A/N: Hey there! Sorry for the relative lack of updates as of late. The author behind this has been busy with the advent of the New Year, but rest assured he hasn't forgotten about the story and has written a new chapter for you all. We hope you're all having a wonderful year so far. Thank you to all that have read, faved, and followed the story since the last update. Your support means a lot to both of us.
To WordBearer01 and on the Custodes thing he says this: it may most likely happen.
Chapter 4: Perfection
The situation was ghastly. None of the Emperor's Children Astartes had expected such fierce resistance, especially from such a small xenos civilization. The sound of artillery and gunfire filled the air as dust fell from the ceiling of Lord Commander Vespasian's trench-bound, makeshift command centre. Beside him stood Lieutenant Commander Abdemon to his right and First Captain Kaesoron to his left, both of whom were trying to relay information to him.
"Lord Commander, we've lost contact with the 13th Company!" screams the First Captain
"Sir, the rear guard has collapsed, the 10th Company have moved back to a more secure position, while we've received only silence from the rest!" proclaims the Lieutenant Commander
Vespasian sighed in pure frustration and looked towards his Lieutenant Commander.
"What of the 2nd and 3rd Companies? Surely they've managed to break out-"
"Sir, their assault has failed, and they've fallen back to the frontlines. They've sustained heavy losses, and are moving back to meet with the 10th to hold the rear."
The Lord Commander's eye twitches and he groans loudly. How could things be going so wrong? They'd planned this compliance campaign with the utmost care and perfection. Perfection. The IIIrd Legion lived and breathed for it, obsessed over it, dedicated their lives to it. And yet they still do not always win as easily as one might believe. Obviously.
When Imperial forces had discovered the world of Uriahull, it seemed like just another world with xenos to be purged. However, the IIIrd Legion had been heading towards a nearby world designated Twenty-Eight Three, and decided to take up the job rather than let the planet be purged without any fight. This is now quite evidently a mistake. When they arrived in the system, what had previously been believed to be a society undergoing their first Industrial Revolution revealed itself to be a planetary hivemind of reptilian creatures with a spacefleet. It was also revealed that Humans had once prospered in the system before being destroyed by these xenos.
When the Astartes landed, their smaller numbers compared to their brother legions made it logical to decide upon one location as their landing zone, being an abandoned city of Human ruins, surrounded by ancient walls and decaying trenches and foxholes. The Marines and their mortal attachés have been unable to break out of their landing zone. However, with the collapse of two separate groups of companies, as well as the destruction of the Imperial Army forces who discovered the world to begin with, what was originally intended to become a simple compliance will now be a nightmare from which the Emperor's Children may never recover.
The Lord Commander then looks around.
"Where is Lord Fulgrim, and where are the other Lord Commanders?"
The First Captain and Lieutenant Commander glance at one another, then Abdemon speaks.
"Lord Fulgrim has set out to find the enemy's central leader. As our attempts to study the aliens have shown they are some form of hivemind, he seeks to cut off the head to kill the body. He insisted we stay to hold the line."
Kaesoron then speaks up.
"As for your fellow Lord-Commanders, we… we don't know. It's safe to assume the worst for them and all we've lost contact with, including 13th Captain Lucius, Delegatus Konenos, and Lieutenant Commander Bile. Some of our finest Astartes…"
"That's enough!" exclaims Vespasian.
"Where are the nearest Imperial forces? Preferably Astartes!"
Abdemon glances at the wall quickly, nervously, and says "Well, we're near the fringe of the Realm of Ultramar, and there's a Mechanicus world called Tigrus close by…"
"So we can have the Mechanicus and the Ultramarines here to help us deal with this?"
"Well, yes, but, it'd be dishonourable to beg for help now! We're warriors, we fight our own battles!"
"Lieutenant Commander, would you rather keep our honour or our existence? I'd certainly like to see there be a IIIrd Legion after this! Send out the message now!"
Abdemon sighs and rubs his face. He then gives the order to send out a distress signal. Well, at least there's not too much shame in this, especially considering the size difference between the Ultramarines and Emperor's Children Legions.
"Distress call sent sir. Let us hope they get here in time…"
Captain Solomon Demeter of the Emperor's Children 2nd Company was enduring the fight of his life.
After their failed attempt at breaking out of their figurative and increasingly literal cage, the 2nd and 3rd Companies had fallen back to assist the previously lone 10th Company in holding the rear against advancing enemy forces under the constant harassment of enemy artillery and aerial bombardment. His friend Captain Vairosean was heavily injured in the failed attack and had been carried by Demeter over his shoulder to their latest mission. His comrade out of commission for now, Demeter took command of Vairosean's 3rd Company and met with the 10th's Captain Saul Tarvitz. Needless to say, he wasn't faring much better than Demeter either.
The 10th and 13th Companies had been holding a segment of the rearguard, staving off an incredibly ferocious enemy assault. Suddenly, the 13th is wiped out alongside a large segment of Tarvitz's own. Enemy aircraft are buzzing overhead, mowing down large amounts of the remaining Imperial forces present in the area. Luckily, said aircraft were downed mere minutes ago, but the damage has been more than done. The purple and gold-clad corpses of Fulgrim's sons lay strewn about the battlefield, mutilated and carved apart by heavy ammunition, artillery shells, and machine gun fire.
"Captain Demeter! Do you have any ideas as to how we're going to push them back!?"
Solomon looks over at Saul Tarvitz, who is crouched behind the charred remnants of what he assumes to be an enemy fighter craft.
"How does risky and reckless sound to you, sir!?"
Tarvitz smirks ever so slightly, and says "If it gets the job done right!"
Demeter returns the smile, and steps atop the dead body of an enemy soldier.
"Alright then! Mass assault! Every one of you bastards, charge!"
The Marines of the 2nd, 3rd and 10th Companies, though nearly exhausted, injured, battleworn, surrounded and outnumbered, gather with a jubilant cry of defiance.
"Children of the Emperor! Death to His foes! For the Emperor!"
Roboute Guilliman listened to the news again with mixed anxiousness and relief. His brother was in trouble, so of course he was anxious to arrive and assist him. But considering the strange occurances of the past few Terran weeks, he is very happy to even hear from any of his brothers. Six legions with whom contact has been entirely lost, and all in the same sector? Something wrong is amiss, Guilliman feels it in his very being. Perhaps he can convince Fulgrim to come to Macragge instead of continuing his Crusading… just temporarily. Until everything is sorted out, obviously…
Guilliman looks out over the troops of his legion and its attachments. They were comprised of five whole chapters of Ultramarines, and several regiments of Imperial Army soldiers, besides three quarters of the entire Mechanicus forces on Tigrus. Surely, this will mean victory for the Ultramarines. Guilliman smiles, though it is a small and weary one he has. Perhaps a good battle will help bring him out of this paranoia and self-doubt.
"Men, let us make for Uriahull! For Courage and Honour!"
The gathered mass of fighting men, cheering for battle and the waging of war for Terra and Macragge, echoes in Guilliman's ears. His smile widens slightly, in spite of his worry and fear.
"We March For Macragge!"
A/N: Thank you all for reading :)