Everything and everyone around me scattered, screaming in fear and panic. The Traitor Astartes disappeared, likely regrouping in the face of this new... enemy? I still wasn't sure if I truly thought of the Balrog as an enemy. It didn't even belong to this universe, did it? It was an outsider, pulled from its world and shoved here. If anything, I felt pity for the creature. It might've been an entity of malice and darkness, and it might've looked like a Daemon, but it was innocent of any crime here and it most definitely was not a Daemo. And I had to kill it, begrudgingly, because it would become a threat to mankind, otherwise. But that didn't mean I'd enjoy it.

Or, honestly, that I'd even win.

Because that thing was just standing there, taking a thousand artillery strikes to the face and not even flinching. By the Emperor, what was I supposed to even do against something of that magnitude? Was the ring truly so powerful as to summon such a foe?

Well, it was here now. And there was not a single point in that trail of thought. Whatever the case, I'd deal with it later. After all, it didn't seem to be taking any side and the only ones it could feasibly attack at the moment were the traitors. It very easily broke through their siege lines after all. Its presence, at least for now, was a boon for the defenders of Kuresh.

The ground shook as the entity swung its hip and turned an entire mountain range – one that'd been used by the traitors and heretics as a staging ground for aircraft and artillery – into dust and rubble in what seemed like an instant. Was it even technically my enemy at this point? Thus far, all it was doing was killing traitors and breaking their lines, softening them up for the eventual counterattack of the guard.

I shook my head and walked forward. Amidst the chaos of screaming, screeching, and panicking traitors, no one really noticed me. I would've loved to kill them all for daring to turn their back against the God Emperor and turning, instead, to the dark powers, but I still had an STC to deliver and time was of the essence; after all, that Balrog would eventually turn its attention upon the loyal soldiers and servants of the Imperium. I had to be ready to face it by then.

Eventually, I was able to pass under the void shield that covered the entire Hive City. Tuned to resist high-kinetic rounds and las-beams, it hardly deterred me as I walked through; it was the one weakness of void-shields, I figured. Once, long ago, I heard some of the veterans talking about it, and they'd mentioned this particular weakness that both allowed for and necessitated the use of infiltrators to disable the shield generators. Of course, since this was a well-known weakness, sending in infiltrators was easier said than done as it was the expected tactic. There were mountains and hills of bodies around me, likely the heretics who attempted that very same maneuver.

Already, I knew I was being watched. So, I raised my hands over my head. Hopefully, my brothers and sisters would not shoot first, before asking for my identifications.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Ah, there it was. I did as commanded and stopped. However, I knew that wasn't enough. So, I lowered my head and knelt, my hands still raised over my head – a show of cooperation and surrender. My life was in their hands. Loyalty and obedience, I mused, were the two greatest traits that a guardsman had to possess – loyalty to the Imperium and obedience to the chain of command. I liked to believe that I possessed enough of both. And that my brothers and sisters would, at the very least, hear me out. "IDENTIFY YOURSELF OR FACE THE EMPEROR'S WRATH!"

"I am Private Perry Anatinus of the 104th!" I announced, screaming at the top of my lungs, while still keeping my head down. No doubt, about a thousand lasguns and las-cannons were aimed my way. A single misstep and I'd be vaporized; I couldn't heal from such a state. More than that, I understood their need for caution. I'd be doing the same thing were our places exchanged. "My identification number is 344458991A!"

Several silent moments passed, before anything happened. The first I noticed was that the guns were suddenly turned away. The second thing was a soft metallic groan, akin to a door being opened. "You've been identified, guardsman! Stand up slowly and step through the gate for debriefing! The Emperor Protects!"

I did as commanded and, very slowly, stood up. I kept my hands up, of course, as I approached the wall. There wasn't a gate, per se, but I did note a small opening that hadn't there before, large enough for a human being to barely crawl through – an emergency hatch, perhaps?

Regardless, I approached and began crawling through. It took me almost a minute before I finally reached the other side, a testament to the thickness of the walls that protected the Hive City, mankind's bulwark against the darkness. When I emerged on the other side, I was immediately surrounded by fellow guardsmen. I knew what it meant, a silent warning and an implied threat. So, once again, I raised my hands over my head and kept still. They did not aim their weapons at me, at least. A man approached me, I noted, a Captain. The guardsmen saluted and I did the same.

"At ease," He commanded. None of them seemed to be suspicious of me, which was a relief. They were just following protocol. The officer then took a step towards me. "Your identifications have been confirmed. Welcome back into the Emperor's service, Private Anatinus. We received reports that the 104th had been utterly annihilated during the final assault; it is a joyous thing to know that, at the very least, there is one survivor."

"Follow me, private." The Captain said, turning and walking away. The other guardsmen accompanied me as I followed the lieutenant. Curious and fervent glances were sent my way, usually by the surrounding guardsmen who'd heard and listened to the brief conversation. Whispers abounded, exchanged in hushed and strangely reverent tones.

"He survived the assault?"

"I thought the 104th was massacred to the last man?"

"He must've been blessed by the Emperor himself."

"Is he a saint?"

"Amazing, he made his way here, even after his battalion was destroyed?"

There were plenty more. And I wasn't sure what to feel about any of them. As loathe as I was to admit it, it wasn't by the Emperor's will that I was brought back to life, but by the will of other gods, who wished to play with the galaxy through me. I couldn't tell them that. I couldn't tell anyone that. It was a secret I'd take with me, even in death, if such a thing was still possible for me.

"In there," The Captain pointed at a... washroom? "You smell like shit. Clean up. You have two minutes."

After that, I was led into an office within a bunker, where a Colonel and a Tech-Priest awaited. The moment we entered, I stopped and saluted. Sitting alone in the corner was a Commissar. The Colonel, an aged and grizzled veteran, nodded at the Captain and I. Before the Colonel was a mug of recaff and in his hand was a report of some kind. But I'd seen enough officers that his presence wasn't particularly alarming. My eyes widened at the Tech-Priest. This was my chance. "At ease, gentlemen."

The colonel gestured towards a pair of seats right in front of his desk. And in front of those seats was a pair of mugs, filled with recaff. "Take a seat, gentlemen. We have much to discuss."

The Captain sat first to the immediate right of the Colonel, while I sat to the left. The Colonel dropped the data-pad in his grasp and turned to me. It was only then that I noted his missing eye, replaced by a bionic implant – a scanner of some sort. Those things must've cost a fortune, I figured. Only the higher ups ever had them. "You must be Perry Anatinus of the 104th."

"I believe I must ask the obvious." The Colonel began, turning to me with grim eyes. "How did you survive, young man? There were three hundred thousand brave soldiers in the 104th and all of them died in the initial assault. But you survived – alone. How?"

I straightened my posture.

The Astartes senses I'd spliced into my own flesh informed me of the fact that there were numerous Las-guns aimed right at me from outside, held by marksmen. I see; so, that's why I was given the leftward seat, close to the window. The Colonel wasn't sure if I could be trusted. This likely wouldn't be the first time a Heretic tried to sneak through the Void Shields. They had to make sure. A single wrong word or even a sudden movement on my part would mean the end. A single Las-gun could kill me by vaporizing my brain; several of them at once would just turn my whole body into bloody mist. "I survived by the Emperor's grace, my lord, and with plenty of luck. When the firing started and my brothers and sisters all fell around me, I tripped into a furrow in the ground and the corpses that fell over shielded me from the rest of the onslaught. When I emerged from the mountain of bodies, I was... alone and I had no idea what I was supposed to do. But I knew, then, that I had to make my way back to Command for further orders."

I had to lie. The truth was... beyond them, so utterly alien that the very thought of it would never occur to them to be true. It would've been easier to admit that I had fallen to heresy and chaos in comparison. I hated the idea of lying to them, to my superiors, to my brothers and sisters, but this was as much for their sake as it was mine.

"You crawled through the traitor lines and made your way back to Kuresh on your own?" The Colonel repeated, a single brow raised. Beside him, the Tech-Priest... spoke in binary, something I didn't understand, but everyone else in the room evidently did, because the Colonel, the Lieutenant, and the Commissar all had visible reactions. My eyes narrowed. After a moment, the Colonel nodded and pushed aside the data-pad on the table. Muted words were exchanged between them, but in a language I didn't understand. I didn't have time to ponder it any longer as the Colonel turned to me. "Very well, guardsman, you've proven your bravery, your strength, and your skill in the field of battle. For that, you're now promoted to Lieutenant of the 104th, effective immediately."

"Captain Dan here will be your Commanding Officer." The Colonel continued. My eyes widened. To be promoted to Lieutenant was a hefty responsibility, one I did not feel I deserved. Still, it was also an honor and, more importantly, a responsibility that needed to be upheld. I also had no idea how to command others. "The 104th will be rebuilt. Once this war is over and the heretics and traitors are exterminated, a fresh batch of conscripts will be sent your way and you will lead them."

I nodded. I didn't care for it. But, as long as I served mankind and the Emperor, then I'd take on any responsibility. "Understood, sir. I'll do my best."

Fast. Too fast for it to make sense to me.

"For now, I'm assigning you to the 106th. We will be counterattacking soon. Augur scans report a Daemonic entity of some sort, wreaking havoc upon the traitor lines. We can use that to our advantage. If we sally out and break their siege, then we'll be free to liberate other strongholds and cities." The Colonel explained. "The both of you are dismissed."

The Captain stood up and immediately walked away, only stopping to turn and look at me when I did not do the same. "Did you not hear the dismissal, Lieutenant?"

The Colonel merely sent me a questioning gaze. "Sir, during the course of my journey to Kuresh, I encountered and engaged numerous traitor and heretic forces. And I found, among them, what I believe might be an STC."

I reached into my pocket and willed forth the STC there, right in my grasp. It was small, actually, about the size of a grenade, spherical in shape. The Tech-Priest lurched forward, nearly breaking the Colonel's table as he – it? - moved towards me, its mechadendrites spread outwards. Shrugging, I placed the STC down on the table and rolled it towards the Tech-Priest. I couldn't stop myself from grinning. This was it, the moment of mankind's salvation. Through the STC, humanity would finally push back against the dark. This was victory.

If I died now, then I'd die happy, knowing I'd done my duty to the Imperium.

The Tech-Priest grabbed the STC, reverently holding it, and scanned with strange devices that came out of its head. After a moment, the Tech-Priest let out a series of noises in what I assumed as binary, before placing the STC in a compartment within its chest cavity. There was something odd about that, I noted. The Tech-Priest seemed oddly calm - not quite the reaction I would've expected from one of their kind. But, I didn't think too much of it. "By the Omnissiah, this must be taken to the nearest Forge-World at once!"

The Tech-Priest turned to the Colonel, who raised a brow. Hmm... behind the Colonel... what was that symbol? "The STC is worth more than the entire system, Colonel. It must be delivered off-world immediately."

The Colonel seemed to understand immediately as he nodded. This was good. Humanity was at its strongest when we all worked together toward a common goal. "I'll send the rest of the veteran squadrons to accompany you to the shipyard. There should still be a few transport barges. I've lost contact with the Admiral, which means I'm the highest ranking officer; so, do what you deem to be necessary, even if you must commandeer a ship by the authority of Mars. No one will deny your mission, priest; the veterans will make sure of that. Mankind will not be denied this."

The Colonel then turned to me. "Change of plans, Lieutenant. As the one who found the STC, you'll be accompanying the Tech-Priest. I'm sure there's a rather hefty reward waiting for you on the other side. Now, get out of here; I have a city to defend."

I breathed in and shook my head. "I respectfully decline, sir. I need no reward for doing my duty. I will stay here and fight alongside my brothers and sisters, sir."

The Colonel grinned.

The Tech-Priest turned to me and nodded. "Your diligence and your loyalty are noted, Lieutenant Anatinus. But whether in life or death, the Martian Brotherhood will see to it that you are rewarded properly."

Something moved beside me, a flicker of color in the walls - unnatural. Familiar.

Ah.

"I knew something was wrong when I wasn't immediately arrested." It didn't matter now. I took on the form of an Astartes, Power Armor and all, surged forward, and punched a hole right through the Tech-Priest's chest, before grabbing and sending the STC into my Inventory, before any of them could react.