-XIII-

"We depart once again to a quest of war" Galieo preached to the mass of kneeling marines before the Altar of Emperor the Magnificent.

"We are those who made by the fires of war." he continued.

Droppod shook as the Battlecruiser Golema left the warp space and translated into the real space above Echtesia.

"Translation complete." said the emotionless servitor voice through the droppod's internal vox.

"Drop in five."

"As we fight on, the Imperium lives on." Galieo preached.

"We carry His torch against the Alien." he shouted.

"We carry His sword against the heretic."

"We carry His hate against the mutant."

"For the Emperor." shouted the kneeling marines back in one voice.

Julius checked his weapon a second time making sure it was strapped tightly, all around him members of squad Extus was strapped at their harnesses.

He heard the servitors voice once again "Entering near-orbit, stand by."

Galieo's voice cut in through the voice "making entry run, there are several Lion's ships at high orbit but they will not hinder us."

"What about the planet?" asked Ioras through his helmet's vox.

"The surface is scorched and pocketed with fires, there is something going on at the planet-side." informed Galieo.

"No transmissions?" asked Ioras.

"None, Garatio thinks that the Lion Warrior ships are jamming the communications." said Galieo.

"They're up to something alright." said Ioras.

"Be careful down there brothers, drop in three." Galieo cut off the vox.

"What ist thy life?" shouted Galieo.

Assembly answered "My duty is my life!"

"What ist thy fate?" asked Galieo.

"War is my fate!" responded the mass of kneeling marines.

"What ist thy fear?"

"My fear is to fail!"

"What ist thy release?"

"Death, upon the fires of war!"

"What ist thy salvation?"

"His blessing upon my death!"

"What makest thou?"

"We maketh war!" shouted the assembly finishing the prayer.

The oath of duty was complete.

"Deployment in..." servitor voice broke Julius' concentration, he tried to pray but the words eluded him like they were hiding from him.

His mind was filled with images of hate and anger, his hands itched to grasp his chainsword. The drop sequence was taking too long.

He was strapped and unmoving in his droppod harness but he was getting restless by the minute.

"In five." the dead servitor voice informed.

"Four."

Servitor was counting back but time slowed down for Julius, he could see the Orks now, they were so close, they were charging at him, they were coming to kill his brother, he had to fight to protect them, protect squad Tempes.

"I will kill you all." he whispered through gritted teeth.

Ioras was in the next harness and he tilted his helmeted head towards Julius "You voxed something Julius?" asked Ioras but got no reply back.

"One. Go with the Emperor's blessing." declared the servitor voice and the droppod plunged.

The sheer force of the drop would faint a normal man, but Julius was an Astartes. The drop annoyed him greatly but he held on and tried to pray.

He wanted to pray for his brothers.

He wanted to pray for himself.

But no words came to his mind, it was blank.

Instead Orks filled with vision, dead Orks, screaming Orks, dying Orks, bleeding Orks. Orks.

"Kill them all." he said his mouth bubbling with saliva.

His voice was drowned by the immense noise the drop pod was making. It just made orbit and heat licked at the armoured shell blazing it red.

The droppod fell towards the sprawling hive beneath them in incredible speed.

It entered the landing phase and it's reverse thrusters fired in huge jets of fire. All noise was drowned by the deceleration jets firing.

The armoured bottom of the droppod hit the land in a thunderous impact, throwing cement all over the surroundings.

Then it's hatches blew open like petals around it. Armoured boots climbed down the built-in stairs of the deployed hatches.

Internal defence bolter whirled left and right looking for possible enemy targets. Its servitor making vox noises as it deemed the site secure and laid dormant.

Ioras walked the surface of Echtesia as the Squad Extus deployed in perfect unison around him.

He looked at the vista before him.

"Squad Extus Deployed!" informed Horatus.

"Move out squad." ordered Ioras as he lingered a second longer to look at the devastation before him.

Hive Echtesia was burning.