Chapter 40
The Chaos Wars:
Raiders and Traitors
"The empire will hear of this. And they will send our fellow stormtrooper legions to quell this rebellion"
Stormtrooper Commander Gin
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"The main problem with the forces of chaos is that they rarely use such a large force unless they are trying to hide an ulterior motive" Lord Admiral Halcyon said as he sat on a black throne-like chair looking over Supreme Commander Gilad Pallaeon of the GADF, High Jedi Master Corran Horn and Grand Admirals Garm Bel Iblis, Treast Kre'fey and Wedge Antilles "In this case I believe that small taskforces will break away from their armada and start raiding lightly defended planets, hit-and-run attacks against major shipyards and ambushing supply convoys"
"So what your saying sir is that they will also terrorize our territories through piracy and raiding" Antilles said.
"Yes Grand Admiral it is" Halcyon replied "They will also infiltrate your worlds and start up violent cults, slowly rotting your empire from the inside out through bloody rebellions and revolutions…it has been reported that entire armies have turned traitor and entire worlds went rogue far away from the actual offensive"
"So basically we might not be able to move reinforcements around to strengthen the defences in the Spur" Bel Iblis said simply "We may have to mobilise several reserve fleets into the Shiritiku Spur"
"What about you're…clone legions" Halcyon asked, hesitating slightly before speaking their name "Are they ready yet?"
"The Kamino facilities report that a hundred thousand clone units are completed and ready to go with a million more ready within the next three months" Horn said, the Jedi had been recently tasked with preparing the clone legions for battle, since before the war began the Jedi had been asked by the chief of state to become officers once more. They had expected the Jedi to say no because of the clone wars but instead they accepted and many volunteered to become generals and commanders.
"When can we expect your crusade fleet to join the fight Lord Admiral" Grand Admiral Iblis asked.
"The entire fleet has been refitted with our own hyperdrive engines so we should arrive within the next month" Halcyon replied "Until then do you think you Alliance types can hold them off until then?"
"Sir we will do more than hold them off" the Bothan, Treast Kre'fey replied, a feral smile crossing his mouth "We'll have them running scared by the time you Imperium types arrive"
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B'Knos, the next planet in line from Bakura had fallen, its fleet of defending warships and orbital defence platforms were nothing more than twisted wrecks, floating lifelessly in the space surrounding the planet. The planet itself was nothing more than a shadow of what it once was, areas where major towns and cities once stood where now nothing more than craters, billowing smoke and fire that was clearly visible, even from space.
The chaos armada continued on, numbering in the tens of thousands of warships from 500m long escorts to the 50km long Planet Killer which stood out at the head of the fleet. Approaching the planet was a small taskforce of troop ships, escorted by Infidel-class Raiders. These troop ships held within their ancient hulls an invasion force made of ten thousand traitor guards and a company of the deadly Word Bearers Legion.
Abaddon the Despoiler, warmaster and leader of the entire chaos armada looked down upon the shattered planet and managed a purely malicious grin which would send a chill up the spine of any man. As he tested the weight of his daemon-sword he craved to stand on the surface of an enemy world and quench both his and his possessed weapons thirst for the blood of their enemies. He stopped himself however, reminding himself that he would get that chance once his armada entered the power centre of the galaxy, the eighteen galactic sectors that made up the Galactic Core, the centre of power in the whole galaxy and therefore the most heavily defended.
There was much to do until then, he had already sent several dozen small taskforces numbering over a hundred ships each out into deep space, their mission was to raid small colony worlds, ambush trading and supply convoys, hit-and-run attacks upon major shipbuilding and trading worlds in the sector and to terrorize the sectors surrounding this one. As well as that they were to travel to worlds that were unhappy with the main power in this galaxy or to worlds easily corrupted to create violent cults and start rebellions, rotting this empire from within and making them easier to conquer.
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The combined Imperium crusade fleet was a truly terrifying sight, made up of thousands of warships from gunboats and corvettes to destroyers, cruisers and even just over a dozen battleships. Their great number blocked out the stars for the temporary alliance capital world of Denon far below them. As well as this impressive fleet from the main Imperial navy several smaller frigates and destroyers belonged to Inquisition forces including white and grey frigates of the Grey Knights Legion, just over three companies of the Daemon hunters had been assembled. One was to go to the Jedi main academy on Ossus to complete the force-sensitive's training into fighting daemons while the other two were to move with the rest of the fleet to the front lines.
Lord Admiral Halcyon watched his impressive array of cruisers and escorts from the massive view-screen of his own quarters. A lavishly decorated room with a royal red carpet, well sculpted furniture and a swath of display cases showing weapons that his family had collected over the decades from power-weapons to lasguns, plasma guns, bolters and grenade launchers, he even had several alien weapons from successful campaigns including Tau plasma rifles, Dark Eldar splinter weapons and even shuriken weapons from their Craftworld cousins.
The great doors at the other end of his chamber opened and the old form of Admiral Julius stalked into the room, a red and black cape billowing behind him like a shroud as he walked.
"Ah Admiral Julius" Halcyon said as he turned to address the man "Welcome to my quarters"
"Thank you Lord Admiral" Julius replied, his face set like stone and his tone completely professional.
"Please have a seat" he said as he started walking towards the drinks cabinet, a converted display case showing a fine selection of liquors and similar alcoholic drinks.
"Drink" he asked as he opened the case and ran his finger along the tops of the bottles, searching for one in particular.
"Yes thank you my lord" Julius replied, relaxing somewhat in his chair, the lord admiral took out two glasses and a bottle of one of his newest acquisitions. He walked over to the table, set the glasses down and poured the light brown liquid. He then sat down on a red leathered armchair across from the admiral, who chose a couch to sit.
"A toast" he said, raising his glass and smiling as Julius did the same "To the victory of this war and giving those traitorous bastards a bloody nose"
"Here, here" the admiral replied before taking a gulp of his drink "This is quite good but I don't think I've ever tasted it before"
"I'd be surprised if you did" Halcyon replied with a chuckle "Its Corellian Brandy, a specialty of this galaxy"
"Oh" Halcyon replied as he swirled the drink in his hand a few times before taking another sip "Tell me Admiral what do you think of this Alliance?"
"I think you have already been briefed by the Inquisition and the High Lords sir" Julius replied "And I also believe that Lord Inquisitor Silvermaine would be more qualified to answer that question"
"True but I choose to try and keep an open mind, besides" he said, placing his glass on the table and levelling his half mechanical gaze upon the admiral "All I have heard from them is xeno-lovers this, abomination AI that and the opinion that they should be wiped out of existence…I wish to hear an opinion of a man who has actually dealt with the Alliance and I tend not to trust the words of Inquisitors, no matter what they're reputation"
"I think I understand my lord"
"Good, now your opinion"
"Well my opinion of the Alliance is this" he said "They would become a powerful ally and a deadly foe, they control nearly as much territory as we do and their fleets are big enough to rival our own…I would say that one of our only major advantages would be our experience in war" he stopped to inspect the Lord Admiral and try to read his reactions but the mans half mechanical face was set in stone, what he was saying could be regarded as heresy, he had no delusion of that.
"I see" the Lord Admiral replied as he stood up from his chair and made to inspect the weapon cases dotted around his main chamber "That is a good analysis admiral and one that I made myself when I met their military leaders. Did you know that one of their Grand Admirals is from a fairly ugly race of amphibians known as Mon Calamari"
"Yes I did" Julius replied, his tone both flat and dark "And if they expect me to take orders from a xeno then they will have another thing coming"
"That is why we have the right to command our own fleets without Alliance intervention; unless it is an incident of life and death" Halcyon said "It was one of the main agreements that set up this coalition between our two powers"
"I have read the documents of the treaty my lord" Julius said dryly "And even if it was life and death I still won't take orders from a xeno"
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Blaster fire and explosions echoed in the streets, hover-cars were shot out of the sky by flak and anti-aircraft fire, civilians ran for their lives in the streets and walkways, being mowed down by the advancing troop columns, buildings were assaulted by grenade, rocket, particle beam and artillery fire. Besides the carnage and destruction taking place this was not a planet within the path of the Chaos invasion, it was located within the territories of the Imperial remnant, on a trading world known as Arden III.
Columns of stormtroopers and Imperial regulars, dressed in black carapace armour with scored out markings of the Empire on their shoulder and chest plates marched forward, gunning down civilians with blasters and grenade launchers. AT-AT walkers and scores of old hover-tanks moved along the city streets.
From the top balcony of a lookout spire a stormtrooper commander, dressed completely in his white armour with black markings engraved watched as the smoke and fire slowly rose from the surrounding city, the screams of terrified people echoed everywhere, mixed in with the sounds of blaster fire and explosions. He continued to watch, his helmet showing no emotion as a figure slid out of the shadows, dressed in the armour of a Chaos sorcerer and holding a twisted staff that glowed red with chaos energy.
"Is this to your satisfaction sorcerer" the commander asked, his voice sounding like steel.
"Very much so commander Gin" the sorcerer replied "You and your forces are to be commended"
"The empire will hear of this" Gin replied "And they will send our fellow stormtrooper legions to quell this rebellion"
"Consider the battle to come your final test commander" the sorcerer replied "Kill of your brethren and you and your legion will be considered a legion of the forces of Chaos"
I have posted a forum in the Warhammer section about another possible crossover that I am thinking of writing, it is located in the WH, WH40K and Crossovers if anyone's interested. Named Stargate/Warhammer: The Star-Gods.