Author's Note: Hey Everybody, Ghostwriter765 back again. Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, I was a bit busy grinding Elden Ring (buddy got it for me during steam summer sale) But I'm back, re-energized and ready to continue this story. Also I got into AO3, you can check it out there under my same name. So with all that out of the way.
Lets get into the fic!
This invasion seemed to be progressing at an alarming rate, she thought. While finding her armor had been relatively trivial, the lock the marines had put on the store room temporarily impeded her progress, but it was nothing kicking the door off it's hinges couldn't fix. But after she acquired her armor, Hathor began to search the compound for the Command Center.
The roar of artillery fire and bolter fire in the distance sped up her search. They wouldn't be long, she asserted.
Eventually, she located what appeared to be the main Command Center for the compound and opened the door to the building. As soon as it opened, she noticed two Guardsmen standing at the entrance, likely expecting someone to enter. They drew their Lasguns on her, but she didn't even spare a glance at them as she walked past them, her very presence scaring the Guardsmen to their cores.
She heard some commotion on the other side of the door in front of her. This was likely the planning room, she thought.
The automatic door opened with a whoosh. She overheard the commotion inside the room, several marines and a guardsmen stood in front of a Holodisplay, which she assumed showed the battlefield. They were too distracted to notice her presence.
"Lady Jullia, my men can't hold the position for much longer. The frontline is being overrun…" The guardsmen's exasperated breath leaked out of his tired face.
"We must hold the line Commander, order your men to double their resolve…" The marine next to him said with a gusto.
"But…"
"That IS AN ORDER!" The marine tone's elevated, the situation and the Commander's hopeless attitude seemed to be eating away at the marine's resolve.
"If you focused your artillery on supporting the frontline, instead of trying to pick off enemy cores it would be easier for the guard to hold their line." She had made her presence known.
The entire room went silent as they all looked at the Primarch now standing in the doorway, the chaos of this invasion preoccupying them until now.
The lead marine drew her bolt pistol… but didn't fire.
"How did you escape?" She questioned, her finger tensed on the trigger of her sidearm.
"You left a metal cot in my cell" She responded. Momentarily the marine's face took on a confused look, but then realization donned on her.
"Why are you here?" The marine seemed skeptical of her intentions, or was simply questioning why she hadn't simply slaughtered them instead of drawing attention to herself.
"I want to help" Simple, kurt and quick. Hathor knew beating around the bush would only cause them to distrust her even more.
"Why should I believe you? You are Hathor Lupercal, the Arch Traitor herself, you'd sooner stab us in the back and hand over this planet to the forces of Chaos. So why shouldn't I put a bolter round through your skull right now?" The marine venomously spewed.
"What other choice do you have?" She said simply.
"Elaborate" The marine curtly replied, her finger still firmly planted on the trigger of her bolt pistol.
"There is not a word I can say that would convince you of my intentions, our meetings have proved as much, but this planet is under siege. Your men are fighting, and dying out there and you have before you a Primarch, a child of the Emperor himself, who is offering her services to fight alongside them. So I will ask you again, Marine, what choice do you realistically have?" Her voice was flat, to the point, like she was stating the most boring fact she could think of.
The marine paused for a moment, as another shell was seemingly fired from the artillery, shaking the building's foundations.
"If you betray my trust, I won't hesitate to put a round through your skull." Jullia said with a gruff as she stowed her firearm.
"I would assume nothing less" Hathor replied, as the uneasy truce had been established. Step one, completed.
"What's the situation?" Hathor asked as she approached the Holodisplay.
"3 Chaos vessels arrived in orbit about an hour ago. The first wave of their forces arrived near our position less than 30 minutes ago in this sector." Jullia said as she pulled up the survey of the battlefield.
"My forces are currently acting as a frontline against the wave, but we are being overrun, already we have had to concede this territory." The guardsmen commander said in conjunction, outlining an area in the display, turning it from blue to red, signifying that it changed hands.
"Where are your marines?" Hathor quickly asked.
"Half of my men are holding the sector, alongside some guardsmen. With the rest out securing these sectors. Our force is not large, so many of my men are only one squad in strength." The marine replied. Hathor then began to contemplate what she should do.
"Do we have a force estimate?" Hathor questioned.
"Around 200 Marines, with an attachment of Chaos forces alongside them. We have received reports of Daemons and other Chaos Spawn on the battlefield." Jullia replied, still unsure as to what exactly the Primarch was planning.
"I have decided. The forces of Chaos are likely here for me, if they find out about my presence on one the fronts, they will likely send everything there. Concentrate your fire on this front." Hathor pointed to one of the active fronts on the map.
"I will draw as much attention as I can muster, rally your forces, we will draw them into as disadvantageous a position as we can." Hathor's plan was laid out in front of the marine.
"But…"
"I will not be of much use standing around here." Hathor quickly rebutted.
"I do not know your men, nor do I claim to understand the strategies of Dorn, so I will not interfere here. I trust your judgment marine." Hathor said as she began to leave the room.
"Markus, Leane, get a Repulsor and go with Lady Lupercal." Jullia said as Hathor stopped at the doorway.
"Yes Ma'am!" Both marines replied.
"You have my thanks." Hathor said.
"I didn't do it for your sake, I can't have you try to escape in the battle. This is my… insurance" Jullia replied, a smug tone accompanying her stiff posture.
"I still offer it nonetheless" Hathor said as she left the room, not even looking back at the marines' face.
The two marines followed her out of the building, as she walked past the two guardsmen that had originally pulled their weapons on her, she saw their shocked faces.
"The Repulsor is this way, follow me." The male marine, Markus, she guessed, guided her to the large tank.
As she got in, she remarked, "So that is the name of this new tank, clever…" She tried to engage with the marines but was left with a stone silence that persisted throughout the duration of the trip.
"We will arrive in 5 minutes, Lady Lupercal." The main marine at the controls of the tank said through his gravel vox speaker, not even bothering to face her.
"Thank you marine" She replied. She seeked to ask the marine more about the situation but she knew that she would be stone walled again, so instead she was focusing on her plan of action.
Her goal was to draw as much of the enemy forces as she could to her position. This specific front was situated on the edge of a natural valley, quite advantageous terrain even considering the obvious numerical disadvantage. The bottleneck of the terrain would give the marines and guard forces the higher ground, and her presence on the battlefield would compensate for the lack of manpower.
On top of that, her knowledge of how Chaos forces behave came into great use, as she herself was responsible for many of the strategies being adopted during her rebellion. She knew that the Chaos forces had to have a significantly intelligent commander running their operation, and if said commander was killed, it was very likely the order in their ranks would be broken.
The tank's movement came to halt.
"We have arrived, Lady Lupercal" The marine at the controls said, as he stood up and retrieved his weapon.
She didn't respond as she stood up from her seat, and went to stand by the exit door. Her own mind preoccupied her attention.
It was time to find out who came to get her… And time to show the marines who she really was…
It was time for the Warmaster to return to the battlefield…