The Serenity XII Undertaking

[khakisuperbunny]

As stated in the topic description, this is a rewrite of my original story, after re-reading it, I thought it'd be best to just start again, add more context, fix errors etc. I hope you prefer this to how it was. Hopefully in the future I plan on adding more chapters...but for now...enjoy!

 

The Serenity XII Undertaking

 

Lake tranquil located on the continent of Poseidon, planet Serenity XII in the Reef stars today is not anything like its namesake.

 

The once peaceful shores of this massive lake, populated by birdlife and the fishing villages were gone. The planets vast ice blue lakes, renowned throughout the sector for its rich resources of fish, had been poisoned. The wildlife of the countryside had long been scared away. The village folk that had fished the lake for over three Terran centuries had been cruelly butchered or worse at the hands of the Primul invaders.

 

The planetary governor, after much debating with his peers, saw no other option than to send for help. Especially since over four fifths of their PDF had been annihilated, their Raptor cavalry charges, and las-lock rifles proved no match for the weapons of the enemy.

 

Serenity XII required aid. Aid from the defenders of all inhabited worlds in the Reef Stars. The planetary governor sent for the mighty Iron Snakes of Ithaka.

 

After many months of waiting, the seasons changing from the harvest to winter, and the slow and continuous torture and slaughter of the population, a new star appeared in the skies above Serenity XII.

 

Those people, brave enough to venture from their basements and bunkers to view the white pin prick in the night sky allowed themselves to hope that the god emperor was coming to save them at last.

 

And to save them He had - Ten of His finest warriors, the mighty Astartes, His ‘Angels of Death’. The most feared and elite fighting force the Imperium of man has at its disposal.

 

Typically a single Astartes warrior is enough to quell a insurgency. Ten could conquer a besieged planet, killing countless foe. The ten Brothers now descending to the planet’s surface would be more than enough to exterminate the wickedly cruel invaders.

 

The Iron Snakes Chapter Master – the great Seydon wanted a quick end to Serenity XII’s plight, seeing fit to send an entire squad of Iron Snakes to destroy the Frateries constant, and ever lurking nemesis.

 

+++++

 

It had been two standard months since their Thunderhawk touched down on the waterlogged wheat field outside the planets capital city. In those two months Aesop Squad had cleared the entire dark elder incursion bar one last town. The squad had killed hundreds of the Primul foe, and many sent others fleeing back from whence they came.

 

The Iron Snakes leader, Van’d had split his squad into five, sent each two squad members in a different direction in Land Speeder Tornadoes. Their journeys of blood soaked redemption had led them to the Primuls final stronghold – a small market town called Pike on the shores of lake tranquillity. Fortified and patrolled by a Ravager tank pack. The four groups reconvened on the hill side, south-west of the towns’ perimeter wall.

 

+++++

 

Brother Sergeant Van’d ducked back behind his vantage point and started the short walk down to his squad, after surveying the town for the better part of an hour, he saw no better way of assaulting the town than an all out attack on its walls. The air was crisp, a light frost the night before made the ground crunch as he trudged back down the slate rock outcrop, his breath steamed before him through the grille in his helmet.

 

The armoured giant came to abrupt halt, when his augmented senses heard the wail of a woman. At first he dismissed it as the wind whipping around his bulk, but as he strained his ears, it became a definite, cry, made possible only by a woman in pain.

 

Van’d dared a look back over the ridge to take a look. What he saw disgusted him, and made his blood boil.

 

Dozens of the tall, spiky creatures had gathered in the main square, on the shore of the vast lake. They were ritually torturing a defenceless girl. Van’d was thankful he was far enough away not to make out some of the more gruesome acts of the torture. But he was close enough to see she was sprawled spread eagled on the ground, limbs twisted into unnatural shapes.

 

He was close enough also to see a tall, - possibly the tallest Primul he’d ever had the dissatisfaction of laying eyes on - casually stride of to the now silent girl – Van’d assuming she had finally, and mercifully passed out from the pain – and drove a barbed sword through her heart, finally ending her misery. The large Primul who dealt the killing blow raised the sword to the sky and bellowed a triumph in his native tongue.

 

Van’d uttered a silent prayer to the soul of the deceased girl and turned around and strode back down the hill.

 

This had to stop, now – Van’d had seen things in his decades of service to the God Emperor of mankind, but that would forever haunt his soul. Van’d had to attack, his goal; to remove the head of the filthy xenos leader.

 

Van’d was notoriously hot headed when it came to matters of war. Some of the other squad leaders expressed their unease on a number of previous undertakings, about working alongside the brash and bold leader of Aesop squad.

 

The Frateries head Chaplain Cyclion had shushed them however – stating that an equal balance of level and hot headed leaders, often worked the best. Besides, Aesop’s victories were numerous, and the list of their commendations was long. Some said they were on the verge of becoming Notable.

 

He moved quickly back down the butte where the other nine members of Aesop squad were waiting, checking their weapons and armour, ready for the Battle ahead. They were surely blessed that they had lost none of their number of the previous months; the fighting had been barbaric at times.

 

Apothecary Stelios was attending to Brother Freed’s wound incurred on their last engagement where a filthy Primul had stabbed him between his chest plate and upper arm armour. The wound was infected, but the metabolism of the Astartes warrior was stopping the infection from felling the metal clad giant.

 

The most veteran member of Aesop; older than Van’d himself, Brother Hector, was praising the newest member, Brother Notus for his combat skill, gently reminding him however that he still had the most kills in this undertaking.

 

Brother Vale was thanking the machine spirit of his multi melta for its continued service, and goading it on to incinerate more of the enemy, The remainder of the squad; Brothers Luo, Abbot, Smythe and Oxban, were comparing this undertaking to previous; they couldn’t remember the last time they had had an undertaking that let them kill so many Primuls without a single loss.

 

Each man in Aesop carried his own weapon, which beside Brother Vale, was the holy Bolter, as well as a combat shield attached to his backpack and a short sword maglocked to his leg plate for when his ammunition ran dry or when combat dictated so.

 

At seeing their leader, each Astartes stopped what they were doing and turned to face their Sergeant. Van’d had stopped just before them, and opened his arms wide, and took a deep breath.

 

“Brothers, you have made me proud this undertaking, we have earned many battle honours here these last two months.” Several of the warriors nodded, others looked on stoically at the Sergeant, “The infestation of the Primuls is nearly cleansed. We have one last hurdle my friends. One more push before we can return to the great seas of Ithaka, our home!”

 

The nine marines banged their fists on their chest plates to show their approval. Van’d raised his sword and pointed it towards the besieged town of Pike.

 

“Let us rid this planet of the filthy xenos scum! Aesop squad, on me! Prepare for close combat!”

 

The men roared, as Van’d turned and began to run through the frozen forest towards their target and glory. Either side of him, he could see his nine brothers in combat formation. Beneath his helmet, a wry smile formed across Van’ds lips.

 

+++++

 

Aesop cleared the mile between their camp site and the edge of the tree line in less than four minutes, stooping into a crouch, each of their weapons trained on the outer walls of Pike, and the helmeted head bobbing up and down behind the comparative safety of its defences..

 

Despite his wound, Freed was still able to keep up, if a little more out of breath than normal. Van’d turned to him.

 

“Can you continue brother? Or has that Primul disabled my best swordsman?” he said, the side of his lip curled into a smile, hidden from the world by his expressionless helm. Freed chuckled, then hissed as the moving of his rib cage angered the wound.

 

“Of course I can brother sergeant; I intend to wet my blade a lot more before I die in service to the emperor”

 

Van’d clapped him on the shoulder, “Then let us earn glory here”,

 

In reality, Freed was in agony, the poison was creeping through his veins, he was determined however to enact his revenge and clear this world of Primuls before he passed on to the next life.

 

Van’d, hand still on Freed’s shoulder guard turned, “Brother Vale…remove their heavy support” nodding to the Ravager pair that were approaching the east.

 

“It would be my pleasure Brother Sergeant” remarked Vale, hefting the mighty multi melta around to face the oncoming threats.

 

Van’d issued the order, “On Vales signal, open up on the skimmers then assault the village, give them nothing, but take from them, everything”.

 

“Yes Brother Sergeant” came the reply in unison from the other nine iron giants waiting in the tree line.

 

Vale started the countdown as the skimmers came ever closer, the range finder on his optics whirring down at a dizzying rate, coloured red to show they were still outside optimum firing range.

 

“On my mark, 3…” Breathed Vale, the other warriors turned their Bolters to the approaching targets.

 

“2…” Every Brother took a steadying breath.

 

“1…” The ten Iron Snakes trigger fingers twitched.

 

“Release!” The tree line erupted in a fiery crescendo as Bolt guns barked and the Multi Melta spat.

 

Vale sent slug after slug of molten metal towards the lead Ravager. His first round impacted on its armoured nose, leaving a deep, melted gash on its prow, which glowed orange hot against the stark dark green of the armour. The second tore its way down the vehicles port side. Melting stabilisers and an anti grav exhaust. The dark machine violently jerked and rolled out of the sky, impacting with the frosted ground before exploding into a hellish green fireball. The members of the crew who weren’t hit by rounds from the Bolters were either crushed by the crashing skimmer or vaporised in the explosion.

 

The second vehicle; following too close behind and helmed by a pilot, whose reactions were just too slow, could do nothing to avoid the carnage in front of him.

 

The skimmer took the brunt of the explosion and was thrown somersaulting fifty metres into the air, throwing its passengers away like a child’s unwanted doll. Vale shot twice more for good measure at the tumbling vehicle, the first shot going wide, the second impacting in the centre of the ship, tearing it in two.

 

Fiery debris rained down around the Iron Snakes. Van’d raised his sword and opened his vox for the whole world to hear.

 

“Ithaka! Aesop advance!” His men, lead by his example, roared their approval as they charged headlong towards the weak defensive perimeter of the village.

 

They fired as they ran, rounds impacting on the fleshy targets that presented themselves, curious to see what had happened to their tanks. The fools exploded into meaty ribbons, losing limbs and heads as the explosive rounds struck home.

 

The warriors of Aesop sprinted through the burning wreckage of the destroyed Ravegers, green fire licked at their armour, to those watching from the parapets of Pikes walls; it was if Hades and his demons was emerging from the fires of hell.

 

Luo reached the sloped rockcrete wall first, in one massive leap his bolter was already crowning the top of the slopped wall and fired into the Primuls that were in the way, he constantly and slowly advanced. The others members of Aesop were soon beside him and within a minute and a half of the first shot being fired, Aesop squad were within the walls.

 

“Fan out!” called Van’d, “Rendezvous at the market square!”

 

They split into their designated five teams of two, Vale and Abbot staying on the wall to provide covering fire, the large and ancient Multi Melta would have been at a disadvantage in close quarters fighting. The others headed down side streets and into buildings, to clear the village.

 

A trio of dark plated Primuls rounded the corner beside Smythe and Oxben and unleashed a hail of splinter fire. Hardened glass disks deflected off the shoulder guards and thigh armour of the two Astartes as they bent into the crossfire to weather the attack. Splint shards drove themselves into their armour, defacing the snake sigils’ on their shoulders.

 

One of the Primuls charged, and received a punch to the face from Oxben, caving in its skull. The remaining two Primuls were dispatched by Smythes cleansing Bolter fire as they stopped to reload, before the Astartes continued on, deeper into the village.

 

Hector and Notus breached into the villages church, the walls black and cracked from a fire, a dozen corpses, were piled in the corner, pain etched across their faces, the flies were buzzing, laying their eggs in the meat. Notus hesitated to look, and sincerely wished he hadn’t. The two warriors advanced down the pews on either side. Aside from the bolter fire that could be heard outside, the inside of the church seemed quiet. Something Hector knew meant trouble.

 

“Keep your eyes open boy, I can smell them...” Whispered Hector, but no sooner had the words left his mouth than the shadow next to him detached from the wall, slicing downward in a long silver arc. Hector raised his arm to block the incoming attack out of instinct and lost his hand at the wrist because of it.

 

Hector screamed; more in rage, than from pain and head butted his assailant, sending his attacker reeling, he pushed his bolter into the snarling helmet of the hidden Primul, temporarily suspending it from the floor, trapped between the muzzle and the wall, Hector pulled the trigger once. Leaving a mess of pulp and brain matter against the wall and littering the floor with black-red blood. He turned and dispatched three more raiders that had left their places of concealment along the back wall, near the desecrated altar.

 

Notus was fighting a fight of his own, parrying the scythe from the hidden Primul on the opposite side of the church, with his short sword. The Primuls speed was impressive, but the young Space Marine was quicker, he parried another wild swing before reversing his blade and driving it deep into the Primuls belly, spilling its guts onto the church floor. The Primul crumpled at the warriors’ gore drenched feet.

 

“Apothecary Stelios!” Cried Notus into the vox, he had turned to see Hector squeezing his stump to stem the flow of blood. “Brother Hector requires help immediately, rendezvous outside the church, do you copy?”

 

“Confirmed Brother, we’re on our way to you now” grunted Stelios.

 

“I still got three more than you Notus” cracked Hector. The pair burst out a hearty laugh amongst the blood and stinking ichors of their dead enemies.

 

Stelios and Freed had been clearing the village hall when they were set upon by a dozen Primuls, who had been using the building as a temporary barrack. Armour scraped and banged against each other, as the two foes clashed; wood splintered, bones crunched, hot, steaming blood spilt to the floor.

 

Freed was now noticeably slower than he was usually, the poison was spreading like wild fire in his veins. He ducked, and parried a massive number of attacks; each of which would have skewered a normal human being. It was never going to be enough however. The deadly toxins, despite Stelios’ best efforts were taking their toll, Freeds hearts succumbing to the alien poison in his bloodstream.

 

Freed flinched mid strike against one of the witches, his sword becoming lodged halfway through its breast plate. Freed lost the grip on his weapon and bent to a knee, his target, sword still lodged in its chest fell to the floor in its death spasm. He gripped his chest above his heart, his left arm had gone numb; the Astartes was going into cardiac arrest.

 

“Freed! Behind!” Cried Stelios, watching as another Primul saw an opportunity and acted upon it, the Primul stabbed down into the soft armour behind Freeds’ head with its curved knife. Spine severed, it was a mercifully quick death for the Astartes. A warriors death, his body didn’t fall, his armour locked in place. Aesops luck seemed to have finally run out.

 

Stelios raged, he dismembered a Primul at the waist, its innards making a wet slapping sound and they hit the floor, before he decapitated the one who dealt the killing blow to his friend.

 

The building cleared, Stelios knelt beside the lifeless, still form of Freed and laid him down, ready for the removal of the sacred Progenoid gland, which held the genes of which Iron Snakes are made. He prayed the gland hadn’t also become infected with the poison. He acted quickly; making note to remember to have the gland thoroughly checked and tested for taint when they returned to Karybdis – the fortress moon of Ithaka.

 

Van’d heard the news over the vox. He felt the loss of his brother in arms, as did the rest of Aesop. The time for mourning for Freed was later however, he and his squad would toast to his name back on Ithaka, for now though, they each muttered a simple prayer for their battle brother.

 

Van’d ducked as a barrage of rounds splintered the woodwork above his head. Bolter in one hand Van’d turned and shot the Primul who dared to attack the veteran space marine, the explosive round tearing a bloody crater in the Primuls chest, throwing the now lifeless corpse backwards into a rotting stand of –what was – fresh fish.

 

Luo, carrying the squads’ standard, had lost his little finger to splinter fire, and had run out of ammunition himself. Prowling just ahead of his sergeant, shield raised and sword poised to strike like the serpent of which his chapter was named, He skewered every Primul that dared to get too close.

 

The fighting for the main square had intensified; an increasing number of Primuls were darting from the shadows trying to make the Iron Snakes their prey, each time though they met either the sharp end of Luos’ sword, or the explosive shell of a Bolter round.

 

Van’d could see his prize.

 

The massive Primul was easily a head above the sergeant himself, it was directing his minions with a wicked barbed staff. His human victim, who Van’d had seen from the hill top, was sprawled at his feet, her skin peeled back like a fruit skin on her face.

 

The sight was un-nerving, and strange to the Astartes warrior.

 

Van’d had battled the Primuls countless times on a hundred different worlds, yet he’d never seen such an offering before. The sergeant dismissed it for the time being and called over to Luo who was separating a Primul from its leg, before stabbing down into its face.

 

“I’m going for their leader Brother, cover me”

 

“Aye sergeant, I will hold these beasts at bay” replied Luo. As he uttered the words Oxben and Smythe rounded the corner, their armour slick with enemy blood.

 

“Oh look…reinforcements, you took your time brothers” said Luo, parrying a wild swing from a blade tipped rifle, before kicking his attacker in the chest, shattering its ribs.

 

Both Oxben and Smythe had expended their ammunition and had resorted to using their shields and swords. Smythe had the blade of an enemy weapon still embedded in the shields quarter. Oxben huffed, “My apologies, we were, otherwise engaged. Brother Sergeant we will Help Luo hold back the tide”.

 

Van’d was already away, affectively suffering from tunnel vision, nothing was going to keep him from his target, he cut Primul warriors in half as they approached him on his steady advance towards their leader, barely acknowledging their presence.

 

The tall Primul set his gaze upon Van’d and issued a warning in its mother tongue. The sergeant ignored it and charged, sword raised above his head, ready for a brutal killing blow. The leader parried, sidestepped the attack, raising his staff and smashing Van’d in the chest. His armour cracked under the force of the hammer blow and knocked him back several paces.

 

Van’d stooped low, altering his fighting stance, lifting his shield to his nose, and jabbed forward with his sword, snarling. The Primul parried and swung around aiming for the sergeants’ head, he ducked and rolled under the swing, slicing as he did so.

 

The cut tore into the side Primuls abdomen, sickly black-red blood began to seep from its armour. The Primul screamed and swung again despite its injury, clipping Van’ds helmet. The force, of the hit, although only glancing the sergeants’ helmet, was strong enough to cave the side in, cracking Van’ds eye visor.

 

He ripped his helmet off, revealing his face to the cold winters air for the first time since they had made planetfall and turned to face the Primul leader, blood from a cut on the side of his head, trickled down the side of his face and pitta patted on his metal collar.

 

The leader of the Primuls was, standing in an increasing pool of its own blood, staff arm outstretched in an attack stance, the other cradling its side.

 

It began to cackle, a high pitched note that made Van’d sneer.

 

“Chuu…chuu thiiink huuve huan huuuman...” it sputtered trying to mimic the Astartes language, “huu whill all die heeeere”, its life blood ran down his leg, the spiky clad Primul started to cackle again.

 

Van’d pointed his sword and at the leader of the Dark Eldar task force. “The only one who is dying here today is you witch!”

 

“Sso no-bal Ssnaake, chuu whill seee!”, the Primul leader hissed, and struck out wildly, trying to crush Van’ds skull for his insubordination. Meeting only the Sergeants round shield. Vand shrugged off the attack, raising his shield high above his head, thrusting his sword beneath the shield and into the Primuls stomach, the tip of his sword, poking through the armour on the other side.

 

The leader of the Primul warband screeched and staggered backwards, clutching its stomach, trying in vain to keep its innards from spilling onto the frosty ground.

 

With that Van’d raised his sword, and leaped forward, sweeping the blade down at an angle, cleaving the leaders head in two. The detached half clattered to the ground, the meat separating from the metal of its helmet as it impacted.

 

Black-red blood jetted from the artery in the Primuls open head in rhythm with its dying heart beat, adding more gore to the Sergeants gunmetal armour.

 

Van’d bellowed a mighty war cry to the heavens in victory. He didn’t pay attention to the clouds gathering high above his head.

 

+++++

 

Over the next twenty minutes Aesop squad cleared up the remnants of the Primul task force who had come to this isolated planet to pillage slaves to take back to Commorragh and mindlessly slaughter the people of Serenity XII who weren’t deemed worthy.

 

Serenity XII had been successfully purged of Dark Eldar, but at a high cost.

 

Not only had thousands of innocent civilians died, with countless others snatched away to be playthings for their new dark masters in the encounter, an Astartes warrior had also fell in battle, his Progenoid gland – the warriors legacy; was quite possibly spoiled.

 

Aesop squad regrouped in the village square. Sergeant Van’d and Apothercary Stelios pondering over the Primuls sacrificial victim sprawled at their feet. She seemed young; maybe late twenties. Her body had been cut and broken. Indeed, if they didn’t know better it almost seemed like a Chaos cult offering to their dark gods.

 

“Why do you think they did it?” asked Stelios, crouching down to the girl. Dense black clouds began to consolidate above the lake, hemmed in by the surrounding mountains.

 

“Why do the Primuls do a lot of things Apothecary” replied Van’d, “I cannot even begin to understand the way of the Primuls” he turned away, “Burn the body, may she swim in the endless ocean with the Emperor”.

 

The veteran sergeant looked to his men, milling about in the square, ritually checking each other’s armour for any breaches. Those with ammunition spare shared what little they had left throughout the group, even though the threat was gone - as they weren’t back at Karybdis it was standard procedure to remain at a constant state of battle readiness. Hectors wound had been seen to and cauterised by Stelios, and was currently bragging to Smythe how in fact the Primul that took it was actually as big as a grox…and that there were five of them.

 

The body of brother Freed lay behind them, arms across his chest. Each man having said their own goodbyes, and was ready to be carried back to the Thunderhawk and home.

 

“The sky grows dark” stated Notus, craning his neck.

 

“Tis winter Notus, the sky usually grows dark during a storm” heckled Abbot. The others sniggered.

 

Lightning struck the crippled church spire. The group waited for the inevitable thunderclap, however, none sounded. Then again a lightning fork struck, on the far side of the lake, again soundless.

 

“Sergeant?” asked Luo.

 

Before Van’d had chance to answer dozens of lightning strikes occurred around the lakes perimeter. One bolt struck Oxben, the force of the strike threw him to the ground in a heap, his systems shut down temporarily until they came back online moments later. Helped to his feet by Abbot, “Electrifying” he said, and received a stern “Shut up” from Oxben for the trouble.

 

A lightning bolt reached out from the skies and struck the disfigured girl on the bridge of her nose. The fleshy human body, unable to take such power, exploded like an over ripe tomato.

 

Then silence.

 

“Aesop…” began Van’d, still clutching his broken helmet, “I think it’s time we depa…”

 

Van’d didn’t even have time to complete his order. The sky boomed; the sound so loud, it was if the God Emperor himself had shouted, the shockwaves were so strong the Astartes were thrown onto their backsides, hands, instinctively reaching to cover their ears.

 

Van’d was deafened, without his helmet for protection, his ear drums took the full force of the sound, his ears bled, the only sound he heard was a high pitched and constant ring.

 

Staggering to their feet, Luo pointed to the lake.

 

“By the Emperor, Look!”

 

Every member of the squad turned to look; Van’d followed the pointing finger to stare at the lake.

 

The vast body of water was draining away, six huge whirlpools forming like those seen in the mediation baths when the water was released.

 

“What kind of new devilry is this?” said Hector to no-one in particular.

 

Muffled deep tones were returning to the sergeant, he could hear Stelios seeing to his bleeding ears, commenting about the wound as he did his work.

 

The lake; previously measuring millions of cubic meters of water was already half empty, it didn’t seem like it was going to staunch any time soon.

 

“Aesop squad, form up, defensive line on me” barked Van’d, ears, still ringing.

 

His men did so without hesitation. Van’d began to walk to the side of the lake to get a better view, his men following in step, Bolters drawn.

 

They stood at where the shoreline was before the lake began to drain, looking down into the abyss where the last of the lake water was beginning to dry up. The top of six structures were becoming visible. Each top was obsidian black, and polished to a smooth finish and high sheen. As more became revealed, the enhanced optics of the space marines could make out the pointing between the massive blocks, which glowed an ominous purple.

 

“What in the name of holy Terra are they? Remarked Notus.

 

The last of the murky water had drained away through the huge entrances of the structures, all of them resembling the pyramids of ancient Terra, each of the entrances were seemingly big enough to drive a Land Raider through with room to spare. The tips of each of the structures erupted into a ghostly purple light, shining upwards into the heavens.

 

They had obviously been constructed countless millennia ago, why they had never been discovered before was unknown; the possibility of the lakes just being too deep, the rich iron ore content of Serenity XII’s rocks throwing off planetary scans. There could be a number of reasons. The question was, why now?

 

In decades time, when questions were asked as to why at that bloody point in history that Vicas the Shadow decided to unleash his armies against the Reef stars, only one conclusion was made by the Iron Snakes Librarians. The Primuls had discovered the ancient evil, no doubt by unholy means, and decided that to eradicate the defenders of the reef stars once and for all, they were going to need a force of uncountable numbers. Only then would they be free to scavenge the leftover meat from the bones of the once prestigious reef stars.

 

Van’d, sensing his squads’ tension, turned to look at his men, his hearing was slowly returning, he could hear a sound like rushing water in his ears, “Steady Men” he breathed, and turned his head in time to see elongated shadows advancing towards the nearest pyramid entrance.

 

“By the emperor…are they…skeletons?” whispered Smythe.

 

A line of the creatures marched out of the pyramid entrance, thirty abreast, each holding a glowing rifle, the same colour as that seen on the pyramid structure itself. They continued to file out through the doorway,

 

Van’d had lost count of how many skeletal men deep the line had become. Similar movements were happening at each of the entrances, each column slowly making their way up the muddy, silt covered slopes of the once lake.

 

As their visors picked out more and more detail, they could see that these hulking men were made of metal. “What madness is this?” asked Abbot, earning himself a stern look from Hector.

 

“I have a bad feeling about this, Sergeant” noted Stelios, as a levitating barge, floated out of the pyramid opposite them. Riding it looked like another metal skeleton, but this one was different, it was decorated in gold, with a long flowing cloak. Surrounding it, were at least five others. Not as ornately dressed, but each as intimidating.

 

The line was drawing ever closer up the bank. Van’d decided that his curiosity was quenched. He felt that these metal men oozed evil; which was all he needed, This new threat must be eliminated at all costs.

 

“Aesop. My pride for you and your actions today know no bounds. I don’t know what the intentions of these robot men are, but I’ll be damned if I let them live long enough to find out” his men roared their approval once again, “Help me destroy them Brothers. For Glory!” the Astartes banged their chest plates, “For Ithaka!” cried Hector.

 

“For Ithaka!” bellowed the nine Brothers.

 

The skeleton warriors were a mere hundred meters away now.

 

“Fire until your ammo is expended, head shots only, I’m not taking any chances, then engage them in holy combat”, roared Hector, lifting his Bolter in his remaining hand.

 

Each man raised his Bolter, Vale, his multi melta, targeting reticules appearing numerously across their visors. The crosses flashing green immediately to show their targets were in range.

 

“Fire!” screamed Van’d.

 

+++++

 

Muzzles of Bolters spat out their ammunition at an incredible rate, the emotionless faces of the Astartes helmets bathed in constant flicker of strobe light.

 

The first line of these new warriors had fallen, seemingly unaware of the nine giants standing at the lip of the empty lake which they were trudging up.

 

Massive, hot slugs of molten metal flew out of Vales multi melta in almost a continuous burst. Each shot turned at least another three of the metal men into a heap of hot silver slag.

 

Metal skulls exploded from impacts from harden tipped, explosive filled bolts. Missed shots would impact on another less fortunate behind the intended target. Circuits fried and electricity spat. The first three lines of these warriors fell, before the Astartes needed to reload.

 

For most members of Aesop they were loading their last magazine. Only Luo and Abbot had a spare magazine after this.

 

The marines re-loaded from muscle memory, the experience of thousands of hours on the firing ranges, and countless wars helping make the reload as normal as breathing.

 

The Astartes fired again into the mass, felling more of the creatures, ritually shooting at the enemies’ heads. Notus could have sworn he saw some of the skeletons rise up again after being shot square in the chest by a stray bolter round. But then, there were so many enemies in front f him, it was hard to keep track.

 

“Where is the sport in this? They’re not even fighting back!” remarked Smythe, who had begun to laugh, encouraging Hector and Oxben to follow suit.

 

It wasn’t until their second round of ammunition depleted, the sliders of the Bolters sliding back for the final time did the skeleton warriors even look up. Stellios felt like they were staring into their very souls.

 

“Draw swords!” shouted Van’d. Only Luo, Abbot continue to fire their Bolters, until their ammunition had been depleted themselves.

 

“Phalanx!” ordered the Astartes sergeant, each man in turn raising their shields and overlapped each other to form an impenetrable wall.

 

Combat doctrine, and the fact he couldn’t carry a sword, thanks to the bulk of his weapon was Vale. He was the only one exempt from close combat and continued to fire his mighty weapon into the skeletons ranks, the muzzle was becoming white hot.

 

That was when it happened.

 

The newly formed front rank of the metal skeleton warriors raised their weapons, and discharged their Gauss ammunition into the rank of the Emperors finest.

 

What had saved most of the marines was the fact they were hidden behind their shields, the intense energy deflecting away from those who held their defensive weapons high.

 

Vale though had no such protection. Several of the energies from the ungodly weapons hit him at once. The mighty warrior was effectively flayed alive, molecule by molecule; everything that made Vale, Vale was sucked back into the weapons that shot their deadly force. He never even had time to react, only a brief scream escaped his lips.

 

The others who weren’t trying to hold back the tide of purple fire watched in abject horror, as they saw Vale melt before their very eyes.

 

0.45 seconds later, the multi melta in Vales hands exploded – unable to withstand the punishment of being shot by such intense energy. The ancient weapon exploded with the force and heat of a small sun.

 

Abbot, who was closest, simply vaporised in a muffled curse, three of seven remaining members of squad Aesop were thrown into the mass of approaching skeletal warriors. The sides of those remaining were scorched black and knocked downs to a knee.

 

Metal squealed as the heavy Astartes landed on the creatures, crushing some outright, and knocking another half dozen over, like humanoid bowling pins.

 

Van’d, Hector, Stelios and Notus were on their feet in an instant, still at the lip of the lake, “Charge!” bellowed Van;d – hoping to save the three members of his squad that were thrown into the throng of lifeless warriors. They soon found themselves chopping and hacking their way into the mass, soon finding themselves surrounded.

 

Smythe was the fourth member of Aesop squad to die this day, unconscious from the blast; his prone still form was evaporated as one of the skeletal warriors set upon him with its Gauss weapon.

 

Oxben, having seen his oldest friend disintegrate in front of his him, shoulder barged into the skeleton that took his friends life and ripped its head off, before beating another into its basic circuitry with the lifeless skull in his hands.

 

Luo, still on the floor swiped with his short sword, hacking through several metal legs in one fell swoop, the soulless bodies toppling to the floor around him. Pouncing to his feet, he hacked a path towards Oxben, who was going berserk in front of him.

 

Luo carved his way through the throng to find that Oxben had thrown his makeshift weapon into the ranks and had found his sword amongst the silt. The Astartes was chopping two handed like a lumberjack would a tree, standing on an ever increasing mound of skeletal warriors.

 

+++++

 

Too far away for any of the Space Marines to see the command Barge carrying the leader had stopped, becoming a spectator to what was happening further up the line. The slow displeased him, he wanted to reclaim this world in the name of the his millennia dead father.

 

He looked to the closest of his brothers. Without a word said between them, the brother-bodyguard knew instantly what his leader and once blood sibling desired. He raised his ancient halberd and screeched a command in their ancient language.

 

+++++

 

Hector and Stelios were fighting side by side, as was the sergeant and Notus.

 

Van’d inwardly cursed. How could things have gone so wrong in such a short space of time? He’d lost three of his best in a matter of minutes against this countless foe, and still they came. He heard something cry out far away, but was too busy to pay it any heed.

 

When something odd happened.

 

As one, the skeletal men retreated a step back and weapons still trained on Van’ds Snakes.

 

The Astartes warriors, mid attack, only managed to connect with air, as their targets, suddenly stepped out of reach.

 

Recovering, the warriors of the Iron Snakes attempted to swipe again, when the air round them fizzed. Hector and Van’d had witnessed such things before from the mighty Notable squad Skypio in their lumbering Terminator armour, and knew what was about to happen.

 

“Teleporters!” yelled Hector, eyes wide in terror.

 

In a flash of blue light, a new kind of skeletal warrior stood in front of each man. Long blue staffs in their hands. They had barely materialised when they swung the weapons with grace and connected with those not quick enough to react with this new foe.

 

Luo, was struck in the head. The force of the impact crushing his skull as if it was aluminium can. The squads standard bearer sagged to his knees and fell to the ground. Squad standard slopping into the damp mud beneath him.

 

Notus, the newest member of the squad raised his shield for it to be splintered into fragments. Breaking his forearm. He winced, then swung out, lunging at his opponent with his good arm.

 

Oxben, while putting up a valiant fight, managing to remove one of this new enemy’s accursed arms, was shocked to see it lash out at him with its remaining arm, spearing the space marine through the chest.

 

The mighty warrior gurgled a curse as the staff drove deeper through his torso, bringing the skeletal warrior closer. Oxben, with his last remaining strength, punched it in the face, breaking off its metal jaw. The metal man retaliated in kind and broke the Astartes’ neck, turning it sickeningly back on itself.

 

Stelios was the next to fall. Hard as he might he couldn’t land a single blow on the warrior in front of him. The beast swept the long staff down onto the Apothecaries head. The strength of the blow snapped the spine of the old man, driving his head partially into his chest before his lifeless body fell to the ground.

 

Van’d screamed in rage. This was a disaster, not only had he lost over half his men, he’d lost the squad standard, and his apothecary.

 

He decapitated the warrior in front of him triumphant, its body spasming and jerking as it fell into the dirt. There was only one thing they could do now.

 

“Fall back! Fall back and consolidate!”

 

He turned to see Notus struggling against the warrior in front of him. And dived in to help, chopping his way through the several metal warriors carrying the glowing weapons to get to his inductee.

 

Sword raised, as he did with the Primul leader he jumped, and sliced down. Too late the metal warrior turned to see the Astartes fling towards him. His entire body was cut into two pieces, from skull to crotch.

 

“Move boy! Back up the slope!” shouted Van’d. “Hector! On me!”

 

Hector finished cutting the metal close combat warrior into three pieces and stepped back, shield still raised in front of him with his handless arm and was soon beside Van’d and Notus’ side.”

 

The fell back as one, Hector in the centre, shield raised was protected on his flanks by his two battle brothers.

 

The three remaining metal warriors who had killed Luo, Oxben and Stelios, shrieked and advanced upon the Astartes quickly. Behind them the parade of gauss weapon carrying skeletons restarted their march up the hill.

 

Knowing they were outnumbered, and hopelessly outgunned, Van’d had a moment of metal clarity, he spoke softly, eyes remaining on their advancing enemies. “Notus…”

 

“Notus, you must fall back to your Land Speeder, then on back to the Thunderhawk. Warn our brothers’ back home of what has happened here, that they must raise the full Fratery to defeat this foe.”

 

“I can’t do that Brother Sergeant. I cannot leave you two here willingly to die” stated Notus flatly.

 

“That was a direct order from your sergeant, brother” growled Hector, eyes transfixed on the sight of the encroaching metal warriors before him.

 

“Go Notus” reassured Van’d, “Give me your sword” The newest member of Aesop begrudgingly did as he was told and swapped swords with his sergeant. “You are carrying Aesops own sword, use it to form a new squad. Continue the glorious name of Aesop and our deeds here back to Ithaka”.

 

Notus nodded, inwardly he fought a self battle, he would never abandon his squad, but he knew what his Sergeant wanted him to do was of grave importance. He turned and sprinted back up the last few meters of silt and stood at the lakes crest to look upon his Brothers one last time.

 

“Go…Now!” Roared Van’d.

 

With that, seeing that one of their pray was escaping. The metal, staff wielding warriors pounced. One tried to leap over the two remaining veterens of Aesop. But was cut in half mid air by the turning Van’d.

 

The other two metal men crashed into the two remaining Astartes. One impaled on Van’ds backward stroke of his sword. The other crashed into hector, both falling in a heap on the floor.

 

In an instant the close combat warrior was up, poised to spear hector on the ground. It didn’t realise something had gone wrong until it noticed its face was in the mud, looking up at the sky, the rest of its body falling onto its decapitated head.

 

“I had him you realise Vicktor” said Hector, using his Sergeants and friends first name, he didn’t see much point in formalities now, rising to his feet.

 

“I know friend, I was merely hoping to up my tally and beat your total”

 

Hector let out a chuckle, “I lost count anyway…shall we start again Brother, first one of us to be at the Emperors side loses?”

 

Van’d let out a throaty laugh, “…Your on”.

 

The two mighty Astates, His ‘Angels of Death’. The most feared and elite fighting force the Imperium of man has at its disposal, charged into the mass of skeletal warriors who continued to advance up the slope.

 

Both were stripped molecule by molecule by a mass ranked fire from the emotionless metal men before they could land the first strike.

 

Meanwhile, Notus, the last of Aesop, ran.

 

+++++

 

Those armoured Giants had been tougher than Vicaz – the leader of the Necron warriors that now sought to reclaim this star system in the name of his father as it had belonged to countless millennia ago, had imagined. He’d calculated that at least 0.15 percent of his force had been destroyed.

 

They had even felled six of his brothers’ elite Vanguard. It was of no matter. Hundreds more would fill their places.

 

He turned and looked to his five brothers. They each took a knee and bowed before their leader, the one they had sworn an oath to their father to protect at all costs so long ago.

 

This system…is ours, thought Vicaz, and turned to watch his warriors burn the village that the giants had stood before.

 

+++++

 

Light-years away, across the vastness of space, in his humble room in the Fortress monastery on Karybdis, Chief Librarian Petrok awoke with a scream and a cold sweat; frost covered every surface of his room.

 

He had to inform Chapter Master Seydon of his vision at once.