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The sound of explosions pummeling the city scape boomed within the escape tunnel. Squee clutched at her iron pin chained to her neck and shivered in the freezing cold as the snot running from her nose solidified. The urchin was covered in fifth and hard black dirt was packed under grimy broken fingernails. There came the sudden braying of the mutants standing at the entrance. Squee pushed down into the shadows hiding from them. They sniffed about as the fiends began to enter the tunnel. Slowly the mutants spread about searching for new victims. The taller one illuminated an electronic torch casting the yellow filtered light upon the floor. Squee clasped at a small rock with her other hand and threw it across the beam. It crashed against the far wall then fell against the floor. Quickly turning to investigate the mutants stared into the darkness looking into the blackness. The urchin bolted from her hiding place running into the tunnel.

Squee ran hard as she disappeared blending into the blackness. The cold air burned as she gulped it in through her chaffed lips. Her soft soled boots padded quietly along the broken cobbles of the floor. She could hear the mutant pack reacting to her rapid movement. The thin beam of yellow tinted light skewered the surrounding void but missed her. Deeper and deeper she ran as fast as her little legs could carry her. Hot salty tears ran down her dirty cheeks smudging them. Still clutching the iron pin she turned the corner at the first junction.

The sounds of the big mutants in pursuit filled her ears as the monsters howled and snorted. She could hear their gun fire as it exploded against the walls chipping away the ancient stone and lit up the immediate area. Her lungs burned and her little legs ached but fear drove her on into the heart of the darkness. Squee ran into a different tunnel as she approached another junction but could not shake off the mutants whom sounded much closer now. They continued to fire their weapons and chipped stone showered onto her face as she ducked underneath a hanging conduit. Squee could hear their iron shod boots crashing against the floor behind her. She saw a small crawl hole and leapt into it burrowing into the tight confines. The crawl way was damp and filled with wet sewage. Squee pushed along the bottom twisting about as she quickly worked her way into the void. The large mutants couldn't fit inside and she smelled their rage as they yelled with hateful fury. Suddenly there was more gun fire just as she reached a corner and pulled herself through the tight jam. Bolter shells smashed into the area she just left showering her with pulped filth. Squee took a moment to catch her breath and wiped away the sludge on her face with her free hand.

Squee listened to the mutants gibbering to one another in anger while she caught her breath. Slowly she began to crawl away slithering through the tight space. The filth filled the air with an arbitttor of foul odor that brought tears to her eyes. The sound of the mutants began to dim as she continued to crawl on her belly through the crawl space. It was a bit warmer and cold sweat broke out soaking her back.

Squee continued to crawl along until reaching a point where the space opened enough so that she could sit up. She put her back to the wall and let out a short sigh while rubbing her hands against the front of her pants in a vain attempt to remove some of the filth. Taking a stocking cap from a pocket in her coat she pushed up her long blonde hair underneath it as she pulled it down tight against the top of her head. A brief trace of light played across the floor then vanished. She looked up to see there was a grilled hub just above her.

++ ONBOARD THE BATTLE CRUISER INDOMANITUS ++

The Space Marine looked upon his sole battle brother and grimaced inwardly. His one arm was truncated by a huge power fist which digits he involuntarily curled and uncurled as he slowly inhaled the fetid air. His other gauntlet clutched at the spiraled hilt of his long force sword sheathed in an admantium brace clustered with fine gem stones gathered from across the galaxy and scriptures of unspeakable chiseled runes. His dark face was pitted from a gout of acid blood sprayed from the killing wound to a giant Broodlord he had slain within the deep confines of a space hulk long ago. Tightl fitting cables seated into the psychic hood shone with a green ember and seemed to twist about like a nest of hungry serpents. His armor was pitch black from head to toe except for the shoulder pads. One sported the ancient symbol of the Deathwatch while the other was umber toned depicting the great seal of his Chapter the Doom Warriors. The Librarian's name was Ustis and etched across the top of his broad chestplate.

The other Marine was also a member of the Deathwatch and originally was a master artisan Techmarine from the Storm Lords Chapter. Sparks of blue electricitty played along his metal teeth when he spoke. "I can no longer be of service to you or this ship." he spat at Admiral Goffunstein. "My work is done."

Goffenstein snarled as he looked up at the imposing figures. "You'll do as I say by decree of the Imperial Navy. There is still much work to do..."

Ustis slowly lifted his gauntlet from the sword. "You will abide by our agreement. We are here in lieu of the Black Ships to seek a potent young psyker. We must make planet fall within the next hour."

"Two Astartes versus the hordes of Chaos filth?" Goffenstein questioned rhetorically. "You won't stand a chance."

"We are all that's left of our kill team. It will be enough." said the Techmarine.

+++

Ustis and the Techmarine stood within the launch bay. Five drop pods were primed for an orbital drop. Four were empty filled with both chaff and explosives. Each drop pod was black as soot with no outer markings. The Techmarine limbered open a gang plank and they entered, one on either side strapping themselves into the hardened bulwark. Cranking the inner haft the Techmarine slowly raised the plank and it sealed into its outer seams.

"We are ready." said Ommegang the Techmarine into his microbead. "Commence the launch." He silently worded thanks to the Emperor as he activated a series of glowing runes with his bionic hand.

Both Ommegang and Ustis wore their helmets. They could feel the vibration of the huge bay doors opening then slowly the five pods began to drift down naturally attracted by the pull of the planet's lethal gravity.

- Just prior to arrival -

Imperial guardsmen rapidly fell back as they broke from the fight. A Riptide that had just destroyed a Leman Russ vaulted over the burning wreck and lets loose a large blast incinerating many of closest guardsmen. Rockets fired down from its targeting array vaporizing more. Overhead three Tau Barracudas flew over strafing the broken mob then quickly passed over. Teams of Crisis Suits followed in the wake of the Riptide hovering above the burning ground.

The lone Commissar fired his bolt pistol into the skull of the sergeant as he ignited his power sword. "Get back into this fight!" he shouted over the battle din. "We must not let the enemy advance!" Burst cannon fire ripped through the nearby guardsmen shredding them into pieces of bloody flesh. Holstering his bolt pistol the Commissar drew forth a grenade hurling it at the advancing Crisis team. The grenade pinged off the armor of the Tau commander harmlessly exploding beside them. There was the electronic whir of their burst cannons as they auto sighted the human.

"Have faith!" shouted the Commissar as he broke from the ruined barricade charging straight at the Crisis team. Burst shells exploded to his left and right as he dodged. His sword shot out and skewered a drone severing the command link causing it to tumble. He grabbed a hold of the rim using the automaton for cover. The Riptide was bearing down from behind strafing the Commissar with more rocket fire. An explosion knocked him to his knees and dark spots filled his vision. He looked up to see the Tau commander leveling its fusion blaster straight at his head then came an eerie sound off to his side.

Emerging from thin air five Marines clad in pitch black armor plates strode beside him. One of the Astartes carried a heavy bolter holding it at his hip firing on full auto. Another drone exploded as a miniature rocket blasted it apart. The Commissar could feel a heavy gauntlet grasping him by the shoulder lifting him back up. The Techmarine threw him aside then punched into one of the Crisis suits, the servo arm ripped into the xenos armor like foil instantaneously pulping the Tau inside. Ommegang tossed aside the inert husk as he fired his plasma pistol at the towering Riptide. The Techmarine yelled at the humongous battle suit to draw its attention.

There came a steady hum that quickly grew in pitch resonating above the constant battle din. Ommegang spoke into his microbead to the other members of the Deathwatch kill team "The Barracudas are returning for another strafing run."

Ustis silently mouthed runic words calling upon the warp to cloak his kill team again. One by one they vanished including the Commissar just as the low flying Tau gunships sped over them. A salvo of rockets from the heavy bolter lanced upwards striking the canopy of one Barracuda exploding against the armored cockpit. The gunship veered off striking the flyer to its left and they both blew apart as they crashed into each other. The flaming wrecks burst into the ground below obliterating several clusters of Tau Crisis suits. The explosion threw Ommegang clear of the blast driving him hard into the ruined ground. He watched in silence as two of the indicator runes etched into his inner visor representing other members of the kill team suddenly extinguished. All that was left was himself, Ustis and brother Lochen manning the heavy bolter supported by the suspensor belt.

Ommegang righted himself and watched as the surviving Tau panicked. Removing a meltabomb from the webbing on his utility belt the Techmarine moved towards the Riptide. The humongous battle suit had taken some damage from the explosion but appeared to still be fully functional. Quickly attaching the magnalocks onto one of it's legs Ommegang activated the charge and stepped away from the coming blast. The Riptide swatted at the meltabomb then it exploded vaporizing the leg. It ignited it's jetpack in an attempt to right itself but tumbled over falling down.

Ommegang registered his internal sensors as he scanned the giant suit while it still flailed upon the ground. The infrared spectrum revealed where the pilot was located within the bulky suit. Lifting his power axe above his head the Techmarine drove the spiked end into the armor puncturing a weak point spearing through it with cold fury. Suddenly the Riptide lay still no longer thrashing about the ground. Ommegang pulled his axe loose as he stepped back to watch making sure the pilot was dead.

"I've recieved a message we are to immediately return to the battle barge for a new assignment." said Ustis over the comm link. "Brother Lochen will remain here in our place. See to it the Commissar makes it back safely to our lines."

"Aye Ustis." replied Lochen.

"You're a brave one." said Ommegang to the Commissar.

There came the shrieking sound of an Imperial Storm Eagle breaking through the subsonic barrier as it appeared above. It's VTOL engines inclined as it dropped into hover mode lowering a boarding plank.

I have to say I have enjoyed reading what is there so far. Would like to see more of the guard mentioned, anyway exalted!

Thanks !

More to follow soon !

++ WITHIN THE REALM ETERNAL ++

Gigantic beings covered in long fur and plates of dull grey power armor knelt down before the giant sitting upon a throne of skulls, their feral glowing eyes averted.

"I need the blood of the witch child for the sacrifice." He snorted as he rose from the throne. His iron shod boots crushed skulls as he stepped up. "You have failed a simple task and failure comes with a price." Long sharp claws extended from the bare fingers of the Wolf Brothers' exalted champion. In the blink of an eye the champion snatched a power axe from beside his throne striking one of the attendants square in the head. The axe cut deep through the hard skull spilling grey matter and blood. As the attendant began to topple over the champion snarled striking out with an armored boot kicking aside the dead Marine. "Let this be a lesson to you all." His voice was harsh and grated as the rough syllables poured out from his fanged maw. "Should any of you fail again I won't be as lenient."

Letting loose a wild cry like a wolf Gotvold howled in anger. "I will go this time." he snarled. "Felix, Arnn and Wubba shall attend me. You are my best warriors." Gotvold threw aside the axe as he stepped down from the high mound of skulls. His eyes blazed red for a moment as his face momentarily twisted into the shaped of a wolf sneering with long slick fangs. "I need her blood and can still smell it's sweet scent." He snapped his fingers.

Two large Wolves rose up from beside the the throne, one dark as night, the other white as a snow flake. "Pox and Venom shall lead us to the witch child. Their smell is keen as can be." Strolling down to stand at either side of Gotvold the wolves were as tall as large men. The champion ran his fingers through Venom's fur leaving a wet streak of crimson gore.

Wubba had a strange look in his eyes that caught the attention of Gotvold. "What's bothering you now?" he asked.

"I sense a disturbance in the warp. Something isn't right... I sense Imperialis." Wubba rolled his eyes back as he ran his tongue over his fangs. "There could be a trap."

"Is that what your inner daemon tells you?"

"Yes... They come from far away." Wubba's pupils expanded until his eyes were pure black and his face morphed into a wolfish snout. "We can smell them."

"Good to know." said Gotvold. "We shall play along as if unaware until they reveal themselves. Are they Astartes?"

"Yes indeed..." growled Wubba. "Though few in number. We sense a recent loss."

Gotvold smiled for a moment as he ran the palm of his left gauntlet over a dueling blade. "More skulls to be taken in name of Khorne. Alfather Russ would be proud."

+++

Squee awoke from her deep slumber and rubbed her eyes. The air was cold again as she sat up in the darkness. She listened attentively but heard nothing to indicate there were any mutants close by. She stood up on her tip toes pushing on the grate above her. It was heavy but slowly it budged loose then Squee pulled herself up through the opening finding herself back towards the beginning of the man made cave. She could see the two moons shining through the nebulous clouds and the stars were bright. Many fires burned along the distant landscape and she could hear people screaming from far away.

Something jostled about in a pocket. Squee reached and pulled out a black and white little mouse. "I know you're hungry Fortius. We can go take a quick look in the pantry but then we must leave here. I fear the mutants will be back soon again." The rodent's black eyes twinkled and it nudged its soft nose against her finger. Squee put the pet mouse back as she made her way into the tunnels.

Squee wiped her face clean with a fresh cloth and watched her mouse nibbling on the last piece of cheese. She had burned her clothes to erase any scent the mutants might smell in exchange for a fresh jump suit and new boots. Squee pressed the activation rune and watched in silence as the news vid began to play on the miniature screen.

"Citizens all must evacuate the city. Drop ships await you in Aurora." The vid screen turned grey as the coordinates began to play over and over. The vid screen lit up again displaying a series of scenes depicting planetary guardsmen fighting the rebel cultists. Squee memorized the coordinates then turned off the video.

"Mum said not to trust the news casts..." said Squee to Fortius, "it might be the enemy playing a trick." She carefully picked up the mouse and put it in a deep pocket petting its head. Squee lifted the pack filled the last of the rations and looked out from the mouth of the tunnel. The sun was just breaking the distant horizon filling the war torn landscape with an umber glow. She saw the seemingly endless bodies of the dead piled high down upon the high plateau. Fires burn here and there spreading the conflagaration across the broken city.

+++

Gotvold had boarded the lightly armored dropship sitting in the pilot compartment with Wubba. He scanned the icons quickly ready to lift the ship and begin the hunt. One of the smaller less prominent icons flashed orange catching his eye. It pulsed hypnotically unlike anything he had ever seen. Gotvold felt his eyes go heavy as he relaxed his grip on the flight stick. The little icon seemed to whisper to him blotting out everything else. 'Open your mind...' a thickly accepted voice called to him.

Otvold let the secret voice continue, his curiosity had been stoked. The words came harsh and offensive. 'I will cut loose your balls and hang them from your skinned and crucified body.' The sudden image of burning broken skulls falling from a high cliff entered his mind. 'You are a whelp from a failed successor Chapter unfit to lead in battle. You stink of filth.' The Chaos champion smashed a clenched fist into the control panel crushing the winking icon. Sparks blew out across the console.

"What was that?" Wubba howled, irritation seething in his feral voice. "We cannot lift the ship now." grunted the possessed. Unbuckling his safety strap Wubba rose in fury from his seat grabbing Otvold by the neck. His muscles grew tense as steel as he began to twist the champion's skull.

"Stop now!" commanded Otvold as he clutched at the Chosen's huge arms trying to break the strong locking grip. The pair thrashed about the cabin crushing sensitive controls in the wake of their struggle. "It was a trick by the coming Astartes warlock."

Wubba's grip relaxed then he threw Otvold through the cabin door.

thanks for that - good read and enjoyed it

It's not over yet and has a long way to go.

: )

+++

The sky rumbled as the drop pods descended through the cover of night. Each pod landed in a staged wide pattern crashing down into the heart of the enemy formation. The first pod to hit on the outer perimeter erupted into a fire storm of burning shrapnel cutting through the cultists like a wave of burning death. The next three pods ignited simultaneously. The ensuing blast of elongated destruction consumed the very earth eliminating everything in their wake of devastating death. The last drop pod landed in the very center of the formation. It's doors lowered and two Astartes emerged into the open then Ustis mouthed the spell shrouding them in a cloak of unseeing. "Let's go!" he said to the Techmarine Ommegang.

"There." pointed the Librarian gesturing towards a bunker on top of the plateau. "We must make haste. There is no time to lose. I can see her up there."

"Can she sense you as well?" replied Ommegang.

"I doubt it because of my psychic hood shielding my mind. It's possible but unlikely." said Ustis,

"Can you hail her from here?" questioned the Storm Lord.

"No. While I can detect her presence she has shielded her mind."

"Okay then." said Ommegang as he carefully stepped over a pile of burning debris. There was nothing left of the first drop pods to land except for the charred and twisted frames. One of his iron clad boots came down hard crushing the fragmented skull of a burning cultist laying prone against the burnt soil.

+++

Squee stood on top of a stool peering over the command console inside the underground bunker. She had let out her mouse and it sat beside a blinking rune nibbling on a dried bit of leftover morsel. "Mum said to arm the bomb if it looks like there's no hope left at all." she said to Fortius, the little rodent wiggled its soft nose nudging against her hand. Squee began to push a series of activation runes in a precise sequence. A warning beacon chimed as she pushed down the last one.

"Code red alert. Code red alert. Execution code required."

A holofield appeared beside the panel displaying a series of empty spaces. Squee pulled a strip of paper from her pants pocket and slowly spread it out. One by one she typed each character then pressed the final activation rune.

"Code black alert. Code black alert. Detonation sequence commenced.."

The holofield shimmered then a countdown timer appeared.

"It's all set now." said Squee to her pet as she picked him back up.

Squee sensed a new sensation. Something slowly pulsed within her mind like twin beating hearts. At first the pulse was asynchronous then it became periodic. She closed her eyes and focused on the sensation blocking out everything else. At first she experienced disorientation and felt nauseous. Slowly the feeling of unease dissolved and she felt at peace. The heart beat was strong and rhythmic in a soothing fashion. Squee realized someone else was attempting to contact her. She panicked for a moment but quickly stilled herself and waited.

"Hello..." came the voice. The tone was calm but stern. She listened but did not immediately reply. "Hello..." it came again. "We have come to help you."

Squee broke off the connection and began to weep feeling a series of violent spasms rack her body. "Why would anyone care?" she thought to herself. Visions of the dead filled her mind. Squee swept away the tears and attempted to compose herself. The countdown timer thudded.

+++

Ommegang spoke to Ustis "My augury scanner detects the rapid approach of enemy fieldcraft. It may intercept our course."

"I sense a disturbance in the psyche of the warp child when our minds touched. She is under great duress." The Librarian broke into a rapid charge moving like quicksilver over the war torn ground. Ommegang matched his stride step for step. They could feel the earth begin to rumble as the jets fired overhead. A great dark shadow passed over them as the Storm Eagle roared by. "We are close and they do not sense our presence. We are still cloaked. We must press harder!" The two Marines ran so hard they began to see black spots appear before their eyes and their lungs started to seize on them. Ustus could not afford to do anything else but concentrate all his effort on each speeding step. Deep hate for the traitors fueled his will. He felt his hearts beating like giant drums inside his ears. Breath ceased to come as he stumbled. Both the Librarian and Ommegang stumbled to the ground just as the rear landing hatch on the gunship sprang open. They panted beside each unable to move following the great exertion as they lay upon the rocky soil.

The first of the Wolf Brothers emerged from the hatch and one howled. "I smell the blood of Imperialis!" it cried.

Gotvold sprang out drawing a pair of immense power swords. "Yes..."

Ustis calmed his mind as a huge dose of combat drug straight injected into the main artery. His senses immediately returned strong as ever. The traitors were already beside them sniffing about like a pack of wild mongrels. Suddenly one exploded into a mist of red death as Ommegang brought down his thunderhammer. Ustis revealed himself in the image of a gigantic Griffon. Lightning bolts flew from the tips of its outstretched claws striking in phantasmic attack at the Wolf Brothers.

"Cursed be the loyalist warp spawn!" cried Gotvold as he lashed his swords at the illusion then the ground shook as the monstrous being of Wubba pounced down from the hatch drawing fully upon his daemonic essence and powers. Gotvold felt his fangs begin to extrude as the wolfkin within uncoiled releasing its utter devastation...

Then it was gone along with the scent of its powerful spoor. "To the bunker now!" ordered Gotvold. "The treacherous psyker has fooled us again."

Wubba roared as he ripped open the bolted outer chamber doors throwing them to either side as if they were nothing more than foil. "I can see the footsteps of the Librarian so steeped is he in the warp." The large imprints left by the huge boot soles blazed like soul fire inside the tunnel. "Follow me down!"