Well, I'm back!

After doing that little Omake, I'm ready for doing fiction work again! How much that I will do is another matter entirely, as I have plenty of other things to do this holidays… but as I need a new paintbrush before I do any more of my Terminators (or finish the bunch of other models I have), I'll get this chapter done first for you all! Merry Christmas!

(Disclaimer: The below work contains part of Codex – Space Marines. It is used without permission, and if requested, will be removed.)

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Greetings, Inquisitor

File Reference: Terminator Armour

The Space Marines are the ultimate fighting force in the galaxy, each warrior genetically and spiritually modified to the point where they are no longer considered human, but superhuman. Organised into approximately 1,000 chapters, each with 1,000 marines, each warrior is a hero in his own right.

However, there are those who are considered to be exceptional in the eyes of their battle brothers, and these are the marines that make up the first company of each chapter. This is the most powerful company in a chapter, not only because of the outstanding martial prowess of its members, but also because many of these veterans are trained to take to the field clad in ancient suits of Tactical Dreadnought armour, or 'Terminator' armour as it is more commonly known.

Massively bulky and armoured with heavy sheets of plasteel and ceramite, terminator armour contains a full exoskeleton and a complex arrangement of fibre bundle muscles that allow a warrior to fight with deadly skill and ferocity at close quarters, where agility is secondary to protection.

The secrets of constructing these awesome suits of armour have all but been lost, and only the most skilled of artificers have the skill and knowledge to create one. As such, each suit that a chapter owns is treated with the utmost care and respect, being donned by the most skilled of warriors at only the most dire of times. So rare are they that if a single one is lost on a battlefield, the chapter will be fanatical in reclaiming it, as it is a holy relic in its own right.

Chapter Four: Secrets of the Dark Ages

When Hikari awoke, the room was still dark, and the only noises were the soft breathing of the other youngsters as they slept. Sighing quietly, Hikari reached over to the small table beside her bed, found her watch and looked at the illuminated display.

5:59 AM

Knowing that the wake-up call was only about a minute away, she stretched and quietly rose out of bed. She shivered as she fumbled in the darkness for her clothing, as she was clad only in her underwear, and her long, smooth legs were prickled with goosebumps. Finding a pair of dress pants in the neatly folded pile at the foot of the bed, she began to step into them as the harsh fluorescent lights came on, and the buzzers beside each bed rang simultaneously.

Hikari watched in amusement as Touji, the boy from Catachan, leapt out of his bed, wide awake, grabbing for a knife that was not there.

Seeming to remember where he was, the young man glanced around feeling slightly foolish. However, when his eyes passed Hikari, Touji leered and winked. Realising that she was still indecently dressed, she quickly dressed herself, blushing furiously and refusing to look up from the floor.

A loud 'thump' made her look up, then she immediately wished she hadn't. In front of the other male in the room, Shinji (who seemed to be lying on the floor, passed out, with a thin trickle of blood coming out of his nose), was a completely nude Asuka, who was looking at the comatose boy curiously.

"What's up with him?" she asked no one in particular.

Out of the corner of her eye, the redhead noticed Touji staring at her, and she rounded on him.

She may not have much of a sense of modesty, mused Hikari, as Asuka slapped Touji, leaving behind a red handprint and yelling, "Pervert!" but she sure knows a lecher when she see one.

Chuckling lightly to herself, Hikari finished dressing and followed Rei (who had completely ignored the antics of the others) to the briefing room.

xxx

Guardsman Harkan cursed, as yet again he lost his footing in the soft mud, coating him in yet another layer of the sludge. Checking his Sniper Rifle for any problems, he battled on. Groping around in the thick fog, he found the edge of a wooden parapet. Stumbling over it, he was greeted with a dozen lasgun muzzles pointed at him. A bright light shone over his face and insignia, and with relief Harkan heard the familiar voice of his squad sergeant.

"He's one of us, boys. Harkan, report."

Slumping against the edge of the foxhole, the muddy scout took a long swig from his flask.

"I made it to the forward command bunker, and checked the place out. Place looks like a damn morgue, bodies everywhere."

The sergeant's eyes narrowed. "Well, at least they don't have Vox problems." He muttered sarcastically.

"That's not the half of it, sir," continued Harkan, his voice flagging with exhaustion. "They looked like they had simply been torn apart. There wasn't a single bullet wound on any of the bodies. The door was shattered against the opposite wall, and this is a ceramite bulkhead I'm talking about, even a Powerfist couldn't have done that."

"Emperor's mercy…" muttered the sergeant. Turning to the rest of the squad, who had been listening uneasily, he growled, "You heard him, men. Double watch tonight, there's something bad out there. Probably some Warp-spawned monstrosity that those cultists summoned up."

"Ah, sir…" Interrupted Harkan. He was not looking forward to reporting the next bit of news.

"What?"

"The place was surrounded by heretics. They had been slaughtered along with our command platoon. Whatever it was, it doesn't seem to be very friendly with them, either."

After a short silence, the sergeant repeated himself. "Double watch tonight."

xxx

Again, Harkan scanned the surrounding area. The rest of the squad followed his example.

Five minutes had passed since the weary scout had heard the soft 'crunch' of a heavy footstep out in the darkness, and nothing had come.

A fine time to imagine things he thought bitterly. However, he kept watch. Even if there's something out there, we won't see it 'till it's too late anyway.

The fog seemed to be getting worse and worse each passing moment, and each member of the squad could barely see each other in the dark. Accompanying this was a feeling of dread that seemed to permeate each Guardsman, men who had been fighting for many years trembling with fear.

Wiping the sweat off his face, Harkan gripped his rifle even tighter with white knuckles.

"There's something out there, sir," whispered one of the soldiers, voice wavering. "I can feel it. It's gunna kill us all!"

"Quiet, soldier! Remember: The Emperor Protects!" inside, though the sergeant felt the same way. Each member of his squad were hardened veterans of countless near-suicide missions, each had stared death in the face and laughed, but there was something so indescribably horrifying going on here that he could feel him bowels constricting.

Suddenly, the feeling of chill intensified, and Harkan knew he was about to die.

'THUMP'

He spun round, preparing to sell his life dearly in the name of the Emperor. But the sight before him made his blood run cold, and his body freeze.

Darker than the night, a massive, winged shadow had landed in the foxhole, massive batlike wings extending out into the inky blackness. The only truly visible part of the supernatural horror was its eyes, glowing a sickly red.

The last thing Harkan ever heard was its evil, inhuman laughter.

xxx

The briefing room was simply a small workshop that had been converted for the purpose. Bare except for a row of chairs facing a table and a hologram projector mounted on the wall, Hikari couldn't help but think that little effort had gone into its construction.

Waiting for the pilots was the female Inquisitor that had met them the day before. Standing to one side was an unfamiliar man, heavily built and bearing numerous scars. His stern countenance and his bionic eye looked upon each of the chosen as the filed into the room.

When Shinji at last shuffled in and took his seat, Misato began.

"As we have already been over the reason you are here, I will not bore you with repeating myself. Instead, it is time you understood the implications of being the bearers of these awesome weapons. While you will not be expected to be able to use the EVA armours at this stage, your training will begin immediately. For this, you will be under the guidance of Captain O'Malley, of the Grey Knights chapter of the Adeptus Astartes."

Fully expecting a sharp intake of breath from the chosen, Misato was not disappointed. The Grey Knights were legendary, perhaps more well known than any other chapter in the galaxy. They were a force totally dedicated to the destruction of Daemons, and were unofficially tied to the Inquisition. Not only were they superhuman warriors, but each was also a potent Psycher in his own right. Better armed than their peers, the Grey Knights were truly a force to be reckoned with.

The man stepped forward, and nodded slightly. The three service studs in his forehead glinted, ramming home the fact that this was a man who had been fighting for the Imperium for well over a normal human lifetime.

"Whilst you are not acolytes in any way, you will be expected to train as if you were. While your lower physical abilities will be taken into account, your instruction in the ways of both the warrior and the psycher will be no less strenuous. If you are found wanting, we will deal with you our own way. Make no mistake," he finished, glancing sideways at Misato with distaste, "There will not be any Ordo Hereticus Inquisitors to hold your hand during your stay."

Returning the venomous glare, Misato continued her briefing.

"What the good Captain here was trying to say, I'm sure, is that you will be welcomed in their chapter fortress on Titan. Your training will be broken down into two parts: combat and psychic. After two years, we will attempt to fully activate the EVA units. Any questions?"

Touji raised his hand lazily.

"Mr Suzahara?"

"So let me get this straight," he drawled, "For the next two years, we'll be busting our butts trying to keep up with the Marines with all their training, eating lousy food and barely sleeping?"

Misato smiled slightly. He still has a sense of humour. He'll need it.

"For two years. At the age of eighteen, you should be ready."

The young man grinned. "Hell, if we weren't freezing our arses off on some little moon, it would sound just like home."

"We get to stay in a Fortress Monastery, stay and train with Space Marines?" interjected Asuka, "Forget home, this sounds like Heaven!"

Hikari wished that she could share her companion's enthusiasm. Coming from the homeworld of the Ultramarines, she knew just how difficult the coming years would be.

xxx

Woooot! Another chapter down! I just hope I'm able to post this sometime soon, but with not letting me post stuff right now (for whatever reason, it could be my computer for all I know) it probably not be before the new year.

In other news, I've just had a look at my last fanfic (still incomplete) 'HACKEVA'. And I've just remembered how much fun I had writing it. If people are lucky, I might start it up again!

Next chapter: The training begins! Will the chosen ones be able to cope, or will the strain prove too much? And what about this dark foe that has just come to light? Find out in the next episode of 'And They Shall Know No Fear': Trial by Fire!