firepower to intercept incoming ordnance. That lowered their casualties significantly, yet slowed down the rate at which they could neutralize the enemy resistance. On the bright side, the proximity with the Xenos had two beneficial effects. First, the enemy focused their attention on the Necrons. Second, most welcome and unexpected, the aliens kept shooting shells and missiles heading the Imperial way.

Colonel Roval didn't know what to think about that. It didn't make any bloody sense!

He muttered a prayer to the Emperor and decided he didn't want to think about what passed for Xeno thought processes. Instead, he concentrated his attention on the battle.

The Baneblade spat its fury, and with every shot, a Traitor position went up in flame. A Lascannnon glanced off the front glacis, heating it, but not penetrating. Secondary weapons peppered the Heretics with explosive death, and secondary detonation marked their end.

Insect-like Daemon Engines crawled up the hills, bristling with spikes and weapons. Artillery and emerald beams lashed at them, tanks unleashed their fury, and several abominations blew up. The rest shot back, only for the Necrons to intercept almost all their corrupted shells. Even more, explosions lit up the shrinking space between the three armies, and the Baneblade rumbled, its battle cannon dismembering a Heretic abomination with a direct hit.


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Eliphas stood in front of the last eager sacrifices he had left. In front of him, seven Sorcerers cut through the last prisoners and slaves he had access to. Their death screams and blood might just save his hide. The enemy had begun their final assault, and the only saving grace was that it had their attention focused at the wrong place.

The Dark Apostle had his best troops holding the line, with the rabble ready to spend itself in one last counter-attack. Their sole purpose would be to buy him time.

Each Sorcerer chanted in a different language, and each murdered a sacrifice differently. Blood flowed freely into the symbol of Chaos Undivided carved into the soil. As soon as it was full, the blood ignited, and the space in the center of the symbol shimmered. Reality rippled and tore, forming a small Warp Portal.

"Move! Do not slow down, do not listen to anyone or anything!" Eliphas ordered and jumped into the portal.

For a brief moment that lasted an eternity, he was in the Warp, surrounded by Daemons writhing in agony. They clawed at a veil of searing light, and its very touch burned Eliphas' very soul. For a single double-heartbeat, he could almost sense the Corpse Emperor, feel his contempt and boundless rage.

Then he was through, and landed hard, falling face-first into scorching sand. A few Astartes he could trust stumbled out next, followed by half the sacrifices and two Sorcerers. Well, three, but the last one came out engulfed by white flames, which quickly consumed him.

Eliphas looked around. They were almost in position, and even if he had to sacrifice an Astartes or two, he would have just enough sacrifices to get the job done. He felt a profound sense of relief and began barking orders to the Sorcerers. There was no time to waste!


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