Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2: The Nihlus War: Part Eight

After Ash managed the sudden arrival of Izuku Midoriya and his fellow students from U.A High School, he was able to finally listen to the updates from Misty, Iris, and Gary regarding the status of the Hammer of Perturabo. The corrupted Despoiler-Class Battleship was severely damaged from the ceaseless bombardment of the Ultramarines, with most of the weapons systems, engines, and other systems of the ships destroyed, malfunctioning, or disabled by the fire.

As Ash watched from the bridge of the Aquila's Honor and started to plan a boarding action to capture the ship for the Imperium, Sabrina, the former Gym Leader of Saffron City and an Ultramarines Librarian, stopped him and noted that she sensed a significant surge of warp energy within the ship. To her, such an energy presence hinted at the possibility of daemonic summoning within the Hammer of Perturabo.

"I sensed a powerful surge of warp energy inside the Hammer of Perturabo, Commander," Sabrina spoke in a concerned voice, "It feels like a powerful daemonic presence has been summoned onto the ship. Should we go in for a boarding action to purge the ship of it?"

Realizing the potential threat of daemonic incursion on the Hammer of Perturabo and unwilling to risk the lives of the Astartes under his command, Ash made a critical decision. He swiftly ordered the Aquila's Honor, Legionarus, and the Eternal Vigilance to obliterate the Alpha Legion warship and prevent any further chaos.

"No, we shouldn't," Ash spoke in a resolute voice, "Legionarius, Force of Destiny, Aquila's Honor, intensify your firepower and blast that corrupted ship with all your might and all your guns. Whatever is being summoned on that accursed Warship shouldn't be unleashed on our ship. I want that vessel turned into a drifting wreck. Destroy it!"

Meanwhile, at the Iron Warriors-occupied shipyard, Castellan Ozpin and his Black Templars arrived on the Thunderhawks that were launched from the Holy Reckoning. Ozpin was accompanied by his command squad of Black Templars Sword Brethren, the elite formation of Astartes that formed the very best of the Black Templars. The sight of their headmaster's arrival prompted Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Nora, Pyrrha, Ren, Sun, Coco, Velvet, Fox, Yatsuhashi, Cardin, Russell, Sky, Scarlet, Sage, Neptune, Cinder, Emerald, Mercury, Vernal, Flynt, Oscar, Neopolitan, Dove, Neon, May, Sienna, Reese, and Penny, all of whom were Blood Angels, to stop what they were doing and welcome him to the fray.

"Hey guys, Headmaster Ozpin is here!" Ruby Rose spoke in an excited voice as she notified her teammates, "Let's go greet him!"

As the Beacon Academy students turned Blood Angels stopped what they doing and ran toward him, that was when the Black Templars sprung into action, with the rest of the Blood Angels' breacher squads, assault squads, and moritats being assisted by the newly-arrived Black Templars Crusader Squads, Black Templars Assault Squads, and Crusader Fire Support Squads, with Iron Warrior squad upon Iron Warrior squad being mowed down by squads composed of both Black Templars initiates and neophytes and squads of Blood Angels space marines armed with all sorts of weapons. All the while, Merek Grimaldus fought like a bloodthirsty animal while bellowing loads of hatred against the traitor forces and the Iron Warriors. Each word he spoke was laced with absolute hatred and anger, with no sign of slowing down.

"Indeed, Ruby," Weiss Schnee spoke to her teammate in Team RWBY in a formal voice before turning to Ozpin, saying, "Your arrival is most welcome, professor."

"We appreciate your support, Professor," Blake Belladonna spoke in a reserved voice, "We missed you!"

"Hey there, Headmaster," Yang Xiao Long grinned as she spoke, "Ready to kick some traitor butt?"

"Hello there, my old students," the Black Templars Castellan spoke, "It's good to be here. And I also brought some familiar faces to join the fray."

Ozpin then turned to his command squad of Black Templars Sword Brethren. "Brothers and sisters, take off your helmets."

The Black Templars Sword Brethren in Ozpin's command squad also made themselves known. Seeing several of their students, one of the Sword Brethren in Ozpin's squad removes her helmet, revealing herself as Glynda Goodwitch, another of Beacon Academy's professors. Her dust-powered weapon, the chain flail Disciplinarian, was shackled to her forearm with a black chain and manacle, as was the tradition of the Black Templars chaining their weapons to themselves.

"It's good to see you all," Glynda Goodwitch spoke with a warm voice as she saw the familiar faces of her students, "Beacon's legacy endures."

Following Glynda's lead, another of the Castellan's Sword Brethren removed his helmet as well, revealing himself as Professor Bartholomew Oobleck. His signature weapon, the dust-powered power maul Antiquity's Roast, was chained to his left forearm with a black chain and manacle like Glynda's weapon.

"Ah, Beacon's finest!" Professor Oobleck spoke in a jovial voice as soon as he saw the students, "A pleasant surprise, indeed."

Following them, the Crusade Fleet's Emperor's Champion who was accompanying the Black Templars Sword Brethren took off his helmet as well, revealing him as Qrow Branwen. His Black Blade, a relic power sword that was the symbol of the Emperor's Champion, was shacked to his right forearm with a dense silver-colored chain and manacle, while his signature weapon, Harbinger, was chained to his other forearm with a black manacle and a dense black chain.

"Ozpin, you old dog," Qrow spoke as he readied himself for the fight, "Just like old times, right?"

While both former students and staff of Beacon Academy socialized and had moments of camaraderie in the void, meanwhile, on the surface of the Forge World, the relief force composed of Castellan Steinhauser's Black Templars and Warchief Muteba's Celestial Lions encountered a nightmarish array of foes deployed by the forces of the Iron Warriors to stop them. The hordes of abominations included both regular and possessed Chaos Space Marines, daemonically-possessed vehicles, summoned swarms of lesser daemons, Hellbrutes, obliterators, and even the traitor titans of the infamous Legio Mortis, who had recently lost their most powerful weapon, the notorious Imperator-Class Titan Dies Irae, during the invasion of Hydra Cordatus. The abominations were a formidable challenge for the Celestial Lions and the Black Templars, who were fighting valiantly near the Forge World's space elevator.

"No pity! No remorse! No fear!" The Black Templars roared their chapter's battle cry and warrior creed as they charged into battle. The battle cry echoed through the chaos of the battlefield as the Celestial Lions stood strong, urging their fellow brethren to push forward and hold the line against the relentless enemy onslaught.

"Push forward, brothers!" one of the Celestial Lions terminator squad sergeants yelled words of encouragement to his fellow battle-brothers as they pushed towards the main forge, their objective, "Hold the line! We will not give in to these heretics!"

"Break their backs!" one of the possessed Iron Warriors yelled as he caved in the skull of a Black Templar Assault Initiate with a daemonic claw, "Death to Dorn! Death to his sons and daughters! Death to the Praetorians! Kill them all!"

"Death to the False Emperor!" an Iron Warriors raptor yelled as he tore apart a Celestial Lions Tactical Marine in a spray of gore and viscera with his lightning claws, "Die, loyalist scum!"

"Split them open!" another Iron Warrior, this time a Khornate Berserker, yelled as he decapitated a Black Templar Tactical Initiate using a Chainaxe, "Engulf them in pain!"

"Destroy! Destroy!" a Havoc Marine of the Iron Warriors yelled as he used his rocket launcher to blast a Black Templars predator tank apart, "Eviscerate them!"

Meanwhile, as the Imperial Fists arrived at the Spaceport, they encountered their age-old rivals, the Iron Warriors. The white-hot hatred between the two Legions exploded onto the scene, and bitter insults and slurs were traded like gunfire, a reflection of their deep-seated animosity, as the rivalry between the Iron Warriors' expertise in siege warfare and the Imperial Fists' mastery of defensive warfare fueled their determination to prove their superiority to each other.

"Imperial Fists, always hiding behind your walls!" an Iron Warriors Warsmith mocked the Imperial Fists, "Your Primarch's defenses fell before us in the Siege!"

You Primarch was a paranoid coward who had an inferiority complex!" one of the Imperial Fist Astartes, an Assault Marine, taunted the Iron Warriors as he descended into their ranks, "Also, you bastards were always better at tearing things down than building them up!"

"You Imperial Fists can do naught but cower behind your fortifications!" an Iron Warriors Havoc Marine yelled as he started blasting the Imperial Fists' breached squads, "The sons of Perturabo will reign supreme! Iron within, Iron without!"

"You'll find that our signature fortitude extends to the open field as well," Izuku Midoriya responded before yelling some words of encouragement to his fellow Imperial Fists, "Push forward, friends! Use your quirks to show them why nobody messes with the Praetorians of Terra!"

At that order, elements like lightning, fire, ice, and earth-shaking tremors surged forth from the Imperial Fists, pushing the Iron Warriors back. That was when it turned into a grinding slugfest as quirks and overwhelming firepower clashed with each other.

"Forward, sons and daughters of Dorn!" Tenya Ida, now a Chaplain Contemptor Dreadnought, bellowed loudly as he used his quirk and his enlarged Crozius Arcanum to engage several Iron Warriors Dreadnoughts while shooting them with a modified heavy bolter, "Kill the Iron Warriors! Show them what it means to be a proud scion of the Praetorian!"

"You got that right, Tenya!" Bakugo Katsuki yelled as he slashed an Iron Warriors Obliterator in half using his explosion quirk to increase the power of the slash from his power sword, "Let's show them why the Imperial Fists don't bow to heretics!"

"TIME TO DIE!" Himiko Toga, now an Imperial Fists assault marine, yelled in bloodthirsty delight as she used her quirk to shapeshift into an Iron Warriors Raptor before descending into the Iron Warriors' ranks, "Let's make them bleed!"

"No mercy for the sons of Perturabo!" Izuku, the Imperial Fists commander yelled as he pulverized the head of a possessed Iron Warrior with a blow from his Power Fist, which was enhanced by One for All. He then raised his Thunder Hammer, shouting, "Imperial Fists! Forward!"

"To me, Fists of Dorn!" Ochako Uraka yelled as she used her gravity control quirk to lift a possessed Iron Warriors Fellglaive off the ground before crushing it with her powers, "We'll show them why the Imperial Fists live up to their name!"

"Acid blast coming right up!" Mina Ashido yelled as she unleashed a gout of corrosive acid from her hand onto an Iron Warriors Defiler, "Nobody messes with the defenders of Terra!"

Adding to the fray just as Ash informed them, a Legio Gryphonicus Titan maniple and a Legio Ignatum Titan maniple, alongside the forces of the 500th Armageddon Steel Legion, deployed alongside the Imperial Fists. The leading Princeps of the Legio Gryphonicus Titan maniple and the commander of the Steel Legion regiment introduced themselves and informed the Imperial Fists of their presence, promising additional firepower and support.

"We stand ready to assist, Imperial Fists," the leading Princeps of the Legio Gryphonicus Titan Maniple spoke through the speakers of the lead titan, the Warlord Battle Titan Argent Monarch, "The War Griffons are here to bring the hammer of the Machine God down upon these enemies!"

"The God-Engines of Legio Ignatum stand with you, defenders of Terra," the leading Princeps of the Legio Ignatum Titan Maniple spoke through the lead Warlord Battle Titan Clavis Regni, "We will find a way through these traitors, or we will make one."

"This is commander Julian Konradvan of the 500th Armageddon Steel Legion," the Steel Legion element commander spoke on the Voxcaster, "The Armageddon Steel Legion is here to bolster your ranks. Just tell us where to attack, and we'll roll over them with our steel."

Seeing the imperial reinforcements arrive, some of the Skitarii legions began to regroup, their Techpriests chanting in binary to appease the wounded machine spirits of their damaged vehicles as they retreated and repaired them.

[["Benedicite nos, O animi Machinae, enim facimus laborum Imperatorem tuus, Imperator Omnissiahan Hominis et omnes genises,"]] they chanted, [["Cum auxilium tuum, purgabimus advenam, mannus immundus commaculant et corrumpant corpum omnes scientam. Cum auxilium tuum, purgamus mutantum, corrumpat genum electum ab intrii. Cum auxilium tuum, puramus haereticum, animii perditii homii est et vitii inpendeant animii omnium. Benedicite nos cum adamantum et pulveris nigreris et aeris, et servibimus testamentum tuum aeternum."]]

Back in the void, the arrival of a Raven Guard strike cruiser, the Blade of Kiavahr, brought further surprises to Ash's already eventful day. He quickly ordered the Vox Officer to establish communication with the newly arrived vessel's commander. The Hololith then flickered to life, revealing that commanding the Blade of Kiavahr was none other than the legendary Raven Guard veteran, Nykona Sharrowkyn, a name that held significance even during the dark days of the Horus Heresy, where he had endured the horrific Istvaan V Massacre.

"It's been a long time since we spoke, Commander," Sharrowkyn spoke as he appeared on the Hololith.

Nykona wore black Mark VI Corvus Power Armor, a relic of the Horus Heresy, and his face was obscured by its helmet, which looked like that of a Raven, the symbol of the Raven Guard, which also adorned his left pauldron in white. The gothic numeral for nineteen: XIX, was engraved on his Power Armor's gorget, symbolizing the Raven Guard's status as the nineteenth legion, and his look was finished off by the modified jump pack on his back, styled to look like the wings of a raven, the Raven Guard's symbol.

"Nykona Sharrowkyn? It's an honor to speak to you," Ash Ketchum spoke in a surprised voice, "But what brings the forces of the Nineteenth Legion to this battle?"

"I've sensed warp anomalies in this sector, Commander, and the shadows have whispered to me about something vile emerging here," Nykona spoke in a mysterious voice, "I couldn't ignore it. Which is why I brought a specialist squad of my brothers and sisters to assist."

Nykona then introduced Ash to Squad Deliverance, a specialist group of Raven Guard's newest space marine recruits, who were renowned for their stealth, insurgency tactics, and precision, which was foremost, the combat doctrine of the Nineteenth Legion.

"Take off your helmets and introduce yourselves, children of the shadows," Nykona then told the squad to take off their helmets before he turned to Ash, saying, "Commander Ketchum, you have served with these people while all of you were hunting down Xenos as part of the Deathwatch. Now, they are the finest that the Nineteenth Legion has to offer."

This squad of specialist Raven Guard space marines, as it turned out, was none other than the members of the infamous Phantom Thieves, now clad in the black power armor of the Raven Guard.

"I'm Ren Amamiya, or Akira Kurusu as you may know me, Commander," Ren, now a Raven Guard Mor Deythan, spoke in a confident voice as he took off his helmet, "But you can call me Joker. I'm the leader of both Squad Deliverance and the Phantom Thieves. It's been a long time since we served in the Deathwatch, Ketchum."

"My name's Goro Akechi," Goro, now a Raven Guard tactical marine, spoke in a resolute voice as he took his helmet off, "You can call me Crow. The reason that we're here is that we're here to make things right."

"You can call me Ryuji Sakamoto," Ryuji, now a Raven Guard Devastator Marine, spoke in a determined and enthusiastic voice as he took his helmet off, "My nickname's Skull. It's time to steal some hearts for real and I'm ready to kick some Chaos butt!"

"I'm Morgana, A.K.A Mona. Nice to meet you!" Morgana, the cat and Phantom Thief who was now a part of the Raven Guard as a librarian spoke first in a playful tone before shifting to a more enigmatic and mysterious tone that was characteristic of his personality as he took his helmet off, "For us, the shadows are our allies. But for to the heretic, darkness shall come, and nothing more."

"I'm Yusuke Kitagawa, an artist of the blade, but you can call me Fox," Yusuke, now a Raven Guard Tactical Marine, spoke in a calm voice as he took off his helmet, "Let us create a masterpiece of justice, just like how Lord Corax intended."

"I'm Makoto Niijima, but you can refer to me as Queen," Makoto, now a Raven Guard Moritat, spoke as she removed her helmet, "We'll outwit the enemy at every turn. Besides, we are here to avenge, to punish."

"Ann Takamaki, but you can refer to me as Panther," Ann, now a Raven Guard Moritat, spoke as she took off her helmet, "We fight for the oppressed now, like how our Primarch did ten millennia ago, and within the shadows, there is hope."

"I'm Futaba Sakura, A.K.A Oracle. This Phantom Hacker is online and ready!" Futaba, now a Raven Guard Moritat, spoke in her characteristic curious and playful personality as she took her helmet off, "Watch us change the Imperium, Commander."

"Haru Okumura, but I like to be called Noir," Haru, now a Raven Guard tactical marine, spoke in an Elegant voice as she removed her helmet, "Our hearts are united in this cause, and I'm prepared to strike from the shadows, Commander Ketchum."

"And I'm Sumire Yoshizawa. But I like to be called Violet," Sumire, now a Raven Guard tactical marine, spoke as she removed her helmet, "Together, we'll bring hope just like how Corvus Corax did."

Ash recognized each member of the Phantom Thieves, not only for their skills in stealth and subterfuge as members of the Raven Guard, but also for their reputation as the ones who stole the hearts of corrupt planetary governors, renegade Inquisitors, and Chaos-tainted commanders, and their penchant for leaving calling cards at the scenes of their exploits. He was also aware of their unique talents and the impact they had made within the Inquisition when he served in the Ordo Xenos' Deathwatch alongside them as a Tactical Marine. The unexpected arrival of these veterans added another layer of intrigue to the unfolding conflict, as now, the shadows weren't safe for the Chaos worshippers.

"It's good to have you on our side, Phantom Thieves," Ash Ketchum acknowledged the newly arrived Space Marines, "Let's secure this sector together. It's time to move out."

And that right there wraps up chapter eight of the story! Leave a review and a follow if you want to see more of this story. Thank you!

And now, some Trivia:

-Morgana's dialogue is a reference to one of the voice lines of Corvus Corax from Horus Heresy: Legions when he becomes the Ravenlord.

-Makoto's line of dialogue is a reference to one of the voice lines of Agapito Nev from Horus Heresy: Legions.

-Ann's line of dialogue is a reference to one of the voice lines of Gherith Arendi from Horus Heresy: Legions.