Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Dark Shadow. Enjoy the 2200-word chapter. I do not own Warhammer or Star Wars, Lucasfilm, gameshow, and a few others do.
The chase for the Fallen led the Dark Angels into another plot of land, acres upon acres of sand and ruins which were odd, this planet was… Strange, but it was clear that such was life.
There was a moment of silence, a moment of recollection on which they had soon passed. The planet was different but it was not too hostile for them to survive upon.
They did so and they were able to fight, they looked up to see most of their fleet, and the Rock were all alive… They were sustained… And would remain sustained in every single way they could and should have done.
Whatever needed to be done to survive was meaningless. They survived and would continue to do so as time wore it all down to the bone.
Yes, this would do, for now, do well and good. They planned for a Thunderhawk to come and retrieve them… Only to notice a massive stone wall.
"Is it of the Imperial Fists?" One asked.
"No." Another answered.
"Xeno?" A third asked.
"No, I do not believe so." The fourth asked.
"We are reporting it…. As soon as we verify if anything is here." The first stated. "For now? We secure this place and look to the side, there is a lot more to this, a lot more." He stated while frowning as he realized something.
There was such a decision to retreat that did not sit well with the Dark Angels. This place was…. Odd, but for all?
Well, to be fair? There was a lot of chaos he needed to try and figure it all out for now.
He motioned for the group forwards, slowly starting to slide down and advance toward the city. There were a few seconds of silence as the rest of them all prepared to be done and dusted.
The Dark Angels all spread their forces out, they prepared for a larger conflict.
They knew this planet was weird but they did not miss it for now, and for good reason when it came down to it when it came down the line at the same time.
There was a moment of silence before he fell silent, pausing to think of what was to be occurred to now. He had been able to think and he would not stop.
They were cut off by the sound of engines… And the war cries of a Xeno species he did not know…
He rested his hand on his power sword and watched his brothers all rest their hands on concealed weapons. They were ready for war and conflict.
(5 minutes later)
He tossed a Xeno to the floor, watching as it died and the group of 12 or so strong died as well… Their ship, brought down by a Thunderhawk, burned as he looked at them.
"Bring the weapons to the side… Xeno or not? We need to know what it is and take it to study." He stated.
"I should kill you myself." Another Dark Angel stated.
"Would you rather we fight what we do not know? We need to learn… And I am keen to study…. Take it and leave the filth to burn, I will take a group and see what the city is, if it is nothing? We may go…" He stated.
"He is right… Damn him. Take a squad, recon the city, and then return…. Someone packs up the Xenos and their gear. We shall dissect them in orbit and see what weaknesses they have." Another Dark Angel stated.
"Damn you, Cadriel." He heard as he snorted.
"Pack it up… Move, 5 of you? With me." Cadriel stated before he and the others set off.
The other 5 of the 10 Dark Angels waited for the Thunderhawk to land before they began to pack up the corpses for autopsy and possibly finding out answers.
(4 minutes later)
Cadriel and his squad set deeper into the ruins near the walls. They were quick and documented much, paranoid that a single nugget of information slipping through their massive fists would spell doom.
Part of him wondered how many of the Dark Angels were here. They had almost all deployed when the Fallen was located, the Fallen which were almost defeated.
Perhaps it was meant to be something bigger? He did not know; he did not know a lot of what the council was trying to do.
All he knew was if the Deathwing and Ravenwing were here. This planet was going to be oddly in more trouble than before.
"Spread out." He ordered as the group all did so.
None of them knew what was going on here…. Who would have been foolish enough to bring the entire fleet and legion here?
"Why would the traitors bring us here?" He asked.
"I do not know… I reported to the council." He heard.
"As did I. The Primarch ordered us to… But did he bring us here?" Another Dark Angel asked.
There was more chittering as the group all fell silent, knowing that more of the insectoid Xenos were coming, they would not be able to deal with it and would not be unable to fight… Anything they tried would be unable to think and act.
The group all raised weapons in different directions, guessing if they were to come. It would be from every single angle around them, all of it seemed to be coming from around them… All of it seemed to be coming from around them and from nowhere at the same time… There was something primal, very primal about it and they knew it… They all knew it.
They had a lot more to deal with, a lot more than before and it would be hard to deal with.
All he could try, wish to try? It was nothing, now? Now was the time for fighting he lifted his weapon and shot one of the scurrying creatures before it could descend upon him with the same interest.
The Dark Angels squad gunned down the small group of Xenos with the same interest as if they were exterminating bugs for now.
Though, it was basically that to the group. They had cut swaths through dozens of Xenos before and sent armies of alien soldiers to whatever hells they had.
He did not know who they were but he fought as he had before. He was easy to cut through them like they were nothing more than strands of dirt.
He was able to try and figure out what was growing on his mind…. And all of it was bothersome.
(Upon the Rock)
The rest of the council was silent, unmoving, curious as to where they were and who was busy interfering with their mission…. Whatever it was? They had been caught off guard by this place.
The entire fleet of Dark Angels was here…. Back on Earth, back where they had not wished to be…. What insanity had the Fallen tossed their way? They were not unable to fathom what had gone on, not once had they faltered in hunting down the traitors.
Now? Now they had been led somewhere they did not wish to be…. Why were they on Earth? They did not have the answers but they wished to have something of a grasp on things.
He cleared his throat, knowing that this was going to be a very hard message to deal with for now, there were a lot of chaotic little things to deal with.
Perhaps the most jarring was how most of their army was on Terra. All of them were on Earth and slowly trying to return here… The rest? The rest seemed sparse in trying to control the fleet so they had some idea of being a unit.
They recalled their men, knowing the best thing to do was ensure most of the legion was able to regroup and then plan for the next phase of their mission… If that mission was still sustainable now, they had zero idea of what was going on, zero clue besides the chaos in their minds.
Still? They had plans, all Dark Angels could plan and they knew if the Legion was scattered. They were to regroup, to recombine their forces so they could plot anew.
The problem was they were so disorganized that entire platoons and companies were scattered across Earth and it was taking a long time to try and retrieve most of them.
"We have found something…. There is a group of civilians in the quadrant we have visited…. A walled city, I see a dozen civilian ships but no idea of where they have come from." He stated with silence following this a few moments later.
It did not bode well for them now. All of it bode well and he knew damn well that his men would be prepared for now.
He was silent and he seemed to be dealt with as he clicked his fingers and then looked more as he prepared for now.
The Dark Angels were bred for fighting and killing, fighting well enough to lay waste to anything that was in the way.
He held onto something resembling chaos, chaos that he did not wish to happen when it was all said and done. He had a larger idea of what was going on now and he was too interested.
The Dark Angels were ready for a battle and yet they were scattered. They were prepared for war and yet? They were somewhere that had not been where they needed to be, they did not wish to be on Earth, and yet? Earth was so different.
The rest of the galaxy before he seemed to be dealt with for now as he paused to try and figure out what came next.
"Brothers? We have encountered Xenos of an unknown species, and we have wiped them out…. But I am transferring bodies towards a shuttle towards the Rock. We have also located the city has dozens of tunnels…. There might be more Xenos below but I cannot see and there appears to be no end to the numbers." They heard.
He was too interested in what was going on in the mind when it was all beyond when it came down all the time, there was nothing short of silence beyond now.
The council shared looks and nodded, looking to the side, too interested in what was growing in his mind.
"Bring them back, we must debate on what to do… We need to be ready to deploy again." One of the council members stated. "Inform the Primarch, he needs to know what has gone on for now…. Before this goes too far." The council stated.
There was an obvious silence. Well, an obvious one where they could not function, did not wish to function for there was little to nothing there would be able to deal with for now and until it came down the line.
He had been able to grow. He was too prepared, too needed for whatever came next… Part of being a Dark Angel was knowing damn well they might damn well die in the way they performed a goal, died in the way they held onto such beliefs.
It was simple. They had been brought here for something and they would handle it, as the first legion? Failure was unacceptable for them and the numbers of their legion.
They had such ideas for the future, such was part of their goal and one they planned not to do when life came down to it…. Such was part of what they could deal with such a thing.
What did they deal with next? It was not going to be easy, not at that rate.
Yep, it was going to be a very off day for them. All about it bothered them and it was clear that all of it was coming to a head sooner or later.
They had not tried when it was all said and done. All of it seemed to be superior to what needed to be all over now and would be over.
The chaos of their actions was to cut through, he had been able to try and figure it out as he paused to try and deal with it.
He had been through it as he paused to let it all come crashing through his moment of glory.
He had been prepared for now, he had been through enough…. And it was as the last of the Thunderhawks lifted into the air for the fleet above Earth that they realized this world was not their earth and that more enemies had joined the fallen.
If only it was to be so simple… If only it was so simple, they would cause the massive destruction of it all at the end of the day, all such a thing that needed to be done.
It would grow more and more harrowing with each little cut and nip that had to be done and each little aspect.
Such was life and life would be much better when they did not have to realize it.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out this next chapter will introduce the Dark Angels to the Guardians and set up the war for the galaxy. The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will be 900-6500 words. Until then, Lighting Wolf is out!