Storm Heralds Reading List
Book 1Maledicti Venator, Serrati Stellas, Tenebris Resurget, Finis Fide, Tergum Cultro, Omni Honore, Carpe Posterum, Vacuus Cymba, Noctem Oritur
Book 2Umbram Ignis, Ancra Mortis, Fame Cimex
Fame Cimex Chapter 1
995.M41
Under the light of two tiny moons a city burned, leaping flames illuminating a scene of hell as screams filled the air and blood flowed freely. Everywhere terrified men and women ran in shock, desperately looking for lost loved ones and clutching crying babies to their chests as they fled the horror. They were not alone, men in fatigues and flak armour ran alongside them, the supposed defenders of this world deserting their posts to run for their lives. Their goal was the heart of the city, where the faint hope of evacuation lay, but the chances of any of them reaching it were slim indeed.
Behind the terrified crowds came creatures straight from nightmare, hideous skittering monsters clad in chitin and bounding on coiled, spring-like legs. They fell upon the fleeing crowds in a frenzy of bloodletting, tearing, gouging and consuming any who proved too slow. Nothing could stand before them and all mere men could do was flee, for the beast's fangs were sharp and their claws long. Yet the worst thing about them was the hideous intellect in their eyes and a hunger that had stripped planets bare: the Tyranids had come to the world of Veltri and its doom was certain.
Along a wreckage-strewn street a tight knot of civilians and PDF soldiers fled towards a junction, hoping to take cover among the debris piled up there, but sadly they moved too slowly. A horde of skittering Hormagaunts dashed after them, leaping high in the low gravity, descending with claws outstretched and fanged mouths open ready to feast. Just before the first Gaunt could lay a claw upon a civilian a burning flash shot by, leaving a blazing trail as it punched the beast out of the very air. It was followed by another and another, a flurry of firepower that scythed into the horde, blowing Tyranid creatures apart.
Foul ichor splashed all over the civilians but left them alive. The disbelieving crowd looked about for their salvation but could barely credit what they saw. Standing behind the piles of debris at the junction were towering giants straight from legend. There was not a man or woman in the Imperium who could fail to recognise them, for their images were carved into every Cathedral, scholam and palace across the galaxy. They were the ultimate warriors of mankind, the last chance for a doomed race at the hour of its extinction and the final glimmer of hope in an eclipse of evil. They were the Space Marines and they had come to Veltri.
Standing amid the debris and barricades was an Astartes Captain, he bore a golden rank chain, a long red cloak strewn with purity seals and his face bore a single augmetic eye that burned fiercely. His name was Captain Toran and he was waving at the civilians shouting, "This way, make haste!" Spurred into action the crowd ran towards their saviours and Toran watched them approach, noting their filthy rags and desperate faces. Among their number was a frantic woman, clutching a crying child to her shoulder. The babe was barely old enough to walk and the woman's eyes had madness to them that spoke of horrors she had no way to process.
As the crowd ran past Toran heard the woman chanting, "The Emperor's Angels, the Emperor sends his Angels to save us, the Angels have come."
Toran was discomforted by the words and he yelled at the crowd, "Keep moving and stop for nothing, head to the spaceport, there are still evacuation ships waiting."
The crowds ran on and Toran let them go as they whispered their thanks and praises. He stepped back to review his forces, seeing his Demi-Company hunkered down behind the piles of debris.. He had two tactical squads, under Sergeants Mylos and Priyar, at the front and a Devastator squad under Sergeant Zeax in elevated positions to lay down covering fire with their missile launchers. Behind them waited an impatient assault squad under Sergeant Lorath, their jump packs held idle until they would be needed for a counterattack.
Toran also had his own Command squad in the centre and he strode over to them, seeing the Company Banner being flown high by Brother Bylan. Toran did a quick head count and saw brothers Furion, Jediah, Persion and Novak all ready and eager for the fray along with Apothecary Memnos, whose skills had yet to be called upon. There was one more member of the party, Chaplain Wrethan, who alone looked happy to be here. Wrethan had been grievously injured two years earlier and this was the first time he had seen true action since, indeed it was the first time he had been deemed fit to wear proper armour and take up his Crozius.
Toran strode over to the group, bouncing slightly in Veltri's low gravity and called out, "Situation report."
Brother Persion was the communication specialist and his armour boasted expanded Vox arrays, allowing him to link back to the Chapter's orbiting fleet. He spoke up, "Heavy fighting in orbit, this may only be a splinter fleet descending upon Veltri but it still outnumbers our fleet a thousand to one. The situation on the ground is worse, the fourth defensive line is broken and the fifth hard pressed, the PDF are fleeing in droves."
Chaplain Wrethan snarled, "Damn them, those cowards should be shot!"
Furion argued, "The Tyranids have deployed Bio-Titans, we have nothing that can withstand such might, the defence of Veltri could never have been more than a delaying action."
Wrethan glared at him for the interruption and snarled, "If you are so sympathetic to their plight then maybe you should take charge of herding them through our lines."
The rebuke was stinging, for Furion had long ago been rejected from training with the Chaplaincy for his opposing the Emperor's deification, but if he was offended he hid it well and saluted with the sign of the Aquila before striding off to oversee the civilian evacuation. Toran watched Furion go silently, knowing he could not be seen to argue with the Chaplain in front of the Company. Instead he turned to Persion and said, "Contact Chapter Master Gorgall's and request new orders."
Persion paused for a minute as he relayed the request then reported, "The fourth defensive line is gone, the Chapter is to fight a rear-guard action to allow as many civilians and as much war material as possible to be evacuated. In addition Second Company under Captain Laryen is under fire from Bio-Titans, they are falling back to the spaceport. We are ordered to hold this ground until they can reach us; if we falter then the fifth defensive line collapses."
Toran declared, "Then we shall not falter, we shall stand our ground to the last man and hold this position for the Emperor. Chaplain Wrethan if you would be so good as to take counsel with the Initiates, it is essential that their morale remains unwavering."
Wrethan bowed in compliance and walked away, seeming sure and confident of victory, the squad watched him go and when he was out of earshot Persion said, "We are not going to win this one, are we?"
Toran wanted to rebuke him but found it hard to disagree, he sighed, "One does not win wars with rear guards and fallbacks, we are too heavily outmatched here, we should have brought greater strength."
Persion said, "Chapter Master Gorgall brought the entirety of the Storm Heralds to Veltri, every single initiate and the whole fleet, even our repurposed corsair frigates and armed merchantmen. If that couldn't stop the Tyranids, what will?"
Toran heard the truth of those words but he could not allow defeatism to taint the ranks so he said, "We must try regardless, this tapped out mining world is the last obstacle between the Tyranids and the Saint Karyl Trail. If we falter here then the Imperium may well lose the only currently viable warp route to the galactic south, we cannot allow that to happen."
Persion looked like he wanted to say more but he nodded in understanding and Toran walked off, leaving the command squad as he went to inspect the Company. He found the squads ready and eager for the fray, each Marine keen to meet the Xenos and punish them for their crime of existence. Yet what was missing from their eyes was any confidence of victory, even if they had not known the situation then the knots of civilians and terrified soldiers still slipping past their position told them all they needed to know. Toran toured the lines, speaking to various brothers and spouting vague platitudes to bolster morale; he passed Wrethan making some bombastic speech but did not pause to listen. The Captain swiftly came up to Brother Priyar and spoke to the Sergeant, "Are your Squadmates braced for what is to come?"
Priyar spoke up loudly for his squad to hear, "We are chomping at the bit Brother-Captain, just let us at them and we will give these Bugs a bloodbath to remember us by!"
Toran nodded knowing that statement was for the brother's benefit more than his and said, "Excellent Brother-Sergeant, but do try to leave some Xenos for the rest of us. I don't want the rest of the Company complaining again that you stole all the glory."
That drew chuckles from the squad and Toran was about to move on but then there was a sudden cry and he heard Persion shout, "Beware, orbital scans show they are coming!" Toran spun about and dashed back to his squad, just in time to see a wave of skittering Gaunts come into view in the distance. Their numbers were beyond counting, filled the street from side to side and reaching back as far as the eye could see. Toran didn't even have to give any orders for the Company's heavy weapons were already firing, Heavy Bolters and Missile launchers carving deep furrows into the packed masses of foes. Toran skidded into position and snatched up his master-crafted bolter, levelling it at the enemy and waiting for them to come into range. The horde skittered forward under fire, heedless of losses and racing with claws held high, eager to rand and tear and feast. Toran held his breath for a heart-stopping moment, then he cried, "All squads: Rapid Fire!"
The defensive line erupted in a storm of bolt shells and the fusillade hit the Tyranids with devastating might, throwing insectile bodies everywhere, but the sheer number of enemies meant they just kept coming. They were relentless and driven, focused and cunning, this was not instinctive behaviour: these beasts were being driven by the Hive Mind. Toran gritted his teeth and panned his bucking bolter back and forth, spraying rounds into the foe with Transhuman accuracy. Scores of Gaunts were falling with every second and the piles of dead were mounting up, but the Tyranids just kept coming.
Toran saw the foe inching closer and closer through the firestorm and he heard Persion muttering, "Where's the damned Synapse creature, where the hell is it?"
Suddenly there was a cry from further down the line and Toran heard Chaplain Wrethan shouting, "Zoanthrope!"
Toran looked where he was pointing and saw an elongated creature with a bloated skull, floating over the horde on a shimmering wave of psychic energy. Toran wasted not a moment to bellow, "Missile launchers, target that monstrosity!"
Immediately four Krak missiles shot out, zooming over the horde to fly right at the disgusting beast, but just before they hit the missiles encountered a wall of shimmering psychic energy. The warheads detonated prematurely to leave the Zoanthrope unharmed and Toran snarled, "Damnation, we will have to do this the hard way. Command squad, assault squad with me, we shall…"
The Captain was cut off as unexpectedly a mechanical voice cut through the vox, booming, "STAND FAST BROTHERS!" Toran's head snapped round in recognition and he was stunned to see a massive, bulky shape approaching from the rear.
With thunderous footsteps a war machine pounded forwards, shaking the ground with every tread as its power fist and assault cannon roared into life. As the Space Marines stood dumbfounded Honourable Ajax, the oldest Contemptor Dreadnought in the Storm Heralds Chapter, roared, "THAT BEAST IS MINE!"