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Chapter 17: Kronus: Endgame
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Part 5
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Victory Bay
Kronus
The Inquisitor exploded in stark, blinding light. One moment he flew on wings burning with the Emperor's power, hacking at the Daemon. In the next, everyone had to close their eyes and avert their faces. The light was savage, yet gentle. It burned away any doubt of its origin. It was pure, blessed Divinity.
The moment passed, and Charles blinked away stars, while his mouth mechanically murmured prayers to the God-Emperor. He could see a different light now. The Saint and Emperor together vanquished the Daemon. The ill-formed monstrosity imploded. Its cursed flesh collapsed and burned with white cleansing flames that quickly consumed it and melted the corrupted cannon.
Above them, the Saint floated on fluttering wings and glowed brightly, with soft golden light. Flickering moths of the Emperor's power fell from the sky like fresh snow, often bursting into flames when they touched corruption and burned it away.
"Ave Imperator!" Weber saluted the glowing sky with his sword and looked around.
No more small daemons were running around. Whatever just happened, burned them all to ash. Good.
The soothing light washed over and sunk into stumbling soldiers and the odd civilian. Moths of light fell upon their skin and the gold flame burned through their forms, causing no visible damage. Within moments, their hacking cough ceased, and no more fresh blood flowed down their faces.
"The Emperor Protects!" Charles whispered in reverence. He was sure this was happening all over the city. The Emperor knew his own and wouldn't let them down!
Gradually, everyone ceased firing at the burning Daemon and simply watched its corpulent flesh turn into ash. Only the low rumble of vehicles and quiet prayers carried over the parade grounds.
A flicker of motion caught Weber's attention, and he saw the Saint float down until he was beside them. The bright flames licking his wings doused themselves, leaving behind gold-flecked feathers. Only Bron's quick reaction held the Inquisitor from falling face-first on the ground when the Emperor's power ceased filling him, leaving not quite a mortal behind.
"Medicae!" Bron bellowed. "We need Medicae for the Inquisitor!" Again, Charles mentally added.
"Don't let him out of your sight, Sergeant!" The Commissar ordered. "Karom, are you still alive? Get your metal-platted ass over here!"
A small group of Tech-priests shuffled forward. Their Mechadendrites twitched in confusion. Charles didn't need to understand Binary to get that they were all busy praying due to the low and reverent tone they whistled in.
"Surprising conclusion: The Inquisitor still has all his bits attached." One of the Necrons said aloud, before flickering out of sight.
"Help the Inquisitor, then get all Medicae we have out and about aiding the wounded!" Charles snapped out of his daze and began barking orders to everyone in earshot.
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This wasn't how Amberley expected to die – choking on her blood and helplessness, while others fought whatever attacked the parade. Probably a Nurgle Daemon. It was either that or someone, likely the Necrons unleashed a nanotech weaponry on them. The latter option was unlikely. The damage wouldn't be so localized, and being eaten alive from outside and inside would have hurt more. A point both for and against the Necrons was that they were fighting against something nearby. As far as Amberley could see from where she collapsed on the stands, the Blood Ravens fought alongside the aliens, so it was almost certainly a third party.
However, if these were her last minutes, she would go to spend them like a proper Inquisitor – paranoid to the end.
A whiff of rot and other fouler things, carried over the stands from the battlefield clinching it. The servants of Nurgle made an appearance too. It also confirmed what Amberley already not so secretly believed, Kronus was cursed! It had to be! Otherwise, these things wouldn't keep happening!
At least the light-show was pretty. It was properly golden and soothing. The glow coming from just out of sight sunk into Amberley, warming her up. It somewhat soothed her coughing, though didn't stop her from throwing viscera from her ravaged lungs.
Vail saw Mott drag himself up using a seat as a lever. The old man stumbled her way, swaying on his bionic legs, and soon collapsed on his knees. Blood spilled from his mouth, and he doubled over coughing. A twitching arm pulled out an injector from his robes and after two tries slammed it at the side of his neck, then went back for a second one.
Amberley cursed herself for only carrying a small med-pack with trauma supplies and combat stimulants. The former wouldn't help, and the latter would almost certainly kill her before she could do anything useful. In this particular case, Mott had been the wiser. He managed to get another injector out and rolled it her way before collapsing.
It was another question how much whatever was inside would help. Probably wide-spectrum antibiotics. Seeing no alternative, Amberley crawled forward. Each movement tired her more and made her struggle to get enough air. If they lived, they would need a set of new lungs, that much she was sure of it.
The Inquisitor managed to get the injector and use it, and by then, she was sure the strain was going to kill her. Scratch that, Amberley decided, it probably already killed her. She beheld one of the Emperor's angels rise above the stand on wings of fire, burning sword in hand. While Amberley didn't pay attention, the ugly form of a Nurgle Daemon had manifested over the cannon only to be struck down by the furious angel.
The only odd thing was there were still Necrons firing at the Daemon even in the afterlife by the Emperor's side…
Amberley blinked away the blood seeping from her eyes. She wasn't dead yet, not quite anyway. That was Veil, and at this point, there was no denying it anymore. That insane fool had the Emperor's blessing. She giggled at that. He wasn't going to get away from serving the Imperium by merely getting shot!
Watching the Daemon burn was pretty. And Amberley was pretty sure she was out of her right mind. She wanted Caiphas to hug and make her forget.
What did Mott put into that injector, and why was Veil blazing like a star? Gold was such a pretty color…
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"Quarantine the survivors. Sterilize the site." Herald of Victory hissed through the Necron Network. His frame shook furiously. He kept burning any remaining lump of rotting flesh with extreme prejudice.
Amarkun felt a little better. That abomination and what it implied was infuriating. It wasn't hard to reach conclusions as to its real origin and that of the entity it served. The Necrons learned much about the Warp during the War in Heaven. They had to win. While they couldn't manipulate it directly and thus never fully understand it, they did know things. Like the most likely origin of the great Abomination called Nurgle.
While it might be just an extrapolation and theory right now, if one based on experience, what they learned through captured records and the odd interrogation, the conclusion was sound. Perhaps this was as sound a conclusion as they would ever get.
The so-called Chaos "gods" embodied concepts that were near-universal to sentient life. They began as concepts written over into the Warp at the time of the Necrontyr and the Old Enemy.
War bloodshed and carnage on an unprecedented scale unleashed during the War in Heaven. Khorne.
All the changes and plans devised in the lead-up, during, and in the immediate aftermath of the conflict. Tzeench.
The Aeldari could keep their claim to fame in creating that particularly vile abomination Slaneesh, thank you very much. They earned it.
Death, rot, and decay, the nihilism of the Necrontyr who lived their short lives in pain and despair, it was those things that formed Nurgle. That particular abomination was the cursed fate of what the Necrons used to be made manifest. The Necrons loathed the very idea with a passion they believed lost during the Biotransference.
The Necrons would deny those abominations everything they could! They would spite them at every turn. It might take another sixty million years, however, Amarkun wouldn't rest until he saw them broken, shattered, and bound, just like the C'tan.
Especially the one styling itself Nurgle.
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Part 6
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Or'es Tash'n
Kronus
For more than two days, Fire Warriors, Vespid Scouts, and Kroot Auxiliaries ran all over the capital, hunting down Orks. The foolish brutes' Kroozer fell in pieces showering Tau controlled territory. That setback not only caused a meaningful amount of damage but masked the landing of the green menace. Thousands, if not tens of thousands of those things fell all over the near-pristine capital, sending it in a time of chaos and bloodshed.
"Commander Kais, this is unacceptable!" Aun'El Shi'Ores admonished. "There is no organized resistance! This isn't a green tide stretching from horizon to horizon! They have no vehicles and little heavy weaponry to speak of!"
"We have only two Vespid Scout squads left, and a small number of Kroot Auxiliaries. Our infantry isn't suited for city fighting." Shas'O Kais patiently explained. He burned to get into his battle suit and join the hunt for the Orks. Instead, thanks to his injuries and the fact that his trusty suit was little more than scrap now, he wasn't fit for combat duty. Kais had to command from a headquarters far away from the fighting. That much would have been tolerable if the venerable Ethereal hasn't been harder to endure with every passing hour. "We lack the usual heavy vehicle support." The Commander kept explaining. Eventually, the Ethereal might get a clue and shut up, or even offer some constructive criticism.
Usually, Shi'Ores was much better than this. The Ethereal was a great administrator and orator. With a few kind words, Shi'Ores was able to restore faltering morale. Just as easily he could heal cracks in the belief in the Greater Good.
However, the civilian leader wasn't a warrior, and it showed when things went wrong. Kais looked away from the holographic tactical table showing the worst-hit parts of the city. And the Ethereal. Even in the secure command center, he could sniff whiffs of ash and scorched flesh. Parts of the capital still burned thanks to Orks running around attacking anyone in sight. Dislodging them proved especially hard without enough auxiliary support and the need to keep collateral damage contained.
Otherwise, Kais might have called orbital support already and purged those ugly brutes from the face of the world.
"We're making slow but steady progress, Ethereal." Kais looked back at Shi'Ores after taking a moment to calm himself as it was proper. Everything for the Greater Good. "We've been isolating the infested areas and setting up containment zones using clear firing lanes. That way we're playing to our advantage. Entering close combat with Orks is a losing proposition."
Ideally, you either burned them out from orbit or fell back while shooting them to pieces. This insane orbital drop forced the Tau Warriors to fight contrary to their well-tested doctrine. Predictably, the outcome wasn't pretty. Now, more than ever, Kais regretted the loss of the Kroot Auxiliaries in the Human/Necron trap. His heavy mobile forces would have been of little use within the heavy build-up capital anyway, but the Kroot close-quarter fighters? Even the few he had left were proving invaluable!
Kais opened his mouth to explain the situation to the agitated Ethereal again and paused. Shi'Ores knew all of this. The Commander studied the Ethereal more carefully, and the signs were there. Shi'Ores was deeply troubled and was quite bad at hiding it right now. He hadn't been acting this way when they got news of the Kroozer heading their way, or when it began raining Orks.
"It's not the greenskins' incursion troubling you, is it, honored one?" Kais asked quietly.
"You were too busy commanding to watch the human's victory parade." Shi'Ores eventually said. "I want to dismiss what I saw as mere propaganda aimed to demoralize us. Or for internal consumption, most humans are religious fanatics." The Ethereal scoffed at that.
Kais nodded along. That much was well known.
"One of those things manifested in Victory Bay spreading sickness and disease over the human military and citizens alike."
That wasn't exactly a piece of good news, even if it meant the odds of conventional assault from that corner lowered drastically. Or they would if what the Ethereal saw was true. However, mentioning one of those things outside of a private and very secure setting was never a good sign.
"Will we have to face it?" Kais whispered. Without his mobile forces, he would need to call the fleet for fire support. As much as they could provide at that.
"It was banished within minutes," Shi'Ores answered.
So it was either one of the weaker ones. Or not, which was worse, both because it would manifest here, and because the humans and their allies could handle it in short order. Neither of those things pointed at a good outcome when the enemy came for them.
"We received a new ultimatum as well. We're to surrender unconditionally, or get on our ships and leave while abandoning our military gear and industry." Shi'Ores grimaced. "Without sabotaging them. Otherwise, they would purge us with orbital fire and make use of what scraps they can recover from the ashes."
"Our remaining ships are a rough match for the Humans in the system."
"If their allies are as powerful in space as on the ground…" The Ethereal didn't have to finish that thought. "What is your recommendation, Commander Kais?"
"Our military position is untenable. We won't be able to hold for long without massive reinforcements, both in naval elements and heavy ground combat forces. My recommendation is to do whatever you believe will serve the Greater Good best."
"I've been struggling with that question for days now. We can't evacuate everyone even if we leave our wargear behind. Our ships lack the space and life support to do it."
Both understood that the Ethereal meant they could lift their military with ample space to spare, and the local auxiliary forces as well. However, by leaving they would have to leave behind most citizens sworn to follow the Greater Good, both Tau and alien alike.
"You lead and we will follow," Kais vowed.
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Victory Bay
Kronus
"You're awake." Anteas stood by my bed again. This time, he was in his power armor, complete with helmet and weapons.
I blinked at him with bleary eyes. Everything hurt, including parts I didn't know, were there, or could ache. Like the tips of my feathers.
As if that wasn't enough, my mind churned with barely remembered dreams. They were flashes from countless lives across the millennia. While they were fading quickly, I could piece together a few odd pieces. I could see humans and aliens living together, fighting and dying together when a machine tide rose to tear them all asunder. I could see Xenos turning upon humanity in our darkest hour… yet a few others stood their ground and fought beside us to the bitter end.
None of those blessed loyalists made it past the Great Crusade. Those who were still alive were shattered remnants corrupted by lies spread by Chaos. The others? They either fell during the Iron War or fell victim to the insanity that swallowed the galaxy heralding Slaneesh's imminent birth.
What was the message? That we can't trust any Xeno that was still alive in this cursed age? That they would eventually betray us when it suited them? Or perhaps that while all of the above was true, there were a few trustworthy species left even if they were inconsequential in the great scheme of things?
"I'm glad to report that this time you managed to remain intact. No missing pieces we could find." Anteas rumbled in good cheer. "In related news, after yesterday, there is no hope denying it, you're a Living Saint blessed by the Emperor, lad. Well done." The Librarian saluted me.
I was sure he had a fake tear in a corner of his eye too. After all, his voice was an interesting mix of approval and sarcasm.
"I've dreamed of strange portents, Anteas. Of ages long past, and of truths that are considered heresy these days. And I have an insane plan, that I need your help with." I smiled, and it bloody hurt.
"I'm afraid to ask, Inquisitor. I will anyway. What insanity will you drag us into this time?"
"Right now? We'll be merely paving the way. In the fullness of time, we're going to liberate the Tau from the control of the Ethereals and bring them in the fold as Sanctioned Xenos and competent Auxiliary Troops for use by the Inquisition, Ordo Xenos in particular. Preferably, we'll do it before our new allies decide the Tau might be more useful than we are."
"I'm mistaken, Inquisitor. You've lost your mind and what little sense you had left." Anteas mournfully declared. "You want to be labeled as heretic and shot, don't you?"
"The Tau are pawns the Ethereals use to gain power, status, and prestige. And they're using them against us, along with their various auxiliary alien forces. I know for a fact that several Inquisitors and Rogue Traders are using Kroot and Vespid mercenaries, sometimes even the odd Ork band. When we're done with them, the Tau will be our pawns to use against the enemies of the Imperium." I explained the end goal. Now the only little problem was to figure out how to get there.
"Inquisitor, are you trying to start a Crusade, again?" Anteas bemoaned.
"A Crusade? If properly handled there's some merit to the idea." I paused when my mind registered what he said in full. "What do you mean, again?"
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