Dawn of War: Destiny War

by Big Boss Pugh

In the 40th millennium, there is nothing but war. Now, on the edge of the halo zone in the Segmentum Pacificus region, a new threat is coming. Follow the story of the imperial guard led by Max Johnson and Lucas Turner as they face orks and chaos worshippers of Slaanesh. Though they stand alone, alliances must be made if they are to survive the horrors.

2. Chapter 2

Dawn of War: Destiny War

(The Imperial Vessel, War Harbinger, is back to flying in the sky. Sergeant Lucas Turner and Noble One Max Johnson are now leading a sizeable force against the orks. Unknown to the imperial guard, the eldar of craft-world Alaitoc are near and hidden. Enjoy the reading.)

Chapter 2: Section 2 – 1

The sky is clear, and the wind blows softly. The air is hot with a relaxing breeze; the trees and flowers sing in harmony. Birds fly in and out of trees to harvest the food from the ground. Everything on the ground is at peace. The water in the river falls over the edge into a massive lake. It is clear and pure as it flows at a fast pace. The river is now disturbed by a sudden impact. There is a rough shake in the area of the lake; it sends ripples in the water that change its motion shortly. A thick red substance mixes in with the water. Now, it is contaminated. The red liquid taints the water as the body of an ork crawls from the lake. With the last of its strength, it rolls over to face the sky. It grunts with rage as the last few breaths are quick. The red liquid shoots out from its mouth as it tries to speak words; the last thing the ork shouts before passing on..."Waaagh".

The ork dies as it recalls the battle floating above in the sky. The ork vessel in the air is a crude thing; every piece of metal and rock has been slapped together by more metal pieces. The vessel has a few weapons in need of repairs. Two more guns explode and burn more orks alive. The tech ork repairs and keeps the machines functioning be it only a brief time. Many orks operate the gun turrets above the vessels; several guns have been destroyed or unfixable. The orks did not care; they enjoy the battle they are receiving from their enemy. They are shown no fear, no regret, no hesitation, and no mercy. The thrill of the battle is all that matters. The attacking foe of the orks is the imperial guard. They are the hammer of the Emperor; they blast the ork ship with every cannon from the War Harbinger. Too long have they suffered from the rage of the orks. It is time the green-skin realize the undying strength of men and women. As the War Harbinger flies towards the ork ship, the men and women continue to keep the defenses strong and their morale high.

The blast from a cannon punches a hole in the ork vessel; the orks have lost the ability to warp away. A second shot annihilates a small group. The cannons are reloading; a group of medium size cannons fire a volley of explosive rounds. Many rounds cripple the vessel more and cause the ork vessel to fly slower. Although the orks are anxious to ram into the side of the enemy vessel, the ship is too weak to withstand the collision. The War Harbinger flies alongside of the ork vessel. Many orks start roaring and raising their axe in the air; they beg for a physical fight with the enemy. The imperial guard didn't mind finishing off the horde; however, the last few battles urge them to give the orks a face to face battle. Two men step forward and look down from atop the vessel. One smiles with confidence and the other keeps a firm look. More men and women join their side to look at the orks. They all look at the enemy and ask for orders. It is time for the orks to see what men and women are capable of.

Sergeant Lucas Turner radios the ship operators, "Ram the ship into the side of their vessel. We will board and kill as many as we can to deliver the package. Once we plant the bomb, we will leave the ship by air diving to the ground or board back onto the War Harbinger."

As the human vessel slowly goes out from the ork vessel, Noble One Max Johnson turns to everyone, "They show us no fear and no retreat! They want to die by our hands! We shall give it to them ten-fold! Ready yourself for battle!"

The human vessel swings back towards the ork ship. The people up top with Max and Lucas hold firmly onto the opposite side of the rail. The rage is intense; they see only victory. A few more shots are fired at the ork vessel to further weaken it one last time. The orks near the openings of the ship run back from the edges. The War Harbinger smashes into the side of the ork ship. Lucas and Max rushes from the rail and make a hard jump onto the ork deck. Once they land, they begin gunning down orks as the green beasts are taken by surprise. The company up top joins them in the foray and land on the top deck too. The orks try to counter this surprise; each one receives a different attack. Max guns and slashes at the orks around him; Lucas rallies the men and women as they take turns crippling the enemy. None are spared a quick death from their lasrifles. Below the top deck of the ork ship, the side walls fall over as the imperial guard soldiers use their powerful allies to bash down walls and clobber any ork coming at them. The orks try to fight against the guardsmen and their strong counter parts; however, the packs of ogryns make short work of them. The great packs slaughter the orks with ease and collect their teeth as prized items. The guardsmen move in behind them and blast any remaining orks left alive. The battle goes their way as many more orks try to flee or rush at them only to die; Lucas and Max breach the midsection of the ship with a pack of ogryns finishing off the surrounding orks. A handful of guardsmen come in behind them and plant the bomb in the center. Lucas clicks on his radio com to voice his message to all guardsmen aboard the ship. The tech priests aboard the War Harbinger broadcast his message to all soldiers alive and listening.

"This is Sergeant Turner. The bomb is set. I repeat, the bomb is set. Fall back to the ship now or dive to the surface. You have exactly ten minutes to get off."

Max and Lucas journey to any nearby opening they can find. As the small raiding parties retreat to the imperial vessel, other men and women sacrifice their own life to take down ten orks with an explosive bomb strapped on them. Many soldiers are returning onto the imperial ship; a group of troops decide to sky dive off the ship and land groundside. As Lucas and Max see the ork parties tear through the ship, both men take a leap and jump off. After five minutes of waiting, the human ship pulls away from the ork ship. Anyone else left aboard can only jump off and dive to the surface. Lucas and Max land safely on the ground near some old ruins. They encounter some orks ground side and easily put them down. Once they travel to a haven of old ruins, they look up to see the ork ship explode with an unworldly end. A green form of warp crushes the ork ship before it disappears. Though uncertain of the victory, the guardsmen cheer from the ship. The survivors on the ground praise the Emperor for victory. It is a victory that all can share and be proud of. As Lucas and Max relax for a moment, a guardswoman radios them for further instructions.

She reports, "Sirs, we have a few wounded and are still initiating repairs to the hull of the ship. Those damn orks did a number on our shuttles. We won't be able to get you or anyone on the surface for a while."

Lucas is uncertain until Max replies, "Do what you can and stay up there. We will rendezvous with the other surviving guardsmen on ground and shoot a flare in the air. See you all back soon."

"Roger sir, we will keep you both posted. Over and out," says the guardswoman.

Lucas congratulates Max, "You did an excellent job on the ork deck. And you are proving more helpful to us than ever before. You sure you were not an imperial guardsman before you came here?"

Max answers, "Who can say if I was or still am?"

Both men laugh greatly until a rushing guardsman falls in front of them. He is covered in mud and panicking. Lucas slaps him into focus and asks the man why he runs.

The man says, "They killed them. The unseen witches of the wild killed them. They came out of nowhere and disappeared as fast as they arrived."

Lucas and Max already guess what kind of trouble they will encounter; the eldar have made their presence well known to them. Max helps the guardsman stand on his feet. They travel back in the direction the soldier came from. Despite his protesting, Max and Lucas agree that they must investigate the area. As they journey, they find a few other guardsmen along the way. With the ork threat nearly gone, the imperial guard would focus on why the Eldar are here on this world. The more they went further back, the area starts showing them strange sights; they reach an area thick with fog. A few more guardsmen join them on the journey. They all report the same wild witches attacking and killing anything nearby. With a sizeable force escorting them, everyone keeps their eyes and mind alert. The group moves further in and discovers the dead guardsmen around them. Some are bleeding from the side and neck; one of them has their face mutilated. Max didn't understand the markings on the bodies; Lucas is frustrated by the loss of men and women.

Max thought, "The eldar normally leave us alone. They didn't do this. Something else attacked these men. Something much worse."

Lucas asks the soldier, "Are you sure it was the eldar? What were they wearing?"

The guardsman replies, "I don't know. They look like witches wearing all black outfits and have red eyes. They killed my team with their vile pets. The rest were hauled away screaming."

Lucas didn't understand. Max understands that the enemy they face may be more dangerous than the eldar. The thick fog lifts slowly and laughter is in the area; the group huddles up together. They make sure their guns are ready. The laughter ends, and growling comes from the bushes. Eyes of crimson red stare at the humans. All around the area are eyes of crimson red; they step out from the shadows and growl louder. The guardsmen nearly open fire. A frighten soldier tries to run off, but the path is blocked by more dark animals. Out from the shadows of the darkness, she steps forward. Her attire is dark and unholy. She smiles at the humans with such desire. The need to make them bleed is irresistible. As one of the fallen eldar kin, her soul must be satisfied by the pain of others. A dark eldar Succubus is accompanied by her loyal pets and stands ready to slice the men down. The guardsmen now face a new evil with a desire to see them all suffer.

The Succubus says, "You seem to be lost, little men. To wander here into unknown territory means a quick death. Fear not, I will give you a chance to die screaming against my beast master's pets."

A frighten guardsman is attacked by the beasts. One bites his leg; another bites on his arm. The others look at the bloody mess as the man dies screaming. The succubus moans with some delight and turns the beasts on the others. Lucas, Max, and the others look around to see the vicious animals close in for the kill. One animal leaps at Max, but suddenly, the creature is stabbed through the neck. The cloak of cover slowly disappears from the blade stuck through the animal. It is a curved sword of bright, light blue. As the blade reveals itself, there is a blue cloth on the arm of a person. Max watches closely as warp energy of light blue uncovers the new attacker. The lone person is revealed to be eldar autarch Kayleth of craft world Alaitoc. Her eyes meet with Max; he gasps with excitement. She remains at peace and stands steady. Instead of fear or hatred, there is only thoughts of wonder. Kayleth swings her sword and throws the dead animal back at the feet of the dark eldar succubus. The succubus smirks with delight as she marvels at how bright the eldar warrior is. Max looks at her with great amazement. Everyone couldn't believe how bright Kayleth is and how dark the succubus is.

She says, "It is good to see that an eldar of my kin is here with the humans as well. This won't go to waste after all. You will be worth capturing than the men here. I have such wonderful ways to show you despair, pain, and ecstasy."

Kayleth scoffs with displeasure, "The only thing you will capture is my blade through your body. Your kind should have perished long ago when the Great Evil was born. You will not live long, kin slayer."

The dark eldar steps away from the area as the beasts move closer to feast. Lucas shouts for the others to fire at the rabid animals before they close in. Kayleth disappears from the eyes of all and slays the beasts that close in on Max. The guardsmen gun down the animals losing two more in the process. With the last dark beast dead, the guardsmen stare at the eldar warrior for a moment. She pulls out her blade from the last of the fallen creatures; Max looks on at her with great curiosity. It is his first time seeing one of the eldar up close; she faces the handful of guardsmen. Lucas questions if she is an asset or temporary ally. Kayleth responds in kind by use of her speed to run at every guardsman and knock them down. For each one she knocks down, Kayleth imprisons the humans in a warp field. Lucas evades her blow, but every person is trapped in a force field. Lucas tries to blast her, but he too is trapped in the same warp field as the others. None can move freely save only Max Johnson. He questions the witch for her deceiving method; she looks at him and wants to smile at how foolish he is. Kayleth only sees her prize ready to be taken from him.

Kayleth answers, "I have come to take what is mine. You will not keep it anymore."

She rushes at Max and grips on the amulet around his neck. Surprisingly, the amulet sends a wave of light out and throws the eldar back from him. It also releases the force field around the others; they are all dumb struck as to what just happen. They look for the witch and see that she is gone. The amulet around Max kept him safe and released everyone from their warp prison; it leaves everyone puzzled and afraid. Lucas aims his gun at Max. The few guardsmen in the area dare not raise a gun for fear of a spell being casted on them. Max looks at Lucas with questions circling their mind.

Lucas says, "Are you a daemon of the warp? Is this why the eldar have come after us? They chase us because of you?"

Max annoying replies, "I am no monster of the warp. I do not know what just happen, but we should be thankful that the amulet released you from the warp power she used on you all. The eldar witch didn't make her intentions clear when she tried to attack me. So, unless you have a better solution, I cannot explain the events that have happen just now."

Lucas is willing to pull the trigger and end the life of Max. Instead, a lone guardsman interrupts, "Noble One here saved our life. He saved my life too; we owe him that much and his amulet. I believe that he didn't know anything about it."

Lucas questions the reasoning of the guardsman. He adds, "If he truly was a daemon or creature of the warp, why has he not killed us yet? Why fire a lasrifle instead of using the powers of the warp? I have heard of human psykers being able to shoot lighting from their hands; however, he does not. Noble One here is not our enemy. Surely, Sergeant Turner you can see this, right?"

Lucas lowers his gun. The events of this issue leave him suspicious; the other soldiers are more confused about everything that has happen.

Lucas thought, "If he is a daemon of the warp, why does he not reveal his true form? Is he waiting for us to slip up so he can kill us? Are we part of a bigger plan for him?"

Max proudly says, "We have seen the eldar and darker eldar here. The only thing that is certain right now is they are here fighting among each other and around us. We still have the orks to kill. Whatever happens from here on out, I will stand with you even if it means dying against your enemy."

The surviving guardsmen thank Max, but Lucas still feels unwilling to accept the help of a person who can use the powers of the warp. As the group walks away, Kayleth drops her cloak and falls to her knees exhausted. The energy force took a toll on her body; she grasps her head in pain from the damage. The force of the amulet shakes her thoughts and reveal to her something she didn't expect.

Chapter 2: Section 2 – 2

The surrounding area is dark; there are sparks of lighting dancing about. It is silent for a moment; nothing is certain. The eyes open to see a face, but the face is blank and impossible to tell who it is. There is no gap of space and nothing leaves no more room for comfort. Her look is shock yet unusual. It has not happened since the rise and fall of the eldar. Is this a dream? Is it an emotion implanted by the Great Evil of the eldar? Why does everything seem calm? How can this be? This must not be what will come to pass. The lighting becomes too bright; the rest of the vision is unknown to see. Kayleth quiets her rage and calms her emotions. She shackles her mind to block out what is to be future events of the vision. The future is not set. And she is not ready to accept what will supposedly happen to her. She tries to calm her infuriated mood; she orders her army to be ready for the next coming battle. With no more danger for the moment, the eldar will follow the humans to the next place. Kayleth takes to her own chamber and focuses on her warp signature. The vision didn't make any sense nor deliver a clear message as to why something so horrid would happen to her. The moment of silence is disturbed by her close Warlock Veldoran. He sees her troubled more than usual. The warp powers coming from her body send small tremors in the air.

He says, "You look as if one of our ancestors has spoken to you through time. What troubles you, Autarch Kayleth?"

She answers, "The prophecy of the future told by Farseer Elenwe has left me with more challenges. Every time I fight against it, the more the future is slowly becoming clear and occurring. Ever since we failed to save our hidden craft world on Typhon Primaris, we have yet to see where our destiny will take us. Now, we are here to do what? Save a group of mon-keigh yet risk losing one of our own? Or damn ourselves for sacrificing the foolish humans to destroy our enemy? The more we journey down this path, the more I seek to alter from this course. Tell me, Veldoran. Are we doing what is right for our people?"

Veldoran replies, "Her words of future predictions do beg for more questions, but she is lost to us. All we can do is trust in the prophecy that she has told us. We may have failed before, but we will not fail now. Everything has been going according to the future prophecy. The mon-keigh may hold the key to our salvation this time. The damnation of our kind is always an uncertain thing, yet it can be altered if we allow ourselves to believe in it; I may not have a complete understanding of the words Elenwe told us before, but I do believe in what we fight for. And where you go, I will follow."

Kayleth thanks Veldoran for his kindness and words of encouragement. After a while of mediation, they return to the main deck of the ship and view the humans from afar; the human vessel floats perfectly in the sky. Within the ship, men and women go about repairing the openings and pipes as best they can. The ship consists of five levels. Level one is the main deck for command calls, issuing alerts to all the deck levels, and battle observation. Level two has the crew quarters, breakrooms, reservation areas, and half of the medical rooms for assisting the wounded. Level three houses the other half of the hospital wing for serious injuries, engineering, and reactor zones. Level four is the shuttle deck where most weapons, tanks, vehicles, walkers, ammo, and explosives are. Lastly, the five level is an empty opening. At the bottom half of the ship, nothing has yet to fill the gap. Though each deck has a section for troop deployment, each level is covered by either medical, engineering, or armor.

At the top, the guardsmen pay their last respects to the dead ship master. They burn his body to ash and prepare to scatter his remains across the sky. At the observation table, several officers stand ready to assume the role of second-in-command for either Sergeant Major Lucas Turner or Noble One Max Johnson. Both sides that support each person are anxious to see a more capable leader in charge. Since the use of protocol six, every soldier begins to question the leadership of Vance the Bright. A few moments are heated with willingness to die for the chosen leader; however, more is being said about the current situation as both men keep each side calm.

One man says, "Commander Vance the Bright has left us to die since he issued protocol six. Our last few leaders and commanding officers have died to see us all make it this far in our battles against the orks. Though the new Sergeant Major Lucas Turner earned our respect, I cannot give my loyalty to him if he shall follow foolishly the same path his previous commanders before him have done so. Each one has died in a fight that our own commander of this regiment has refused to assist us in or come to our aid. I rather support a normal man like Noble One Max Johnson to lead us against the coming enemy. He has shown us that no plan the enemy forges against us will work its evil onto us. Better to follow the man who fights beside us than follow the one who waits for us to die."

Though the man gained cheers and agreements, a woman interrupts, "Have none of you any honor left? You would support and follow a nobody that doesn't command with the sense of an imperial leader? You dare look into the face of the Emperor of Mankind and call yourself a loyalist? Commander Vance used the protocol for good reason least we attract more dangers to ourselves and endanger our settlements. We need not divide and turn against those that have led us here. Sergeant Major Lucas Turner has stood with us when the Tau forces invaded our world; he has followed Commander Vance through dark times and led us to victory more times over than before. Many veteran soldiers look up to leaders like them to make the hard choices. I stand with the Sergeant Major and will continue to give my all to the Imperium of Man. And when the war slows and peace is permitted, all traitors will die on the firing line in the name of the Emperor."

The bickering continues for a short while with each side boasting over who is better at leading. Both would-be leaders finally set the differences aside.

Sergeant Major Turner says, "We know that each of you here does not agree with the situation at hand; however, we must go on despite the worse of it. Neither one of us shall hold power over this entire regiment until we hear from Commander Vance. Once we hear his orders, all will be settled afterwards. For now, you may look to both of us as the leaders of this current war campaign."

Noble One Max adds, "I agree with Sergeant Major Turner. We have faced more than just trouble from the orks. Now, we have the eldar and darker eldar in the area too. We cannot turn on each other and expect to survive the skirmish against the others. Those that follow Sergeant Major Turner will be under his command. The rest of you follow my orders and be ready. For now, let's focus on repairing and assisting the wounded."

Both Max and Lucas shake hands in agreement with the current terms and situation. The others are dismissed; they both look to the current leader of the tech-priests in charge of the repair work for the machine spirits. She is half human and half machine; her left arm has a drill gun mounted on her wrist. A mechanical arm crane hangs over left shoulder with a variety of drill heads. A section of her head is replaced with metal and glass. There are many areas of her body that show her replacements and surgery done. She proved her best when repairing the recovered hellhounds and armor transports from the battle. Though still a young enginseer of the Adeptus Mechanicus, her ability to ease and repair faster than the average tech-priest earned her the title: Blessed Techno Child. She greets both Max and Lucas as she goes over the recent repairs to the ship and the armor cars. Her name is Lina.

She says, "I have sent five enginseers to assist the engineers with the reactors on deck three to keep everything stable at key areas. Most of the repairs have been made to the vital sections of the ship. We still do not have long range communications, but I have restored the primary systems for your use. I will continue to work on the com channels until we hear from others."

Lucas and Max thank her for the fine work. She pulls up the planet sphere by holograph to let them view the areas of trouble. Several different lights flash on the planet to indicate where trouble is at. They use the communications to bring up any chatter they can pick up on. Lucas whispers a prayer to the Emperor that more are alive; Max scans the holographic planet. Lina keeps checking on the radio frequency to boost the signal of the War Harbinger. The static keeps going until a voice is heard.

The first broadcast: "Can anyone hear me on this frequency. We found something in the ground. The orks are trying to take it. Please send help."

The second reports: "We've been guarding this supply dump since the ship fell from orbit. We stocked pile the ammo, but what is the point? We are ready to be off this planet."

More small reports from guardsmen keep coming through the radio channel. With so many guardsmen on the ground and lost, Max and Lucas agree that each person is more valuable than ever. They let the navigators for the ship know which areas on the planet require investigation. Everywhere the ship flies, they rescue guardsmen under fire from a small ork groups. They recover and repair pieces of the ship with what they can find from the ork vessel and scraps. The progress is slow and long. For every area of interest they travel by, they find and recover more to their cause. Within days, the ship is fully repaired on the outside and morale is high. The troop count is over thirty thousand men and women in attendance. As they continue to travel, the eldar of Alaitoc silently follow and lessen their range. Kayleth wants nothing more to do with the foolish humans. Her chances for recovering her item are slipping away. Before she can make a command, Veldoran calls to her. He listens to an unusual sound being made on the ground.

He says, "I can sense them; they are nearby on the ground. Traveling in the dark and battling the orks. Our corrupt kin are in the eastern territory. Something is causing them to be there."

Kayleth eagerly replies, "This is the chance to stop our corrupt kin and bring ourselves more peace. The humans are no longer our concern for the moment. We take our journey here in the east. Warriors of Alaitoc, prepare for battle. Our fallen brothers and sisters will not escape this time."

Before Veldoran can speak, Kayleth directs the ship to the surface. Once close enough, she rushes to the door and leaps out. Her close company joins her to slay any member of the dark city Commorragh. The eagerness of Kayleth and her company shows. Upon securing a small area, the eldar bone singers appear and prepare a forward base of operations.

Veldoran cautions her, "Be careful in your journey. I fear that our kin are using the orks as cover. There is something else that I can't see yet."

Kayleth agrees to proceed with caution yet her desire to eliminate a hostile threat urges her forward. A small forward base is set up in moments. She takes the lead and is closely followed by her warrior company. They arrive at an open field and find three orks swinging at each other. She holds back her allies and waits for the real trap to be revealed. One ork is cut at the throat. The second dies from a shot to the head. The last ork feels a powerful blast of warp power from within its body before exploding. She steps forward covered in the blood of her enemy. Even though she killed the orks with simple tricks, the dark eldar succubus is delighted to see Kayleth stand before her.

She says, "Are you here to fight me? You will have no chance to win against me now let alone hide. No one can hide from we who are more hidden than your floating ship. How long do you have before I make you my slave?"

Kayleth readies her sword and shouts, "How long before you stand and fight?"

The succubus laughs and answers, "We will fight. You will lose. For now, you may fight my new allies."

The dark eldar disappears and orks come rushing forward. A small mob swings their axes madly. Kayleth and her howling banshees charge at the orks. They easily spill the ork blood with no trouble. Kayleth scoffs at the distraction and continues to pursue her enemy. They slay more orks along the way and discover some intriguing symbols in their path. Kayleth reports the symbols back to Veldoran with each one they find. Each symbol nearly causes the eldar to scream in a fit of hate. Veldoran examines the symbols they describe as he uses warp energy to draw it before his eyes.

He says, "It is no wonder why the human vessel would pass away from this and ignore it. Our foe is using warp powers to conceal this area. They are casting a spell, but then one of them must be in possession of an eldar farseer or a human psyker. Be quick, Kayleth."

As the company speeds up their journey to capture the succubus, they find more interesting discoveries. A pile of dead orks are laying around the land at every turn. Surprisingly, the dead rise up. Each dead ork opens their eyes. The eye color is black as deep space. The dead have come back to life. Kayleth and her company easily slay the orks and counter with a fatal strike. Not once did the undead orks fall until the head is completely take off or the body couldn't withstand the damage. After hearing the reports from Kayleth, Veldoran alerts the other kin to be wary of the undead that now rise up to strike them down. He sends more eldar and warlocks to the battle so they can use warp fire to burn the bodies to ash. Once the area is safe, they find the source of the power shockingly impossible. At the top of a small mountain of dead orks, an ork weird boy is chatting an unknown spell. Kayleth retains her suspicions that the dark eldar succubus was using the spell.

The weird boy says, "I command da dead ere. You eldar ar nothin' but...but…"

Kayleth and her company see the ork rise to the sky and green energy twists his body violently. The ork weird boy dies; the dark eldar succubus appears in its place on the dead ork hill.

She pouts and shakes her head in disappointment, "Shame, it almost worked. Maybe the next one will be a human that I can sacrifice than an ork."

Kayleth tries to press the succubus for questions, but she laughs as the dead orks all around slowly rise. The lingering warp power revives the dead orks and forces the eldar to flee. Once they return to their base, Kayleth asks for Veldoran to assist in dispelling the warp power infecting the area. The other warlocks start the counter spell to stop the rise of the undead orks.

Veldoran says, "The spell is easy to lift, but in doing so, the imperial ship will find this area and possibly us."

Kayleth sharply replies, "The humans will not be alerted. It is better we stop this power first than let the humans come to assist us. The dark eldar succubus is working a plan far greater than we expect. Quickly Veldoran! Eliminate the spell and let us flee once it is done. We will not allow ourselves to fall to the undead enemy."

As the eldar hold the line against the undead orks, Veldoran appears ground side and begins to lift the spell. The spell that reanimates the dead orks is stronger than before. A handful of warlocks join him and try to empower him. As Kayleth and her forces slaughter what seems to be an endless wave of zombie orks, Veldoran calls to her. The only choice left is to gamble with the chance of death.

Veldoran says, "We must use our ship to guide the human vessel here. They will be able to finish the rest. Though the spell can be lifted, the dead orks are too many for us to handle and countering this spell is taking more time."

Frustrated with the method, Kayleth asks, "Why must we bring them to us? If we do so, we run the risk of being destroyed. They are not to be our saviors or our support for battle at all."

Veldoran answers, "Even with all I know, somehow this warp power is stronger. We must allow the humans to assist us with this. If we do nothing, then we are surely to die here."

Kayleth reluctantly agrees and alerts the eldar ship operators to signal the human vessel to their location. It didn't take long for the communications to be picked up by the humans. They change their course and head towards the location. As the eldar slowly lose some of their warriors, Veldoran uses his vast warp power to seal off the area from the undead orks. The technique pays off and soon, the humans arrive in the area. The whole ship goes on alert. Everyone is either grabbing a gun, calling up status, or reporting for duty. Max and Lucas are walking side by side to a shuttle ship; they are ready to make the trip onto the surface. Many didn't understand much of the situation at hand. All they remember being told is to expect orks. Lucas thought it was an imperial signal, but something is off. The signal sent out more than just an alert for them.

Several shuttle ships land safely on the ground and a forward camp is established. The dead orks begin to try and slaughter the humans. Rather than using lasguns and bolters to blast the orks, the army uses melta guns to burn away the enemy. Lucas coordinates with ground forces on the defense. Max leads the companies on both sides to burn and blast anything that is an ork. The eldar are relieved that the humans are taking on the full might of the undead. As the undead orks now travel to the humans, the eldar use the opportunity to escape.

Chapter 2: Section 2 – 3

The blast of a melta gun burns a hole in the undead ork. The heavy fire of the bolter machine gun tears away the dead flesh of the mob approaching the guardsmen. Though the enemy is now focused on battling the guardsmen, the eldar use this chance to slip away from the carnage. Max Johnson and Lucas Turner are leading the charge against the enemy and showing no want to retreat from battle. With the orks now dead and gone, they use this time to examine the area and take notice of how the orks now look.

Lucas pokes at the head of a dead ork and says, "Now don't they look odd? Orks are always ugly and vicious to look at, but this is different. Their skin looks more than a few months old."

Max adds, "Yeah, there is no telling what caused them to rot so fast. We better burn them all before we go."

Every melta gun, flame grenade, and hellhound is used to scorch the whole area in a sea of fire. Not one single ork body is left to feast and rot. With the guardsmen finishing up, the next journey for the imperial ship is north. The conflict with the orks on the planet will come to an end one way or another. Once Lucas and Max are aboard the ship, they go to level one and turn to the map of the planet by holograph. The areas that were once under siege by orks now flash bright green and the remaining guardsmen on the ground are marching to the last possible point of interest. The guardsmen and rebel guardsmen feel invigorated to finish up this war and head back to the main objective. The journey to the north brings the guardsmen to the last ork strong hold. The final war chiefs stand ready and eager to rampage in this final fight. Max and Lucas take to the field and begin guiding the soldiers to setup a base of operation. Nearly half way through the setup, a noise just outside the encampment of the base is heard. A guard tower calls to both Max and Lucas. They rush to the entrance and get an interesting surprise. Eldar Autarch Kayleth of the craft world steps forward alone. With so many guns pointed at her, she points at both of the commanding men of the guardsmen. Lucas orders the men to fire, only to be interrupted by Max.

Lucas turns to him, "Why are you stopping us from firing? You seek to let this eldar bring ruin upon us?"

Max strangely answers, "Do not fire a single shot. Her war host has us surrounded, and we don't need to die foolishly. I will speak with the eldar warrior and see what she wants. Under no condition are you to fire."

Max orders his men to keep their guns ready; Lucas stares at him with confusion. He didn't understand why Max wants an audience with the eldar. He issues the same cease fire order to everyone one more time. As he walks over towards Kayleth, Max drops his harness from his waist that holds his laspistol. He places the lasrifle on the ground and turns in a complete circle before Kayleth's eyes. Lastly, he stabs his sword into the ground. She observes him and stays her hand by placing her blade in the ground and walking forward. Once in range, she maintains her attitude towards the human who holds the amulet hanging from his neck. The moment is strange for Max as he gazes into the eyes of the eldar warrior. Though she is slightly taller than him, he shakes off his other thoughts and focuses on why she is here.

Max asks, "What do you want, eldar warrior? Do not think that I didn't notice your army has come and taken up positions around the area. And you have a few snipers pointing their rifles at me correct?"

Kayleth widens her eyes a little at what he knows is going on. She smirks a little and waves her hand in the sky. In mere seconds, eldar rangers appear around the top of the guard towers. Howling Banshee fighters uncloak by guardsmen with a blade pressing by the neck or back. The guardsmen panic a little, but Lucas keeps them focus. Many fingers on the trigger slowly squeeze and blades are ready to be swung. Kayleth calls to her eldar warriors to stand-down and retreat from the humans. As they do so, she continues to speak with Max.

She says, "You are here to stop the remaining orks. Your weapons may kill them, but there is a far greater danger here to you that threatens us as well. The other eldar that you encountered early is of my fallen kin known as the Dark Eldar of Commorragh; I am Kayleth of craft world Alaitoc. My war band is here to stop the same enemy. You would do well to accept our help. You can't defeat them without our aid. We both seek to destroy the orks and stop the dark eldar."

Max annoyingly adds, "First, you try to attack us and now you seek cooperation? Whatever evil we face, it does not require the help of the eldar. We will manage as we have always done in battle."

Kayleth steps forward and replies, "Clearly, you didn't hear me. I told you that you will need our assistance. The orks and a dark eldar succubus are in league together. The spells that she is showing the orks allowed one weird boy to raise the dead back to life. If she is in this area, then it is in our best interest to stop her together. Your weapons can't stand up to what she has in stored for you."

Lucas walks up with his gun aimed and says, "I take it you are here for him? Max is your target correct? If you want him, then take him now."

She sharply answers, "If this human was our target, you and your entire company would have been dead by now without a trace of our presence being detected. As I told him, we are after the same enemy. We will gladly accept your help provided you let us assists you against the foe. You have no choice but to accept our terms."

Lucas and Max order for the guardsmen to be ready to battle the eldar. Before Kayleth can give an order, Veldoran stops the commotion by stepping in between the three from his warp portal. Max and Lucas nearly open fire upon the eldar duo.

He says, "What my eager kin is trying to tell you is this: There is one more ork psyker in the area that knows the same spell. We can help you stop them and eliminate the orks. If you do not wish our help, then we will take our leave. If we must fight you, so be it. I ask that you work with us against the enemy and stop a dangerous foe at the same time; they have many dead orks in the area. We seek only to halt the danger we face too. What do you wish to do?"

Max looks to Lucas. As Veldoran and Kayleth wait, they both eye the amulet around Max. Kayleth shows her need for an answer is growing short. They both agree to work with the eldar; however, they make sure that their conditions are heard.

Max says, "If the ork psyker is casting a spell to bring back any fallen orks, then you may use what you can to counter it. In return, we will use our melta guns and bombs to burn the ork bodies to ash. Once we have stopped them, then our alliance is over."

Lucas adds, "If at any time you turn on us, then I will hunt you down and see to your demise personally eldar witch."

Before Kayleth can respond viciously, Veldoran answers, "We will honor your request and have our snipers assist your guardsmen along the way. We take our leave now and go to prepare for war."

Once the eldar are away from the guardsmen base, Kayleth asks, "Why did you have us agree to their conditions? I should have given the order to kill the mon-keigh the moment we had them. This constant wait to keep them alive is pointless."

Veldoran peacefully answers, "Killing them would have served no purpose. As all eldar have done, we use others to fight for us. Once they have used up all their resources, we strike and take what is ours. For now, we will help the humans and continue with our plan. We still have time."

Kayleth agrees with the plan to help the humans for now; however, she did not like the idea of providing any aid to the guardsmen. As the eldar prep for battle, the Faded Light stations itself close by overhead. As more eldar rangers, banshees, dire avengers, and guardians join the field, the bone singers begin to construct the war camp. The eldar stand ready as they advance forward. Veldoran and a handful of warlocks remain behind to begin to counter the spell. Back at the guardsmen camp, Lucas is beyond infuriated with Max not allowing him to eliminate a potential threat to their army.

He shouts, "We had her! We had her in sight and you allow her to go! How many more of my men must die before she dies?"

Max replies, "You saw the other eldar in our camp. All they had to do was slit your throat and gun down the others. You and your men including the ones I command had no chance against such a tactic. They agreed to help us for now, so we will use them to eliminate the ork problem. This will also provide us clues to what is really going on."

Both sides are itching for a fight; each army is willing to use the other to complete the task. As much as they want the other to suffer, they have more pressing matters. The guardsmen finish preparing for battle. The first companies march out with its leaders at the front. Noble One Max Johnson led his rebel faction of guardsmen. Sergeant Major Lucas Turner proudly leads the imperial loyalists forward. As the guardsmen come face to face with the undead orks, the eldar silently wait in the shadows for the enemy to advance. The rangers take aim and slowly squeeze the trigger. The battle begins as the guardsmen burn, throw, and torch the undead orks. As the joint alliance of the eldar and imperial guard advance, the chances of winning are high if only for a moment.

Chapter 2: Section 2 – 4

The words are unknown; they come as unclear. Yet, they make sense in a way for him to understand how to speak them. With every word that is spoken, the orks that lay dead on the land rise. Though they less "orky" than ever, they still seek one thing. They long for battle. The desire to kill, stab, slash, maim and break is more intense than before. The numbers are many; the undead orks march in a wave of green. High in the back standing on his metal stage, the last weird boy is hearing the dark words of power whispering in his ear. The ork feels slightly overpowered by it; he can barely contain it.

It says, "Dis power ere iz too much fo me ead! I'z gonna…gonna…WAAAGH!"

The last word is uttered and the weird boy ork explodes. With its death, the lingering spell hangs in the area. It contaminants the land. Out from the shadows, the dark eldar succubus looks on with eagerness and smiles. The foolish orks follow her every command though she didn't speak the spell. An explosive noise occurs in the southern region of the land. The undead orks rush to the south ready to battle. As she looks on, she hopes that this ruse will last long enough. Her other kin and foolish mon-keigh are slowly falling into her sinister trap. She disappears from the sight. Once she is far away, she cracks open a small container of inhales the screams of the dead. The pain of the death cries revives her body. It may have take her quite some time to fill, but the effect is long lasting. She waits patiently and sends her minions out to fetch her filled containers of blood and screams. Be it human, ork, or her eldar kin, the reward is still enough for her to indulge herself in.

Her minions bring her back vials of screams and blood by the many. One of them didn't get the amount she needed. The container is half full.

She says, "Why is this one less than the others?"

The slave answers, "Mistress Rela, I had no choice. The enemy was too close. If I had stayed longer, they would have killed me or seen me. Please forgive me."

Rela smiles and grips his throat, "Don't you worry now. I have all that I need to fill it."

Rela stabs the man in his arm. His blood pours out as she catches it inside her vial. As the slave screams out, her second vial fills up. The other slaves back away and keep their head down. Once the blood vial is full, she lets the slave back away. She drinks in the blood and inhales the vial full of screams. She is fully revitalized; her beauty is smooth and soft. Her eyes shine bright and are full. Her appetite is still in need for another few more days. She takes her slaves and leaves from the scene by foot. Her private raider sits idly by. On the raider, her group of dark eldar raiders eagerly wait for her. Though they are still full from their own hunt, they too seek more screams of death and blood to drink. Once she is aboard at the helm, Rela directs her operator to send them to their raiding ship. The slaves aboard the raider are slowly cut to give out a scream. Each scream keeps the dark eldar strong and sedated for the journey. Rela feels delightful as her plans slowly come together. The greatest design for her would soon be achieved thanks to her informer. After driving about five miles away from the battle, the raider comes to a halt. Above their heads, a purple light shines on them and pulls the raider up. Moments later, the dark eldar are aboard a ship of unknown size. As the raider finds a spot to park, the ship slowly disappears from reality and back into the dark shadows. Rela leaves her Incubi warriors to handle the suffering of the human slaves. She walks pass many more incubi warriors that keep their senses sharp as their blades. A handful of kabalite warriors fire their shuriken weapons at human slaves to hear their screams. So long as their ship stays hidden, the dark eldar under Rela can indulge themselves in the pain, suffering, and agony they inflict on the slaves. Rela arrives at her private quarters. Without a moment of wait, she contacts her informer.

She says, "The humans have taken the bait. They will return to you sooner than expected and have joined with my other kin. If so, you must do what you can to remain hidden and away from them. For now, I will continue to do what I must to save my own soul from being devoured."

The informer replies, "I understand your need to stay alive. For now, you are pursing the orks to the next planet. Warboss Bone Snappa is there fighting anything he can find alive. He has a small company of humans as slaves too. Go there and allow your army to fill their desire for battle and agony. I will keep you updated."

Rela smiles with an evil grin and says, "I have already arrived at the planet. I wasn't expecting it to be too cold. This will make it more appeasing to torture any victims we find. Is there anything else I need to know of this ice world?"

The informer quickly says, "I do not know what else is on the planet. You will have to find out. This communication is over."

With her screen going dead, the dark eldar succubus readies her army to find a nearby screaming battle field; it didn't take too long for the dark elder ship to arrive at the next planet. The slaves operate the device and pick up a group of screaming humans being tortured. The raiding parties quickly jump to the raiders and make ready to fall on the enemy. The dark ship drops out of the shadows and three raiders make planet fall on the surface. They hover over to a silent spot and wait. Rela uses her enhanced eye sight to pierce through the landscape. She sees that the orks of Bone Snappa have captured a large number of humans. A man gets smacked in the face; the dark eldar smile with delight as the pain calls to them. A man loss his hand and screams loudly. The screams of pain and suffering send wondrous sensations down the back of the dark eldar. Rela wets her lips as she savors the ecstasy for the capture of the day. With the wave of her hand, the raiders fly up and land softly behind the orks. As the orks try to turn, they each are shot at or run through by a blade. Many other orks are captured and strapped onto the raider vehicles to keep fueling the delightful screams the dark eldar feel. With the orks now dead or caught, they turn their eyes to the weak, wounded, and suffering. A man approaches Rela to offer up his thanks.

Rela gently rubs his face with beautiful, crimson eyes until she shoots at his leg. The man falls down groaning in pain and struggles to get away. A beast of Rela bites the man in the leg and drags him back. The screams of his pain and agony give Rela so much pleasure; a second beast bites another human in the leg and drags her out. The more the screams begin, the more the suffering pleases the dark eldar. From bite marks to stab wounds, the suffering of the human captives fills the vials of the dark ones with a promise of what is to come later. The incubi warriors push the captives onto the empty raider. A second wave of raiders come from above to gather the remaining bunch left suffering. Every single human and ork left alive must be brought in. Be it for battling or for the pleasure of suffering, no one is spared the fate that the dark eldar hold for each victim. Rela and her army make three more raids on the orks and humans. Each one is a success; every helpless individual allows them to keep the pain going before experiencing death. After taking a lot of slaves, torture victims, and battle combatants alive, the dark eldar use this quiet time to drink in the souls of the dead. The meat is their pain. All cries and screams of agony become the sweetest of the sweet. Every combatant left alive is the entertainment. At the center of this ship sipping on the souls of the dead, Rela marvels at the excitement below as human slaves battle each other for the chance to live.

The last shot to the head of an undead ork echoes softly. A final swing of a blade lops off the head of another undead ork. The undead now burn away from melta guns and flame grenades. The battle is over; the guardsmen celebrate for their win over the impossible. The eldar slip away as they return to the Faded Light. Kayleth waits for Max to finish up his report with the human soldier. She sees her prize. The amulet is around his neck; she will not make the same mistake again. As she moves towards Max, a sudden Veldoran appears before him. Max and the ever lurking Lucas are ready to strike him down. Kayleth readies her blade should they do so. Instead, Veldoran extends his hand and offers thanks to Max. Kayleth tightens her grip on her weapon. She emerges from the shadows and calls to Veldoran.

He looks to the men, "I know our species has never agreed on many occasions, but you both have my thanks for helping us. The guardsmen have two outstanding commanding men. Lucas, do please keep them in line. And Max, remember that not always do we have to be enemies. I look forward to seeing you again when destiny calls to us."

Lucas and Max nod their head in agreement and take their leave.

Kayleth approaches her companion and says, "You were a little too friendly with our human pawns. Must you fill their head with such bravado of their meager command? Lucas is nothing more than a mad 'dog' that can barely keep his men together. He will one day find himself betrayed by them should he fail. Max is just another target for me to slay. He understand not what he carries yet you prefer to parley with the mon-keigh in hopes of gaining praise from them."

Veldoran laughs greatly and says, "You mistake my kindness, Kayleth. Though the humans do deserve some praise, I have not forgotten how to deceive the lower mammals so easily. They merely serve their purpose for now. They have stopped all the orks here on this planet for now and will journey to the next one. That will be our time to strike. For now, we must allow the humans to keep believing in our agreement. This place is perfect for them to hold a defendable position here. Let us go and return to our ship. We must be ready for when they travel to the next planet."

As the eldar depart, Lucas and Max are held in high honor among the guardsmen. The orks are all dead. The planet is ripe for setting up a base despite the new threat. Before any more praises are given, an alert comes from the War Harbinger.

Lina reports: "Sergeant Major Turner! Noble One Johnson! We have an in coming vox from Vance the Bright of the ship Champion of Men. He requests for an immediate update and report from you both. His ship is coming down from orbit within the hour."

Chapter 2: Section 2 – 5

Service. Duty. Honor. Pride. These are the things that a guardsman and guardswoman must carry into battle every day when laying down his or her life for the Imperium of Man. There can be no retreat in the face of the enemy; there is no moments of doubt when facing an opponent. No greater glory is earned than by achieving the glory of the Emperor of Mankind. This is the path Commander Vance the Bright expects from his regiment of imperial guard. When in doubt, remember your service to the emperor. When loyalty is questioned, duty must be reminded. When the faithful die, honor their bravery. When the last man is left standing among the dead, be proud that you live to carry on with pride. A testament that every man and woman knows best. As the guardsmen clear a way for Commander Vance, Sergeant Major Lucas Turner and Noble One Max Johnson step forward. Lucas salutes with high respect for Vance; however, Max is standing proud in the face of a person that gives him a pause.

Lucas shouts, "Show some respect, you damn dog! You are in the presence of Commander Vance the Bright! You owe him a lot right now!"

Vance stops Lucas and looks at Max. Max says, "Heh, so you are the great commander of this regiment? I have never heard of you. What makes you so special?"

Many guardsmen are quick to back up. A few are ready to raise a gun. Many others look to see what will be spoken next.

Vance answers, "I see that you are not familiar with our standard code of honor, duty, and respect. It is ok; you are new to this. For your lack of knowledge for my regiment, I will forgive your words and any other words you speak of me."

The crowd calms their excitement. Many were expecting him to fire a bullet into his head.

Vance continues, "Nothing 'made' me special to earn your respect. I had to earn it from my various battles against the ork hordes led by Bone Snappa. His forces left many imperial settlements under fire. With no able body leaders willing to purse him, I offered up my life and service to eliminate the ork. The rest of my story is the same as any of these imperial guard soldiers here. I fought in various battles; I took command when things went bad and eliminate traitors when they ran. I stop those who would give my regiment doubts. So, you are the exception here. I will not kill you. Others under my command will not kill you. You will be given a chance to lead men into battle. The charge I give you is to earn my respect and die in holy fire against the enemies of man. If you do this for me, I shall remember who you are and make you a voice among the imperial guard. It is an honor to meet with you, sir. I only hope you will prove your worth to the imperium."

Vance extends his hand, but Lucas quickly adds, "What about the rebel guardsmen aboard this ship? They have turned against you and those of the imperium, Commander Vance."

An uproar from half of the guardsmen shakes the trust. Many pick up guns and aim them at the others, but Max silences the rebel guardsmen.

He says, "Yes, some have believed you left them all to die. If it pleases you, let them remain under my command. If I am to earn your respect with a river of fire and blood, they will do so as well to earn back your trust. Do we have an accord?"

Lucas tries to speak out against such heresy, but Vance interrupts, "Such a bold request from you is worth it. You may keep any of those who spoke out against me. They will earn my respect and trust the same way you are going to do. For now, I will set up base here on this planet and provide you with the coordinates for where Bone Snappa has taken his horde. Now, I believe the time for us to shake the heavens is now. I claim this world in the name of the Immortal Emperor of Mankind. Welcome to planet Saneesh. If that is all, you can leave your reports with me and resupply yourself. Everyone dismissed."

With Commander Vance leaving off the War Harbinger, Max and Lucas stand face to face with each other. The anger and rage slowly boils.

Max says, "You got a lot of nerve to try and stab me in the back; I helped you keep order around here when others started dying off. Now, you wish to quickly pass us off as the enemy and want us dead. Why the change of heart, Lucas? You feel the need to impress your commanding officer is more important than staying alive?"

Lucas retorts, "What does a traitor and rebel guardsmen look like?"

Many side with Lucas and Max is backed by others. Before they can scuffle, Commander Vance transmits his final message to everyone on board.

"To any and all guardsmen under the command of Sergeant Major Lucas Johnson, you are not to turn against those that once served with you. You will all need to work together to survive the next fights. The rebel guardsmen with Noble One Max Johnson are to work together with your former comrades to ensure harmony and peace. The only death I wish to see is the ork war boss and his horde. The reward is still the same. Whoever brings me the head will be given a planet or ship to have as his or her own. Long live the Imperium of Man!"

Once the message had been delivered, Lina steps forward and says, "We have the new coordinates of the war boss and his horde. The next planet is no more than five months away. The use of the warp drive will not be needed; it still requires repairs from the last few battles. I shall attend to the repairs of the War Harbinger. You both may handle the troops as you see fit."

The guardsmen on both sides use this time to refit, recount, reload, and stock up on better war gear and supplies. The trust of both sides are on uneven ground; Max and Lucas holds them together by any means. The future of the guardsmen depends on their success; the supply count is higher than it has been. They carry more than enough food to last them for two years. New battle tanks rest in the hanger and Hellhounds are refit with better plates for protection. Every department now has a capable individual in charge. Max and Lucas didn't need to do so much coordination any more. Though the tension is high, neither had to worry about keeping the peace. Other lowly people step up and shatter any chance for a battle or fight to occur. A few are shot in the leg to halt the fights; many more are threaten with execution if even one steps out of line. Lucas and Max retire to the command level up top. Lina joins them to report her new gear and supplies to further repair the ship. The three didn't have much in common, but they all agree that everything must be ready within five months. The ship is loaded and repaired on the outside. The number of guardsmen for Max and Lucas is now sixty thousand strong. Both men are in control of one half of the company. They encourage more to remember why they are fighting together.

Lucas steps to the command key and broadcasts his message to the loyalist: "Commander Vance the Bright has taken over the planet Saneesh. It will be our foot hold to return to in glory once we have stopped the war boss. We may share this ship with our rebel guardsmen; however, we are under orders to work with them against the ork Bone Snappa. Let's show our former comrades why the imperial guard always will prevail."

The shouts on all the levels echo greatly until Max broadcasts his own message: "Attention, all guardsmen under my command. Yes, we are the traitors that the imperial guard sees us as. They dislike how quick you are willing to not fight for a person sitting at the back. I issue out this order for each of you. Forgive your former ally and remain true to your belief. We will win this fight the right way and earn the right to live in peace. No one is here to stab anyone in the back. No one retreats to leave others to die. And most importantly, we all stand together as equals regardless. Now let's go kill some orks."

The other half of the guardsmen let their battle cry be heard. Lucas is a little unimpressed with the words. He did agree that cooperation is for the best. As the ship takes to the sky, everyone goes about their daily work aboard the ship. On level one, Lina, Max, and Lucas attend to the planning of the next battle to come. Lina, the Blessed Techno Child, keeps her tech priests busy on repair work and improvements to the ship in the areas that have proven to be weak for structure damage. A few hands on engineers assist and marvel at how well Lina keeps every reactor stable even when they perform dangerous repair work. Sergeant Major Lucas Turner focuses on keeping the morale of the loyalist high thanks to the words of Commander Vance the Bright. He is less than happy to continue working with rebel guardsmen and sees only a band of traitors that deserve a shot to the head on the firing line. If only a commissar was with him during the battle, order will be restored and morale would be different. Noble One Max Johnson did what he always does best. He keeps everyone focus on repairs, assisting, and killing orks. Even if Commander Vance gives him and the others a chance for redemption, he always keeps an eye on Lucas. For one moment, the Sergeant Major was quick to turn him in and execute his allies. Now was not the time to turn and destroy each other.

The orks of War Boss Bone Snappa had to be dealt with. They are only five months away from the next planet. The coordinates given will lead them slowly through space; they have to be ready for them. As the journey takes time for them to travel, everyone maintains a level of socialization and mend their mistrust despite the issues. The commanding individuals under Lucas and Max keep the men and women in line. Far behind them and staying hidden from the imperial vessel, the Faded Light ship of the eldar follows closely. Many eldar sharpen their blades and attend to the wounds of several. A few place spirit stones in the columns of their ship to be ready for combat. Other spirit stones are sent to the infinity circuit for safety. Kayleth looks on with a fierce determination to catch up with Max and retrieve the amulet around his neck. Veldoran keeps his warlock group focused and ready. Though so much is riding on the line, the eldar know the course they take. They would see the humans sometime again. They will offer their "assistance" to help the mon-keigh against the savage orks.

Veldoran reports to Kayleth, "I am surprised that the human did not feel the device on his shoe just yet. It is good that they do not have a psyker with them."

Kayleth replies, "The humans are only proving useful until we obtain what we need. For now, we follow in silence and strike where we can. I will be glad once we have dealt with them and leave this forgotten sector."

Veldoran nods in agreement and takes his leave. Kayleth continues to stare at the human vessel. She thinks back to the first encounter at how close she was to having the amulet. The sudden shock wave of warp power left her with more of the vision. It only infuriates her. The images of what is to come to pass urge every raw emotion of her very being to fight against it. She did not feel it should come to pass. She did not want it to happen. She would gladly kill this Max Johnson as soon as she takes back the amulet he wears as a casual ornament. The imperial guard vessel is moving. The eldar of craftworld Alaitoc follows closely. Both armies of order will arrive on a planet of ice and cold to eliminate a war boss and his horde.

Elsewhere, an informer quietly thinks: "This is going so well. I will have what I need when the time is right."