After the defense and cleansing of Macragge, Guilliman, at the head of his newly reformed legion of Unshackled Firstborn and Primaris Ultramarines with a battle fleet made up of Phalanx and ships remodeled by Sio known as Fleet Indominus, proceeded to pacify and rebuild the Realm of Ultramar under the banner of the New Imperium. The news of the Primarch's return has been broadcast throughout all of the systems already freed and under the rule and protection of the First. Shock, amazement, and disbelief are, of course, the first reactions of most, but the very foundation of life on these worlds is in such upheaval that the return of one of the Emperor's own sons is news but not the world-shattering news it would once have been. Many believed that he would rise against Genesis and declare his loyalty to his father, the God-Emperor of Mankind. Those hopes were dashed when Guilliman gave a speech declaring that he would fight in the name of the New Imperium and that the Old, with all of its religious nonsense, would be crushed along with all other enemies of mankind.
With this goal checked off his list, Genesis decides it is time to split up his crusade fleet completely. Had had already split his forces into the respective bloodlines into legions of ten thousand Unshackled each. With this done, he sends them out into the galaxy to spread his truth. Gone are the days when ships throw themselves on the mercy of the tides of the Warp. Every ship in these new fleets is equipped with what Sio calls Leap Drives. This allows them to leap across vast distances of space nearly instantly. It is a technology that outclasses even that of the Necrons. Genesis lets his legions off the leash. Picking and choosing when and where he will join them.
Colonel August Dixon of the Catachan XVII Regiment, "the Screaming Devils," knows that he and his entire regiment are more than likely about to die. In fact, over half of his regiment is around dead. They are fighting to defend the world of Neburia, a once vibrant agri-world now turned hellhole by the splinter of Hive Fleet Leviathan that has descended on the Neburia system like a plague. The swarm descended on world after world like a plague. Three of the system's six planets have already fallen, and there has been no contact with the fleet for over a week now. The last contact said that they were attempting a push on the primary Hive Ship of the splinter in hopes of destroying it and removing the telepathic influence it has over the swarms of Tyranids currently devouring Neburia and its sister planets.
If one had to rank the enemies of the Imperium of Man, a list which would likely extend from Neburia to Holy Terra herself, the Tyranids would likely be right at the top. Most of the Imperium's enemies have goals and usually plans to achieve them. Even the Orks, whose main goal is to fight, will take slaves and loot when they invade a planet. Not Tyranids; their only purpose is to devour everything in sight. They strip worlds of every trace of life, using it to create biomass, which they use to create more Tyranids. It is a process that repeats itself time and time again without change unless they are beaten. Genestealers, Rippers, Gargoyles, Lictors, Raveners and many more. All types of organisms for every situation. All are controlled by gestalt collective consciousness known as the Hive Mind. If they meet a challenge to their advance, they create a new bioweapon to handle it. Fighting a billion creatures controlled by one mind that sees and knows everything that any one of its billions of limbs sees or hears. Not only that, but it learns everything that its billions of victims know. The Inquisition and the Ecclesiarchy would never admit it, and they would burn anyone else who dared to, but they are the one force in the galaxy Humanity may never be able to defeat. In fact, they could very well be the end of mankind.
Neburia's capital city, Preim, is one of the world's last bastions, and its walls and void shields, which have been under siege for three weeks, are all that are keeping the two billion imperial citizens sheltered inside from becoming dinner. Or at least they had. The Hive Mind had adopted. A Lictor had gotten in somehow. Their sheer size should make it impossible for a lictor to be so stealthy, but the truth is there are few creatures in the galaxy better at infiltration, sabotage, and assassination. The fighters of Catachan are some of the most lethal in the Imperium. Their homeworld is the definition of a Deathworld. On Catachan, one is not guaranteed to survive brushing their teeth if they are not careful. Weakness is the greatest sin any Catachan can commit. So, it was the Catachans sent to hunt and kill the creature. Unfortunately, the creature had already done severe damage before they even knew it was there. It damaged the void shield generators, disabling the void shields. The swarm then focused its entire force on the eastern wall, and they breached. The war had spilled into the streets and habs of Preim.
Colonel August ducks the sweeping claws of the lictor, letting it carve deep groves into the wall of the factory he and his men had cornered it in. It had already killed seven of the fifty troopers he had with him. The rest were constantly on the move, attempting to avoid the beast's attacks while firing on it. The creature's armor has absorbed most of their lasgun fire. Trooper Danielson had managed to do some damage with his Melter before the creature tore him and the heavy weapon apart. They have another Melter in play, but so far, Trooper Farris hasn't been able to get a clean hit. This thing is hellish fast. August rolls back to his feet and opens with his bolt pistol while sprinting to stay out of range.
"Farris, shoot this thing are give the damn Melter to someone who can, trooper," says August into his comm, his voice calm.
"Yes, sir," says Farris.
The sun bright beam streaks out from behind a vat tank and strikes the lictor in the side, causing it to let out a horrendous scream of pain, but it still moved fast enough to avoid the worst of the damage. The thing starts toward Farris but is brought up short by grenades thrown by her fellows, giving her a chance to shift and try to get another shot.
"Sorry, sir," says Farris, "ten seconds and I…"
She suddenly screams in pain, and August looks around. He bares his teeth in fury as he sees what is happening. Ten purestrain genesteelers swarm onto the factory floor as if out of nowhere. The four-limbed horrors use talons capable of carving through ceramite plate like paper to decimate five of his men in seconds.
"Frak," growls August, his Catachan composure slipping for a second, "Squad Five and Six, engage the Throne damned Stealers. The rest of you, kill this frakking Lictor."
He pumps a fresh magazine into his bolt pistol and readies himself to continue the fight when, out of nowhere, ten new figures appear. August had fought alongside Space Marines before, and by the size of these ten, it is obvious that is what they are. Or it would be, but they are not wearing any model of power armor he recognizes. Their armor is sleek and fits them almost like bodygloves. They wear the green, black, and gold and have the Drake's head icon of the Salamanders.
August can only watch in stunned astonishment as the new arrivals immediately join the fight. They open fire with Boltguns. He watches as the Lictor is torn to literal pieces by the fire of two of the Space Marines. The rounds tear through the beast's armored shell like it is nothing. And explode inside of it, splattering the walls and machines behind it with gore. If that isn't shocking enough, he watches as their other eight battle brothers charge into the Genestealer pack, wielding combat blades with glowing edges. The Stealers charged them as well, and August watched in horror as one slashed a Space Marine across the chest. He expected to see the claws carve onto Space Marine's armor and the guts beneath, but the claws just skid off. The Space Marine slashes with his glowing blade and takes the Stealer's head off.
The other Space Marines carve through the Stealers they engage with similar ease. In less than twenty seconds, the factory stands silent as the last beast falls to the floor, cut in half. August watches as one of the Space Marines moves to one of his fallen men, Trooper Santos, who is on the ground trying to hold his guts in. Their medic was dead, and August wondered was the Marine was an Apothecary. As he watches, the Space Marine places his hand over the man's wound, and his hand glows green. The trooper goes still as the light covers him. When it fades, the man is lying there, completely healed. The only signs that he was ever injured were his torn uniform and the blood stains.
"By the Throne," whispers August, watching as the Space Marine moves to others, checking for signs of life.
One of the Salamanders walks over to August, his helm still on, "Colonel Dixon, well meet. I am Sergeant Vargakk Gargeon of the Salamanders Legion. Glad to find you safe."
"Sergent," says August, momentarily stunned, "Thank…thank you for your assistance."
"It is our duty and honor, sir," replies the sergeant, "It is also my duty to inform you that you are hereby relieved of duty. As a citizen of the New Imperium, you are now under the protection of the First and his Unshackled Legions. He thanks you for your service."
August is speechless. The New Imperium? The First? Relieved of duty? What in Throne's name is happening? Before he can ask, a Bolter barks.
"Excuse us, Colonel," says the sergeant cocking his own Bolt gun, "There is a force of Tyronids approaching. We will deal with them and wait for you to gather your men to join us. We will escort you back to your command."
With that, the Space Marines moved out. Leaving the Catachans in shock. Soon, they hear roars, screeches, and gunfire. August looks to his men, who look back at him, waiting for his orders. All of his men who can get up are up. Captain Burkena Andam walks over to him and holds up the dog tags of the fallen.
"Orders, sir," she asks.
"By the God Emperor, captain," says August, looking in the direction of the gunfire, which suddenly stops, "I don't know."
A Space Marine returns, "All clear, we are ready to escort you, Colonel."
"Fall in on the Space Marine, " says the Colonel.
He and his surviving men move to the Space Marine, who leads them out of the factory. They stop in shock at the scene of pure carnage around them. There are ten more Space Marines added to the group now. All around them are mounds of ruined Tyronid corpses. There have to be over a hundred there, including the huge corpse of a Warrior. Just like the Lictor, it had been ruined. The Space Marines are gathered around the Catachan troop transports they rode in on.
"Mount up when ready, Colonel," says Sergeant Vargakk, "We will provide overwatch."
"Overwatch," asks the Colonel, "Are you calling in a Thunderhawk?"
The sergeant chuckles, and then, before their eyes, he floats up into the air. There is no sign of a jetpack or any other kind of propulsion. He just floats up, and the others do the same.
"No need for a Thunderhawk Colonel," says the Space Marine, "We have you covered."
"Techno-sorcery," says one of his people quietly.
August is sure more than one is making the sign of the Aquila. He steps back, gripping his Bolt Pistol like a talisman. He is suddenly more weary.
"What did you mean by New Imperium, Sergeant," asks August, "And by whose orders do you relieve us of our duty to the Emperor?"
"The First has returned," says Sergeant Vargakk, "The father of the Emperor and the creator of Mankind. He has thus declared the Imperium of Mankind and all of its laws and practices defunct. He has, therefore, disbanded the Council of Terra and all other governmental bodies, including the Astra Militarum. All serving soldiers are relieved of duty and will become regular citizens of the New Imperium. You may choose whatever world you wish to settle on, and you will be transported there once this world is pacified and incorporated into the New Imperium."
"Heresy," shouts Colonel August, raising his weapon, "You are traitors in disguise."
"We are not, Colonel," says Sergeant Vargakk, "Believe what you wish, we are warriors, not statesmen. If you don't want any further help from us, then we will leave you now to rejoin the battle. I would advise you to head back directly and not attack any of our brothers you may cross. They may not show restraint."
With that, they simply fly away. Leaving the Catachans on their own in their shock.
"By the Throne, what is happening," says August, forming an Aquila. What kind of?