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Made in it
Hungry Little Ripper





Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

Hi all! I'm new to 40k writing and this is my first story. It is about my homebrew chapter, The Knights of the Forge, and their planet, Ashaytus.
Let's get on with it then!

Chapter I: A Close Encounter
-TRIZA
-ASHAYTUS SYSTEM
-HIVE WORLD
-POPULATION: 13 BILLION
-5.479.998.M41

"Welcome, my brother."
Jenson drifted out of his sleep. He was tied to a chair in a dark room.
"You will soon be joining us," The voice said calmly, "In our worship of the four-armed emperor."
"Four-armed emperor?" Jenson replied, now waking properly, "There is only the God-Emperor of Mankind!" He looked around, but he still couldn't see who was talking to him.
"You will change your ways brother..." The voice rasped, "You will learn... the truth."
"You are not my brother! My brothers are my fellow guardsmen!"
The sound of a cloak being dragged along the floor echoed in the small room. Jenson's eyes began to adapt to the darkness. There was a door to his right. There was a figure in the way.
"Let me help you... see the truth..."
Suddenly, a light blazed on, showering the room in a yellow tinge. The figure was a man. He was tall, had dark red robes and a hood. The little of the face that Jenson could see was pale and was covered in purple veins. The man reached under his cloak and pulled out a dagger.
"If you will not comply... you must be sacrificed for our lord!"
He swung the dagger downwards, but Jenson kicked his chair back and the dagger sliced through the ropes binding him, leaving a painful cut across his chest. Seizing the opportunity, Jenson stood up and punched the man. He staggered back, causing his hood to fall down, revealing a hairless face with yellow eyes and sharp teeth. Jenson rammed his shoulder into the man's abdomen, pinning him against the wall. He grabbed the knife and thrusted it through the man's heart. Thank the Emperor, he thought, I live another day.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/09/15 20:51:49


 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Welcome! I find building your wallet a nice warm nest, where it can sleep and feel safe tends to aid with abrupt shocks.
 
   
Made in it
Hungry Little Ripper





Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

So. Here's chapter two. I hope it helps set the scene a bit more. Don't worry, Jenson's still alive. Probably. (We'll be seeing him again at some point!) Please leaves your thoughts and opinions. That's all for now!

Chapter II: Blood of Brothers

The xenos screamed as a bolt round flew through its skull. Ytiel stared into the distance as he reloaded his boltgun. 3rd Company, 4th Squad. He had fought with Sergeant Arael for decades, slaying the enemies of the Imperium. They were needed now more than ever. Splinter Fleet Wyvern was approaching their homeworld, the place where his chapter was born. The place that was vital to the defence of the system.

"Ytiel," Arael's voice dragged him out of his thoughts. "We must return to The Flamebringer."
"Yes, sir." He turned around. Arael's armour was damaged and dirty, with the silver undercoat showing through. His artisan power sword was drenched in purple blood.
"We have lost Brother Gharael. His sacrifice must not be in vain." Ytiel looked down at the power-armoured corpse near his feet. He knelt down and took the boltgun. Its inscription read "Ashaytus' Wrath". Soon the xenos would know just that.

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Welcome! I find building your wallet a nice warm nest, where it can sleep and feel safe tends to aid with abrupt shocks.
 
   
Made in it
Hungry Little Ripper





Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

Wow, I got this one done fast. TL;DR, the plot thickens!

Chapter III: A Mission Briefing

Aboard The Flamebringer.

"Masters Arael and Ytiel. Come with me immediately." The servitor said, turning away from the docking area. Arael and Ytiel followed the servitor out of the tall, grey docking area. The clanging and hydraulic sounds faded as they arrived at an intersection. The servitor turned left, in the direction of the command room.

Captain Kemuel sat on a throne with a screen showing the design of the Battle-Barge. The door hissed open and two marines walked in. "Sergeant Arael, Brother Ytiel." They bowed their heads. "I have called on you for a special mission. You are to join with other marines of the chapter to form a Kill-Team. You will travel to Triza and investigate some strange occurrences."
Triza?, Ytiel thought, We need to be on Ashaytus! The Tyranids must be stopped!
"Surely this is a task for the Deathwatch! We cannot waste time on Triza!" Ytiel said. Arael glared at him from under his helmet.
"It is," Kemuel responded calmly, "A 5-man team will assist you, along with eight other chapter marines. This is important," The Captain continued, "Miners have been going missing in the lower levels of the Hive City. Some reports claim that others are disappearing, too. The Planetary Defence Force sent a squad down to find out what was going on."
"And they were never seen again?" Arael interrupted.
"Indeed. We do not know what is happening, but graffiti of a three-headed snake has started to be sprayed near where the victims were last seen."
"I see," Ytiel said, "So you want space marines, ones that you can track, to go in and find out what is happening."
Everything went silent.
"When will we be deployed?"
Kemuel grinned.

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Welcome! I find building your wallet a nice warm nest, where it can sleep and feel safe tends to aid with abrupt shocks.
 
   
Made in it
Hungry Little Ripper





Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

Oh no, not another one! That's right, ladies and gentlemen, it's time for another chapter! Guess who's back, back again (technically he's still stuck in the underhive)! Jenson! Take it away, Jenson!

Chapter IV: Lurking

Jenson's face was wet with sweat and his legs ached. It had been two days since he escaped. Or so he thought. He had been using his guerilla warfare training to survive in the underhive.

Clank. He immediately paused his heavy breathing. Clank. Louder this time. Closer. Damn. Another patrol. He picked up his knife and fumbled in his pocket for his autopistol. A man wearing dirty white mining gear with red cloth was standing just outside of the alleyway that Jenson was in. The man turned and looked down into the abyss-like complex, where the entrances to the mines were. Jenson looked at the back of his head. Pale with purple veins. Another one of those creatures.

Slowly, he stepped out of the alley. He raised his knife and stabbed the man in the back. He quickly put his hand over the man's mouth and dragged him into the alley. The others would eventually realise that he was gone and come to search for him. For Jenson. He had to move, to find a way out.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/05/30 16:34:09


 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Welcome! I find building your wallet a nice warm nest, where it can sleep and feel safe tends to aid with abrupt shocks.
 
   
Made in it
Hungry Little Ripper





Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

Well, well, well. It's not a single, not a double, but it's a triple-chapter. I get that these "chapters" are quite short (more like paragraphs if I'm honest), so I've decided to have longer chapters that I will post less frequently. If anyone even follows this series. Anyhoo, see you next Chapter!

Chapter V: Descent

"Do you have any idea what could be happening?" Ytiel queried as the marines walked down the narrow corridor.
"I am not entirely sure, though from what we have heard, I think that it could be an uprising or a heretical cult." Arael replied. A marine ran up to them from the direction of the launch bay.
"Greetings, brothers!" The marine said, removing his helmet. His pauldrons had red trims and his right pauldron had 7 painted over the tactical sign.
"Greetings Orial!" Ytiel replied, recognising the marine. The three were now in single file, approaching the second launch bay, where they were supposed to meet their battle-brothers.

"Is everyone here?" One Deathwatch marine asked, "Good, we will be deploying soon." His voice had a slight metallic sound to it. His shoulder was painted blue, with a red claw. A Brazen Claw, Ytiel thought, an Iron Hands successor. That explains his voice.He looked at the other marines. A Vanguard Veteran with a white pauldron and a black cross. It seemed familiar to him. Oh yes, a Black Templar. A terminator with a skull with red wings for his chapter icon. Ytiel didn't recognise it. A marine with a shotgun. A Flesh Tearer, that should secure our close-range abilities. Finally, a marine with a heavy weapon. A Knight of the Forge? It must be Vera!

"Vera? Is that you?" Ytiel asked the marine as they walked towards the drop pods.
"Indeed. I was wondering when you would recognise me." The marine said cockily.
"How long has it been since you left for the Deathwatch?"
"11 Terran years, I think."
"Too long, Brother."
There were two drop pods in the launch bay. One was green, the colour of the Knights, and the other was black, covered with Inquisitiorial symbols. The marines locked themselves into the pods.
"3...2...1..." The drop pod suddenly shuddered and began its descent to Triza.

The drop pods crashed into the surface of the Hive City's lowest level. The air was murky and black, and the place reeked of oil. Ytiel stepped out onto the cracked street and other marines followed. Other than Arael and Orial, Ytiel didn't recognise any of the other Knights of the Forge. There was a scout, two marines with Boltgun variants, a marine with a missile launcher, an Apothecary and a Sternguard Veteran. Three marines landed nearby. One was the Black Templar, and the others were Knights.

"Let us familiarise ourselves," The Brazen Claw announced, "I am Moralos." He hit the hilt of his sword against his storm shield.
"Gabriel." The Flesh Tearer added.
"I am Vera." Vera said enthusiastically.
"Lazedes," The Templar said, "Let's get this other with."
The terminator emerged from a building. "Teleportation successful, I am Tociel."
"Arael."
"Ytiel."
"Orial."
"Tzo'Karr," The scout said, "I am honoured to fight with you."
"O'Miall of the 8th Company." One Assault Marine said.
"Gael." The other Assault Marine said, resting his power axe on his shoulder.
"Usiel." The marine with the missile launcher sighed, moving onto one knee.
"Itael, serving as the Apothecary."
The Sternguard Veteran stared into the distance for a moment, "K'Bro'Lak." He said, checking his belt for ammunition.
"Alright then," Moralos said, "I will be commanding for this mission."

"We need to create a formation," Moralos told the others, "I will tell you my plan. Lazedes will be at the centre-front, and he will be able to take down doors or heavy vehicles. O'Miall and Gael will be on his flanks. They will jump onto elevated areas and take out infantry there. Tociel will be at the centre-middle, drawing fire and taking out any infantry that charge towards us. Arael and I will be by his sides going in to attack infantry. Gabriel and Vera, you will be behind us. Ytiel, Orial, K'Bro'Lak and Etolial you will be in a line behind them, being our main source of fire. Itael, you will be just behind them, ready to help any falling marine. Tzo'Karr and Usiel will be around 8 metres behind Itael, proving support fire. Tzo'Karr will take out infantry leaders or emplacement gunners, Usiel will fire at vehicles or groups of infantry. Got all that?"







[Thumb - IMG_1618.JPG]
Investigion of Triza Formation


 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Welcome! I find building your wallet a nice warm nest, where it can sleep and feel safe tends to aid with abrupt shocks.
 
   
Made in it
Hungry Little Ripper





Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

Alrighty then! Here's the next Chapter of Ashaytus! It's the biggest one yet! Please leave your thoughts, as this is all about combat and I would to hear your responses to my style of writing. Enjoy!

Chapter VI: Ambush

Steam hissed out of pipes and dogs slowly whirred as the marines entered a large hall. A red three-headed snake was sprayed on the wall next to the door. There were lots of metal platforms about 8 metres above the floor, creating a network, presumably for monitoring the refinery machines. The marines moved down the flight of stairs, with Tzo'Karr and Usiel climbing a ladder that let up to the platforms. The group slowly advanced, expecting a trap or an ambush, with some marines ready to fire and some ready to jump.

Suddenly, a large white truck burst out from behind a munitorum container. It fired an autocannon at the marines, who jumped, dived and ducked for cover. A heavy stubber sent a spray of bullets at the walls and pipes that the marines were hiding behind. Miners rushed out of doors onto the elevated platforms. Most had autoguns, but some carried heavy weapons, like stubbers and mining lasers. They began raining havoc onto the marines that were exposed from the angle. The truck continued its barrage, with its crew hurling explosives at the marines' cover.

Usiel fired a krak missile, catching one of the wheels, which made the engine explode. That was the initiation for the squad. They peeked out of cover, firing bolt rounds at the infantry. Lazedes and O'Miall jumped up to the platforms, firing their pistols and landing a few hits on their attackers. The Black Templar smashed his power fist into a miner as he landed and charged into another. O'Miall, chainsword revving, sliced one in two, and decapitated another. Gael smashed into the truck's crew, and swung his axe and chainsword, killing them all. Tzo'Karr sent sniper rounds into the heavy weapon operators, lessening the rain of fire on his fellow marines. In a few seconds, the fighting was over. As the marines regrouped, another trucked rammed through a container.

This time, the vehicle had a rock grinder on the front and it got dangerously close to Orial, who jumped to one side. The crew let out a stream of flame at the marine, but that was nothing compared to the blazing heat that the Salamander descendant had trained in. Lazedes jumped off of the platform, onto the truck, but was shot in midair, and fell to the ground limp. The seismic cannon then turned to K'Bro'Lak, who ran to cover. Itael sprinted towards Lazedes and dragged him to safety, while Ytiel killed the gunner. Vera rested his Infernus Heavy Bolter on a promethium pipe and began to fire at the Goliath Rockgrinder. The rounds hardly affected the vehicle and it kept driving towards the Deathwatch marines.

Tociel ran as fast as his terminator armour would allow him, trying to get to the side of the vehicle, with Arael and Moralos following him. They were nearly there when a group of mutants emerged from a container. They had three arms, covered in a purplish carapace, and wore ragged yellow robes. Some had claws or swords and others had pistols or dangerous mining equipment. One swung its rock saw at the terminator, scratching his armour, but not getting to the marine himself. In retaliation, Tociel lodged his claw into the creature's chest. Another mutant thrusted its blade at Arael, who parried and finished it off with a few bolt rounds to the head. The leader leaped at Moralos and sliced wildly with its claws, only to meet with his shield's energy field, and then the end of his power sword.


 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Welcome! I find building your wallet a nice warm nest, where it can sleep and feel safe tends to aid with abrupt shocks.
 
   
Made in it
Hungry Little Ripper





Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

Real quick before I go to sleep:

Chapter VI.V: An Alternate Perspective

The vent system was like a labyrinth. Jenson had been hiding for a few hours since his last raid on supplies. He had rations for two more days. In the distance, he could hear fighting. Should he go towards it? Perhaps someone could help him. Perhaps he would get caught and killed. As long as he didn't make too much noise or expose himself, he should be fine. He could find out more about his enemy and more about his location, both of which are vital in geurrilla warfare.

He peered through the grate. It was a refinery room, filled with containers, with the creatures to the right and space marines to the right. Space Marines! Thank the Emperor! He got his autopistol and poked the barrel through the hole. He may as well do what he can to help...

A Goliath Rockgrinder was firing at some marines in cover. There was a downed marine and what seemed to be a medic behind a tank. There was a marine with a large pack on his back, with a chainsword and a plasma pistol. There was a group of four going towards the Rockgrinder, one of them was wearing much larger armour than the rest. They were attacked by a few of the mutant creatures. He fired a few rounds, slowing one down before it was killed by one of the Astartes. One of the marines entered the Goliath, which promptly stopped and he came out a few moments later, his sword covered in blood. That must have been all of them. He got out his small knife and undid the screws on the grate, then climbed out and shouted to the Astartes.


 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Welcome! I find building your wallet a nice warm nest, where it can sleep and feel safe tends to aid with abrupt shocks.
 
   
Made in it
Hungry Little Ripper





Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

Here's another chapter, advancing the plot (again). Now that Jenson is with the marines, I'm thinking of adding a new Character.

Chapter VII: Together

A metallic crash echoed in the room as a grate fell to the floor. "More mutants, prepare to fire!" Moralos ordered. A man came out of the shadow, his skin was tanned and he wore a green vest, unlike the pale miners.
"Space Marines! Thank the Emperor!" He man shouted, running towards them. The marines stayed weary, aiming their boltguns to the man. Seeing this, he tried to slow down, and fell over, sliding to the feet of the astartes, before crawling back a few metres.
"Who are you?" Moralos asked, lowering his shield to get a better view of the human.
"I am Tobias Jenson of the Trizan 12th, 2nd Company, 3rd Platoon, 4th Squad. I was sent here to investigate the disappearances of citizens-"
"You were a member of the Militaum squad sent here?" Moralos interrupted.
"Yes," Jenson panted, " We were in the mines when we were ambushed, I woke up in a room with one of those things. It tried to make me worship some 'four-armed Emperor'."
"And?"
"I killed it and have been hiding since, attacking patrols, they seem to all be pale and have purple veins on the backs of their heads."
"I see. You are useful, Jenson." Moralos said, clearly deep in thought.
"Shall we continue, or withdraw and report our findings?" O'Miall asked.
"They already know that we are here. No matter where we go, they will try to ambush us." He paused. "Let us go deeper. We will report once we have found out more, besides, we have suffered little injury here."
"It gets worse down there," Jenson said, scratching his neck. "There are mutants, three armed, four armed, some the size of you. There are some that look like xenos, with claws and sharp teeth. My colleagues are down there, and there seem to be more guardsmen under their control."
"What do you mean, 'under their control'?"
"I saw guardsmen down there, not taking any notice of the ammunition and weapons that they were moving around. Even some of our vehicles 'patrol' down there."
"It does seem suspicious." Itael said, looking up from the wounded marine.
"As does he," Usiel added, "How do we know if he's one of them or not? They could be trying to lure us into a trap. He said it himself, they can take control of guardsmen."
"I understand you weariness brother," Ytiel said, "But he could be important. He clearly knows how to survive in the underhive, and seems to be able to differ the mutants from the normal miners."
"I agree," Moralos said, "We will stay with him, and if he changes his ways, we can kill him easily."
Jenson gulped.

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Welcome! I find building your wallet a nice warm nest, where it can sleep and feel safe tends to aid with abrupt shocks.
 
   
Made in gb
Hungry Little Ripper





Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

It's been a while and I've taken a little break. I'll try to get at least one Chapter out a week. This one is short but I'm planning on following it up soon. Many thanks, Nids.

Chapter VII.V: Chara

The meeting room was small for a space marine, its ceiling only a few inches higher than Kyo'Stan's head. "Thank you all for coming," The Trizan Governor said. "This is an important matter which threatens the system. A vast fleet of xenos is approaching and we must do something to stop them. We only have four months-"
"Three months, two weeks and five days." The Fabricator-Locum buzzed.
"Before they reach us." The Governor finished.
"And only three months and six days until they reach Ashaytus." The Chapter Master added, quickly calculating the time in his head. The Fabricator-Locum glanced at him disapprovingly.
"We must prepare our defences. Splinter Fleet Wyvern will assault Chara first. Fabricator-General Xael requests reinforcements from Ashaytus, Triza and Kairr."
"We shall send the 6th Company to Chara to reinforce the defences."
"There will be the 20th and 14th Regiments going as well."
"Kairr will send one-hundred Scions."
"I will go myself, along with a Watch Company." The Inquisitor said.
"Positive. I shall return to Chara and amass our forces at once."

Circuits sparked and machines hissed on the dry, dusty Forge World. As his transport landed, Fabricator-Locum Chiall was approached by a servitor.
"Your orders, sir?"
"Have all skitarii and battle-servitors ready. I will discuss further defence strategies with the Fabricator-General."

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Welcome! I find building your wallet a nice warm nest, where it can sleep and feel safe tends to aid with abrupt shocks.
 
   
Made in gb
Hungry Little Ripper





Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

That didn't take long! I have to admit, this one was heavily inspired by images of a display from Warhammer Fest.

Chapter VIII: Preparations

The hall was dark, with weakly glowing blue lights and slow flashing indicators littering the area. The two Priests were stood side by side, one considerably taller than the other, on a platform, suspended by four sturdy chains.
"The construction is nearly complete. Operation will begin in approximately three months. By then the Fleet will have arrived and all may be lost." Chiall said, searching through databases and blueprints.
"Chara will destroy this Fleet." The Fabricator-General replied. "This machine is capable of levelling the hordes of Wyvern. It is a blessing of the Omnissiah."
"Kairr seems reluctant to send reinforcements."
"Indeed. Perhaps they have not forgotten the blood that stains both of our histories, as we have. They refuse to understand that this is not for Chara, but for the system. They do not want to understand. Understanding is the key to comprehension, the way of the Omnissiah. This is why our histories are tainted the way they are." The General said, thoughtfully.

He turned slowly, his long battered cloak following him like a ghost. Chiall moved quickly, trying to find the correct speed to be at the side of the General.
"I shall prepare for battle, as should you."

[Thumb - IMG_1619.PNG]
Credit to Youtuber "Sup3rSaiy3in", who makes great content!


 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Welcome! I find building your wallet a nice warm nest, where it can sleep and feel safe tends to aid with abrupt shocks.
 
   
Made in gb
Hungry Little Ripper





Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

Here are two more chapters for your reading pleasure!

Chapter IX: Silence

The mining district was split into four sectors, each a huge, spiralling tunnel traveling into the planets crust. There were hundreds of floors, and as the marines advanced, the lights began to fade. The squad had been searching for hours, with little success. Every floor got darker, colder, quieter and more suspicious. More of the graffiti appeared and weapons and ammunition were littered on the floor. Generator rooms were all but silent and ventilation systems seemed to be turned off. The team went down a flight of stairs, arriving at another floor that looked exactly the same as the last, and the one before that. The paint reading "58" was somewhat obscured, with dust and dirt gathering around the edges. The walls were no longer made of concrete and were now just the uneven surface of the rock. The hole was slightly smaller than it was at the top, only by a few metres, even though they were nearly sixty floors below the surface. Small metal bridges crossed the pit, with dangerously short railings. It was like the place was abandoned, with unlit lanterns hanging from the ceiling and crates left half-open.

"Do you hear that?" Gabriel said, breaking the silence. The marines stopped and focused their enhanced senses to try and find this sound. It was quiet, even for the marines, but it was there.
"Around five hundred metres down. A repetitive chant. Seemingly human voices." The Brazen Claw remarked, his mechanical implants clearly better than the others' hearing. "There does not seem to be anything between us. We should move with haste."
The group began to move quicker, still remaining quiet, checking corners and trying to find the fastest way down. Five hundred metres went quickly. They had arrived at a cave entrance, radiating a warm yellow light with shadowy figures draped across the walls.
"Prepare for combat." Moralos whispered. The marines steadied their boltguns, poised for jump pack manoeuvres and got ready to sprint in.

Chapter X: A Knight's Loss

The tide of Wyvern was almost unending. Millions of Tyranids were slain, and hundreds of the Imperials. Caven fired two rounds from her battle cannon, creating holes in the swarm that were soon refilled. Her thermal cannon hissed into life, launching a devastating close-range blast towards the assaulting xenos. She fired her stubbers and launched missiles from her Ionfire Pod. Her knight suit was perfect for killing mass infantry, such as the tyraninds. Even still, the hordes of aliens was almost too much for the knight to handle. Eventually, a few larger creatures emerged. Caven tried to remember her briefing on the tyranid broods. A Tyrannofex, Maleceptor and a Toxicrene. She spun around firing a melta round into the gun-beast, obliterating it before it had a chance to fire. The Maleceptor began to manifest its powers, frying a squad of guardsmen's brains. Her brother, Tyrus, revved his Reaper Chainsword and thrust it through the creature's carapace. The Toxicrene had reached her, its toxic mist restricting her view. Its tentacles began to wrap around her arms, using every one of its muscles to stop the knight from shooting her weapons. She kicked it backwards and unleashed a barrage of missiles onto the beast's exposed flesh. She had just resumed firing into the horde when a Mawloc burrowed upwards, coiling around the machine. It opened it huge mouth and began to spit acid onto the knight's armour, most of which bounced off the ion shielding. She began to shake the creature off, but its grip was too strong and it slowly raised its tail and thrust it through the weakened armour and stabbed Caven through the abdomen.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2017/06/16 20:19:29


 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Welcome! I find building your wallet a nice warm nest, where it can sleep and feel safe tends to aid with abrupt shocks.
 
   
Made in gb
Hungry Little Ripper





Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

It's been a while since we caught up with Ytiel and co., so I thought we'd return to them! See ya next time!

Chapter XI: Broodlord

"For the Emperor!" Gabriel yelled as he charged into the dimly lit cave. He pumped his shotgun, releasing blasts of anti-infantry rounds into his enemies. The bullets tore holes in a dark red banner which the cultists were worshipping, the gusts of wind, blowing some of the nearby candles. The worshippers turned, some standing up and charging into the hail of fire, their limbs flailing at the astartes. Their claws and weapons were no match for the ceramite, however, and those who reached the marines were quickly crushed or impaled. The team slowly advanced, dumping their magazines into the horde of cultists. Screeches echoed through the room, and with their auto-senses, the marines could see the shape of hunched, carapaced bodies approaching rapidly. "Genestealers!" Vera shouted over the vox. "Let me deal with the xenos!" He slowly walked towards them, before firing a wave of bolt rounds into the creatures, following it up with a blast of prometheum, burning the monsters' flesh to a crisp.

Tociel turned his armour's searchlight on, illuminating the dark hallway, revealing a giant alien, considerable taller than the marines, with long claws and a glowing brain. The xenos leaped onto the terminator, scratching at the heavy armour. The Angel responded with his own claws swinging them, barely missing the agile creature. The Broodlord jumped at Etolial, the sergeant fired his bolter, its rounds only denting the Tyranid's armour. This time, its claws shredded through power armour, cutting the marines chest, causing him to fall backwards. Itael rushed towards his brother, listening to his last words and removing his gene-seed, as Lazedes ran into the beast, swinging his power fist, knocking the Broodlord backwards into a stone wall. The xenos scurried through a tunnel, and Usiel attempted to follow it when the room began to shake violently. The vox crackled, a message from the thunderhawk sent to collect them. "Kill Team Moralos, evacuate the area immediately! The mine's walls are collapsing!"

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2017/06/17 19:31:24


 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Welcome! I find building your wallet a nice warm nest, where it can sleep and feel safe tends to aid with abrupt shocks.
 
   
Made in gb
Hungry Little Ripper





Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

Hay'all! Another chapter here.

Chapter XII: Landslide

Dust ran down the tall walls of the mines. The floor rumbled under the marines' feet. Landslides had obscured some stairways and light began to seep through the cracked ceiling. "We need to find a way out!" Moralos commanded. "I estimate that we have 10 minutes at the maximum to escape." Lazedes, O'Miall and Gael jumped to the next floor and tried to lower a ladder or something to help the others down. "Lets split up to find a way out!" K'Bro'Lak said, his experience becoming clear to the younger marines. Tzo'Karr, Itael, Ytiel, Arael and Orial went to the right, with the rest of the marines carrying on forwards.

"I can see a tunnel, to our left on the other side of the cavern." Tzo'Karr said.
"Follow me!" K'Bro'Lak said, running over a metal bridge towards it. The bridge was weak and was not designed for space marines, and their weight, along with the weight of the rocks falling down, caused the bridge to break, splitting the group in two. One at a time, the marines jumped the gap, careful not to fall or damage the bridge further. Eventually, the group had reached the cave mouth.

They winded through networks of paths until they arrived at an empty elevator shaft. The marines were climbing when a second large rumble shook the mine. Rocks began to fall down the shaft, most too small to damage the marines, but a few larger rocks fell as well. Two missed the marines, but one caught Orial's shoulder, dragging the Knight down to the bottom of the shaft, only to be crushed by the following boulders. "Orial!" Ytiel shouted despairingly, looking over his pauldron to see the marine. In a heroic act, Itael fell down too, using all of his strength to lift the marine from the rubble and take his gene-seed for the chapter.

After 30 minutes of climbing, the marines reached the floor of a sewage network. They emerged on the surface, near the drop pods, where the other squad was waiting. "Where is Orial?" Vera asked the dirty marines. The group remained silent, until Itael held his narcethium up.
"He will be with the chapter soon."
"We've lost two marines," Arael said. "The xenos will know vengeance."
"Yes brother, but first we must report to the Captain."
"Thesius?"
"Yes sir?" The pilot responded.
"Why were we evacuated? You wouldn't have known that the cave would have collapsed." Arael asked.
"Chara has fallen."

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/07/01 16:35:11


 Buttery Commissar wrote:
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Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

It really has been a while! I've been busy recently, so apologies for the delay. The story'll start ramping up soon, don't worry.

Chapter XIII: Regrouping and Rethinking

"Most of the 6th Company are dead." Kemuel said grimly to the marines. "Their sacrifice will not be in vain, as they have given us precious time to ready our forces, and in doing so have killed some of the fleet's largest beasts. It will take time for the Tyranids to replace them." He paused for a moment, looking at the floor solemnly, mourning the loss of his brothers. "Deathwatch, you are dismissed. Knights, return to your companies. Itael and Gael, stay here."

"Farewell for now brother." Vera said to Ytiel, holding his fist to his chest. Ytiel did the same. "Perhaps it will be sooner than the last farewell."
"Indeed. I am certain that the Watch Captain will want reinforcements here."
The two turned away from each other, and Ytiel joined Arael in the cold corridor. "How will we cope if Chara was defeated by this beast?" He said to his sergeant.
"We will fight valiantly until the death, brother. We know no fear."
Arael stopped and turned at a junction, heading towards a large window. He removed his helmet, revealing his pale grey skin and faded red hair. He stared out towards Triza, slowly scratching one of his many scars. Ytiel took his helmet off, his red eyes scanning the planet.

After a few moments the Veteran spoke. "We have three months to rally our forces. Four companies are not present currently and the Second Company is due to arrive shortly."
"Will there be aid from Triza and Kairr?"
"I would presume so. Kyo'Stan has his ways."
"Indeed he does." Ytiel said, chuckling. "Lets hope that they will be enough."

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
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Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

Sorry for the weird posting schedule, I should be getting some more free time soon, but seeing as I've split Dark Imperium with a friend, maybe that time will be spent on Primaris Marines.

Chapter XIV:

Humming. The sound of the Thunderhawk's engine as it touched down on the pad reminded Ytiel of his younger days. He remembered the smoke. The dust. The explosions. The blood, bleeding. And through it all he had triumphed and loved to tell the tale. Would he live through this?

If he was going to die, he would take his last breath with a finger on a trigger and a thumb in the pin of a grenade. What could the Tyranids do? He knew not to underestimate his enemies, but he'd been through worse. Chaos, warbands, their vile abominations scratching and clawing at his flesh. Eldar, torture tools, barely denting his armour. He'd slain them all. What could the Tyranids do?

Then he thought of the 6th Company. The slaughter. Eighty marines dead. Eighty brothers. Those who'd survived had told the others. Millions, billions even. Humongous creatures, taller than some buildings. Acid that melted through armour. Claws that could crush terminator armour. Beasts from the sky, from the underground, striking with incredible coordination, destroying Dunecrawlers. Powerful limbs constricting knights. Three knights, lords of war, venerable machines of destruction, slain by these creatures. No honour, no mercy. Not that he expected it from xenos.

Anyway, it was time to stop reminiscing on what has happened, who fell. It was time to start thinking of the future, what could be, who can claim their vengeance. The squads stepped into the Thunderhawk, bolters at the ready. The Tyranids would attack within seven days. They would travel to the planet's moon, Arius, named after a scout captain, whose deeds would not be forgotten. From there, when the Tyranids assaulted Pyrre, one of the few cities on the planet, they would drop into the fray, clearing an area for the Chapter Master's counter-attack. Though the company was split, their morale was not. Squads one through six would join their brothers in the battle, strengthening their firepower with heavy weapons and storms of bolters. One week to go. Vengeance would be here, for Ytiel and Gharael, his fallen brother, claimed by enemies of the Imperium. He clenched his bolter, clicking the drum magazine into his brother's creation. Ashaytus' Wrath.

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
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Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

It's been a week or so (I'm losing track of time), so here's the next chapter.

Chapter XV: A Call to Arms:

"Right then you lot," Sergeant Cooper huffed. "We've gotta get t'the transport vehicles by six."
The others slowly roused, the warm, yellow light flooding into the room, not too painful for their eyes, but still an unwelcome wake-up call.
"Really sarge?" One grunted. "We've gotta get up early to die? I'd rather sleep in."
"Don't be like that. We ain't gonna die! There's space marines, we can't lose!"
"Look, man, they killed the 'oods. We've got no chance."
"No more arguing. You best be up soon or the commissars won't be pleased."

Jenson and the rest of the guerrilla fighters drunkenly stumbled through the thin corridor. The walls were white, the paint peeling and cracking with years of dampness and insect infestation. The rooms were unheated, the chills running down each of the mens' spines as cold flows of air found their way under their dirty vests. The hallways smelt of staleness, perhaps the mix of rations and the stench constantly floating out of the lavatories. Many of the guard regiments had gotten used to the reeking aroma, though many enjoyed to watch the newcomers' reactions when they first walk in.

Jenson's regiment, the 12th, along with the 8th, 17th and 23rd regiments were going to aid the defence of Ashaytus, a foreign planet to most. Jenson had to stories of the marines who had saved him, though many thought him mad. The gunfire, the explosions, the rush of adrenaline. No doubt he would feel it again. They would feel it, too. The heat of battle, their last stand. He knew they would die, most did.

The warm gush of air blew past them as they exited into a large courtyard, leading into a long, wide road towards the space stations. The twin stars' yellow light bathed the enclosed area in a warm glow, the red Flak armour of the regiments standing out against the dirty brown cloth that was worn by most of the assembled forces. The air was cool on the skin, yet still warmer than the cold corridors that led to Jenson's quarters. Few clouds drifted in the evening sky, and thin trails of smoke rose from some commanders cigarettes, their underlings looking down to avoid breathing in the fumes.

Three men stood on a balcony overlooking the area. One, to the left wore dark red carapace armour, with a manner of strange probes and signallers protruding from his back. Jenson recognised him as Vandan Xavier, the Master of Ordinance, who would be commanding the 23rd regiment, along with the usual commanders and commissars. On the other side of the large doorway were the other two commanders. On the far right was the leader of the 12th regiment, a specialised regiment of guerilla fighters drawn from some of the city's toughest criminals, including Jenson. He wore a black vest and dark, baggy camouflaged trousers. He had a Boltgun strapped over his shoulder, his muscular physique littered with scars. To Jenson and his fellow infantrymen, this man was a legend, Chief Gator, a once-convict-turned-hero who had fought many secret battles for the planet and the Imperium. To his left, a shadowy figure in a long, red trenchcoat. He had a mask covering his face, similar to the 17th Trizan regiment, called the Blood Hawks, known for their coordination and sternness. He stood up straight and slowly turned his head to regard the late arrivals, his empty, glassy eyes piercing Jenson.

Vox feedback echoed through the courtyard as a fourth commander walked through the doors. He let his jacket hang over his shoulder and straightened his cap as he came into view. He took a cigar out of his mouth, tapping away the ash by his waist before bringing it back to his mouth. "Greetings, all of you." He said, regarding the officers to his sides. "I'm sure that you're aware that we will depart tonight. We will bring victory and glory to Triza." The crowd stood silent. Perhaps off put by their cynicism, he spoke more honestly. "I know that many of you have lost comrades - no, friends. I assure you that your, and their deaths will not be pointless. You will die to protect everyone else, workers, businessmen, leaders. You will die for the Imperium. For the lives of the many. And let me tell you... we won't go down without a fight."

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/07/29 17:10:37


 Buttery Commissar wrote:
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Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

It's been a bit more than a week (Imperial Standard Dates can be a bit off though) so here are two more editions of Ashaytus!

Chapter XVI: Purest of Blood:

The Kairaen Purebloods were an elite fighting force of Militarum Tempestus. They were drawn from the farmers and aristocrats of the rich agriworld Kairr. Before the light of the Great Crusade, the planet's inhabitants had set a trade route with the people of Triza, who the Kairrns looked down upon as more primitive and less advanced. At first the Trizans were skeptical of the people coming from another planet promising goods, until they found the high-quality crops in the traders' ships, and decided that it was for the best.

The Kairrns were pale and albino, with crystal-like blue eyes. Due to Kairr's high regard of lineage, some genetic mutations have become apparent, such as poor eyesight and weak bones and because of their herbivorous diets, many have lost some canines for molars. The military's carapace was painted white with blue lenses, like the wearers, and have squad and regiment markings in light blue. Even with their generally poor eyesight, they are surprisingly talented in hand-eye coordination, making them crack-shots even before training. Their armour's lenses connect to their cam-feeds similarly to the way sergeants do in other regiments, using them to zoom in and fire at long distances.

The regiments stood in blocks, all looking the same to an outsider, though distinctly different to its members. Eight regiments were being sent for the war effort, with four more on their way. It was in Kairr's best interests to keep Ashaytus intact, as without them, there would be even less protection against the hordes of xenos building their forces nearby.

The squeal of engines surrounded the scions as their transports hovered down. The regiments stood up straight, looking east to the rising sun, and slowly started marching towards the vehicles, to war.

Chapter XVII: Calm before the Storm:

The Arius watchpoint was a training ground for space marine scouts, its rockcrete walls standing at a slight slant, with windows on all sides large enough to fit a heavy bolter. Ytiel and his Brother, Taegall, were sat in the outpost's makeshift refectory, discussing the upcoming battle. Heavy footsteps rang from behind him, but in their politeness, neither of the marines turned to see who it was. Then Ytiel felt a cold armoured hand on his shoulder and looked to see a marine of the 1st Company, in his replica MKIII armour. At first he didn't recognise the unhelmeted marine, but after a moment he realised that it was K'Bro'Lak.

"Ytiel," He said quietly. "I have something to tell you."
"Is it about what happened on Triza?" Ytiel asked, remembering the death of his friend.
"Not exactly," He said stepping back, beckoning him to follow. "I've been ordered to tell you in private.
They walked out of the door and through a corridor before the veteran began.
"Genestealers. Specifically the one we came to blows with."
"Yes? What about them?"
"They've been smuggled onto Arius, along with other vanguard organisms. They're in the forest."
"So? Why don't we just kill them?"
"There are too many of them and too few of us, most of us are still on Ashaytus. Besides, we shouldn't risk lives or equipment before they attack fully."
"Then why are you telling me this? Surely we can be deployed before they reach us and then purge them afterwards."
"The scouts are still out there. All of them. It wouldn't be good if they were dead when they are needed. Captain Taon is ahead of them, trying to kill some of the xenos so the others can get through, he should be here in a few hours. We need to launch a counter-attack, but without risking lives or using too much of our resources."
"The outpost isn't made to be defended, only the windows can fit heavy bolters, and other than that there aren't many places to fire from." Ytiel said, assessing their predicament. "Our best advantage is that they can't fight from a range, but if we shoot from too far they'll just hide and attack later."
"We need to ambush them once they reach us, and then form a pincer around them."
"Why haven't you told everyone else?"
"The more marines waiting to ambush them, the more likely it is that they'll notice. And if we have too many firing, they could be killed. However if some of us attack and weaken them, even if we die, they should be able to finish them off."

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2017/08/06 15:33:52


 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Welcome! I find building your wallet a nice warm nest, where it can sleep and feel safe tends to aid with abrupt shocks.
 
   
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Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

Well, it certainly has been a while! This one took more brainpower than the rest trying to make it not repetitious! I hope you enjoy it!

Chapter XVII: Quiet in the trees:

The twin suns peered over the canopy in an orange semi-circle, rays of light poking through the leaves into the grey mist that enveloped the muddy ground. Ytiel was resting on one knee, bolter trained, ready for the slightest of movements. Cool air seeped through his respirator, tickling his senses and jabbing at the throb of tension building in his chest. Any minute now, he thought. The job would have to be a quick one, only twenty-six hours, one day on Ashaytus, remained until their expected deployment. Light footsteps patted against the dusty path in the distance, some squelching in the mud. After a few moments the clank of bolters was added to the chorus, then it was joined by the breathing of the scouts, creating a symphony of anticipation for the ambush.

The scouts ran past, presumably unaware of their allies' presence. Good, if the scouts didn't notice them, it would be unlikely that the genestealers would. Suddenly, screeches rang through the trees and the ambush stood up, hurling a volley of bolt rounds at the xenos, the shots ripping their flesh and caving through the bone. The surviving creatures threw themselves towards the Astartes, flailing their claws at the armoured giants. One marines fell, blood spilling out from his neck, a lucky start for the Tyranid organisms. The marines fought back, punching and kicking the vanguard, leaving most in bloody pulps. A second smaller horde emerged from the miasma, only to be met with a flurry of fire from the marines, wiping them out completely.

All went quiet in the forest. The space marines held their breath, listening foanything. A red psychic beam flew towards one Knight, its end grasping at him like a hand. It clutched onto his face and as his brother moved to help him, his head exploded in a burst of blood and flesh, the psychic limb wavered and retreated back into the fog, falling and retracting like a rope being pulled away.

The psyker emerged from the undergrowth, a tall, thin creature with a sleek dark blue carapace and light purple flesh. It walked slowly, hunched, tail dragging. It raised its head and stared at Ytiel with bright yellow eyes that seemed to scream at whatever they saw.

Just as the squad was about to open fire, the Broodlord jumped out of the way and in an instant was on Ytiel. He fell back firing wildly into the beast, adjusting his shots to hit weak points. The Tyranid howled and leaned forward, swiping at Ytiel's power armour as he reloaded. One of his brothers, Kyvel, charged towards them, slamming into the Broodlord with his left pauldron, knocking it back before emptying his magazine into the genestealer. The creature used its speed and size to its advantage, leaning and dodging the bullets then thrusting itself into Kyvel's abdomen, toppling him over before finishing him with its psychic energy.

Ytiel drew his combat blade and got to his feet, the Broodlord still regarding his fallen prey. The seven other marines opened fire, causing the Broodlord to turn to retreat, only to find Ytiel, knife ready. It swung its right arm at him, attempting to scratch the marine's head. Ytiel rolled out of the way and pushed against the ground, leaping upwards and slashing at the beast's carapace. It tried to kick him, but the Knight caught its leg and pulled it towards him. The Broodlord struggled and squirmed as the marine dug his knife into its chest. Unleashing a final psychic attack, it died, and Ytiel threw the limp body into the grass.

The ambush squad were beginning to walk back towards the watchpoint when another horde of genestealers jumped at them from the trees. This time they were more successful, taking two marines down before they could react.
"Retreat! There's too many of them!" K'Bro'Lak ordered as even more Tyranids streamed out.
The marines pulled back, firing behind them and taking as many of the vanguard organisms down as they could. Gradually the creatures caught up, dragging another Knight down. They had reached the clearing where the watchpoint was. As the xenos ran into the area, a hail of fire engulfed them. The scouts had hidden themselves among the fauna, just as their peers had. The genestealers were slaughtered by the bolt rounds, the survivors escaping back into the forest.
"You've taught the young ones well, Tairo." K'Bro'Lak said, clearly impressed by the scouts work.
"What did you expect, idiots who'd get killed?" The scout captain replied.
"Will you be joining us in planetfall?"
"Of course. A few more guns are never unappreciated." He said, glancing back at his company.
"I expect we'll meet again then, captain." The veteran said, turning away and shouldering his bolter.

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Welcome! I find building your wallet a nice warm nest, where it can sleep and feel safe tends to aid with abrupt shocks.
 
   
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Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

A bit more than a week, my schedule's a bit sloppy! I hope I'll be able to carry on production as standard next week. Until then, bye!

Chapter XIX: March to Honour:

ASHAYTUS SURFACE

Kyo'Stan was a mighty leader and an excellent duelist. As head of the Knights of the Forge, he commanded the chapter and led them to battle when he was needed most. Outside of battle he was quiet and elusive and more interested in his system's politics than the movements of his enemies. Today, however, his enemies had his full attention.

He had mustered his spearhead, half of the 3rd company, led by Captain Kemuel, the 5th company, led by Head Apothecary Tani'nel and half of the 1st company, led by Kalarth'akus. His advisors, Reclusiarch Cultum and Chief Librarian Omniel had insisted that he brought the Round Table, the chapter's twelve dreadnought, commanded by the arrogant Knight-Lord Arturius. The force stood to attention as he spoke to them.

"My brothers. Today will be a day of legend in the chapter's tomes. Today is the day that we keep our ground and show our blades to the galaxy. Today is a day where we will succeed, where we will show determination, a day where victory shall be achieved, even at great cost! Now brothers, to battle!"

And thus their crusade began, Rhino tracks thundering across the dusty earth. After half an hour in the Rhinos, they were ordered to exit the vehicles and move into formation. Brother by brother, they stood in a wall of superhuman power. They began their march, a purple tide on the horizon.

At the front of their march, Kyo'Stan, along with Kemuel, Kalarth'akus, Omniel and Arturius. Behind them was the 1st Company detachment, made up mostly of Sternguard Veterans, their Terminator and Vanguard brothers waiting in orbit. Then there was a line of 3rd Company marines, in special squads made to aid the drop pod assault of the other half of the company. Finally, the bulk of the force was made up of the 5th Company, with Tani'nel at its head as a secondary leader.

ARIUS WATCHPOINT

"Our brothers are on the planet below as we speak. They will be fighting for this planet and for our lineage. The Knights shall not abandon each other, we shall join our brothers and strike at the enemy's core!"

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
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Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

So, sorry for this one being late. See it a small a way to build tension, as this is the final battle (it's not over yet, though). Here it is:

Chapter XX: Hope Rekindled

== 4.503.998.M41 ==
== ARIUS (MOON) ==

The drop pod rattled and shuddered as it entered orbit, the harsh planet's air rushing past the plating. It jerked violently as it shot through a cloud of spores and gargoyles. One unlucky pod hit a harpy during its descent, killing the creature but hurtling off in another direction.

"3..." Ytiel tensed his hand, readying each muscle in his body.
"2..." He did some final checks on his equipment. Armour, check. Respirator, check. Boltgun, at the ready.
"1..." He held his breath in anticipation.

The bulk of metal smashed into the cracked surface, dust radiating from it like a warm breath in cold air. Its doors swung open, crushing dozens of Tyranids. The squad hurled grenades and fired rapidly before exiting the vehicle, giving them the opportunity to rejoin the main force if they needed.

"All units successful?" The lieutenant asked, whom Ytiel could see barely on the horizon.
"Unit one successful." One Sergeant announced.
"Squad two successful." Said another.
"Unit three landed." Arael added.
"Combined assault squads near impact." The assault marine leader said, momentarily followed by a storm of sand and dust washing over the other squads. Chainswords revved and tore through weak flesh. Bolt Pistols ripped through skulls and chests. Once the clouds had cleared Ytiel could see that they had cleared out an area around twice the size of one of the drop pods. Impressiv, he thought to himself.
"Unit four unsuccessful," K'Bro'Lak said frustratedly. "We hit something in descent and have ended up in the refinery district. Almost two miles away."
"All successful squads, form firing lines and hold back the enemy!" The lieutenant commanded.

They did as they were ordered, most kneeling down and unloading magazines into the endless swarm of aliens. Grenades flew overhead, landing and taking out tens of gaunts in the process. The xenos retaliated, sending volleys of living rounds into the marines, chewing through their armour and tearing their flesh. More and more shots radiated from the swarm, killing the tactical marines who had just deployed. The assault squad was now surrounded by hormagants. The marines kept slashing and ripping through the infantry, but there always seemed to be more. Eventually they were forced to pull back to the man lines.

"Captain!" The lieutenant barked. "Captain, where are you, we're sustaining heavy casualties!" He turned and could only see the forefront of the spearhead on the horizon. "We won't have enough time! Captain!" Even the lieutenant was worried, nearly half of the deployed troops were dead.
"Calm down, Lieutenant," K'Bro'Lak said, "the force will arrive shortly."
Giant creatures loomed over the horde. Some opened fire, missing, but causing devastation on the surface and on their own troops.
"Retreat! There's too many!"

"No!" Boomed a voice from behind them. It was metallic and deep, but also sounded caring in a strange way. Ytiel hadn't the time to turn to see the figure.
"Hold your ground! You are space marines, not Tau! Keep them back it is your duty!" Even with their advanced senses, none of the space marines had noticed this person approaching. Could it be a captain? Kalath'akus? Few of them had met him before.

Their questions were answered when a huge contemptor dreadnought rushed past, swinging a blade the size of a land speeder. His green armour was dull, coated in a thin layer of dirt. His metallic joints and bolts, while mostly clean, had hints of grime and muck in the crevasses. His blade was massive, the metal the colour of a sword straight out of a forge, with a searing yellow-white tip. It cleaved easily through the pink aliens, most screaming in agony as they were torn in half. A large creature, a carnifex, charged towards the dreadnought. The ancient thrust his sword through its body, entering on the side of the neck. This carnifex was relentless, however, still howling and squirming. The comtemptor lifted it with his free hand, smashing it into the ground and finishing it off with his heavy foot.

"I am Arius, former captain of the 10th company, now leader of the round table."



 Buttery Commissar wrote:
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Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

Sorry, it's been a while now, but once again, the chapter is larger than the last (I think).

Chapter XXI: Not Dead Yet

"I am Arius, former captain of the 10th company, now leader of the round table."

His words rung through Ytiel's brain like the great bells of the Reclusiam. Arius? He was supposed to be dead. He died on a mission in enemy territory in 342.M41. Could they have retrieved his body from the explosion? Who knows. But he was here, now, and that was what was most important.

"Hope is not yet lost, young ones," He announced. "The enemy may be great in number, but they are weak of heart. Slay their leaders, the synapse creatures, and their forces will be crippled beyond redemption. Push forwards!"

They did as he commanded, walking into the swarm, their advance only slowing with the buildup of corpses around them. The dreadnought charged once again, skipping past the space marines before slicing vertically down in an arc, his sword splitting the xenos forces before being caught in the ground. Arius moved his hand so that its underside touched the hilt of his blade. He pushed the sword as he dislodged it, sending a wall of flame into the mass of flesh ahead of him. This continued for a few minutes, and to Ytiel's surprise, there were no further casualties. Eventually a squad of bikers raced past, firing wildly into the Tyranids, with the cloaked sergeant beheading a dozen of the creatures with his chainsword.

"Bring them down!" An unknown voice voxed. "The xenos must die!" The sergeant's eyes met Ytiel's, as though he had some prior knowledge or trust of the battle-brother. Suddenly, Ytiel realised why the sergeant had stared at him as a large talon swept him from under his feet. He could now see the ravener looming over him, glaring at him with cold, unfeeling yellow eyes. It lunged at him, but he held its torso back, its flailing arms barely missing his sides. He reached for his bolt pistol, but the creature was hefty and he couldn't reach the holster. It backed off for a moment, presumably to gain momentum in its next attack, and Ytiel seized his chance. He brought the gun up just as it leaned over, and fired a few rounds into its chest, causing it to collapse to his right.

The rest of the spearhead had arrived, through transport or by foot. The grounded half of the 3rd Company, the rapid deployment Demi-Company, set up a protected area in front of them, their MKIV replica armour now littered with scratches. Behind them, the 1st Company let loose a volley of rounds from their special issue boltguns. Terminators ran forward and tore through the gaunt infantry, as did the Vanguard Veterans. Finally, combined Trizan and Kairrn forces flooded through lasguns firing widely into the horde, with almost no coordination, as expected from conscripts. Their superiors, Veterans and Scions, moved behind them, aiming at the synapse creatures, as instructed by their officers.

At first, success seemed inevitable, defeat an impossibility. They easily mowed down the hordes of infantry before them, quickly eliminating the larger creatures when they became a threat. But the more Tyranids they killed, the more of the powerful beasts came into view. Zoanthropes, Maleceptors, Tervigons and Carnifexes started to appear more and more, and the forces were slowly whittled down by the barrage of incoming fire.

"Aerial support inbound." A pilot voxed. A plethora of aircraft flew overhead, bombing and firing on the xenos below. Stormravens flew by, unleashing volleys of different fire. Stormtalon Gunships hovered, spewing missiles and assault cannon rounds downwards. Thunderhawks and Valkyries annihilated everything in their paths. All was going according to plan.

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
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Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

Final boss time! Thank goodness this thing isn't in the game (flying swarmlord that can avoid non-psychic attacks and can teleport things in and out of the immaterium, no thanks).

Chapter XXII: The Grand Wyvern

A hideous shriek reverberated across the battlefield. Even the least autonomous of Tyranid life forms seemed to grin at this sound, as if it signalled definite victory. A massive beast flew on the horizon, its wings forming an ominous silhouette over the planet's sun. It was larger than a Hive Tyrant, if only marginally, however its wings were half a size bigger than the equivalent.

"Be weary," Kyo'Stan ordered. "We don't know what that thing can do, and if there's anything that I've learned about Tyranids, it's not to doubt what the Hive Mind can brew."
"Chapter Master?" The 3rd Company Captain asked. Kyo'Stan gave a slight nod. "Lascannons, fire!"
The Lascannons unleashed their blasts, the beam rushed at imperceivable speeds towards the creature. By the time they arrived, the tyrant was gone. Suddenly, a tearing sound ruptured from behind the commanders, and when they turned, they saw creature there, its six eyes glaring at them. It flexed its arms, its black metal swords showing their fine, sharp edges.
"A blend of Telekinesis and Divination, I see." The Chief Librarian's telepathic communication servitor murmured. "If nothing else, it is a smart creature. Your guns won't work. I'll have to disable it myself. Keep the forces focused on the horde."

He spun his staff, both it and its wielder setting ablaze.
"Katon!" A blue flame formed over his left forearm. "Mataburasu!" It expanded into a huge hollow sphere before popping and singeing the creature's skin.
"Omunin! Moruma!" A fireball appeared near his one eye, before stretching slightly into a spear, which he grabbed and hurled at the tyrant. While it tried to dodge it by teleporting away, Omniel halted it mid-flight and launched it at it again. It parried it with its tail, slicing open a rift into the immaterium and letting it through. "Katon! Zenon Yumi!" Another spear-like shape formed near his hand. He clenched it and it bent into the shape of a bow, which he placed his staff's blade end in, before pulling back and releasing it like an arrow. It shot forward at tremendous speed and pierced its chest.

"Why was it unable to avoid it?" Kyo'Stan asked. Omniel gestured towards a librarian at the bottom of the hill who was rather strainedly holding his arm at the behemoth, obviously denying the psyker its powers. Omniel then ran towards the agonised beast and thrust his hand into its pierced chest. A ring of fire appeared around the staff and it slowly filled itself in with ancient Koso scripture, a language only known by the monks that the Chief Librarian was raised by.
"It won't be able to use its abilities for the most part." He said, walking away. "He's all yours now."

Kyo'Stan looked to the battle raging below him. Space marines, guardsmen and scions were fighting shoulder to shoulder, pouring all effort into stopping the invasion. The tyrant swept down and sliced the army below. "Get that thing away from here. Heart's End will do." His stormraven hovered nearby, unloading fire into the creature, which it was now forced to dodge, until it made pursuit.

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Welcome! I find building your wallet a nice warm nest, where it can sleep and feel safe tends to aid with abrupt shocks.
 
   
Made in gb
Hungry Little Ripper





Somewhere within Hive Fleet Leviathan

Once again, I’m late with my writing. Sorry, folks.

Chapter XXIII: With my last breath...

Ytiel drew his combat knife. He dashed towards a group of Hormagaunts, observing the corpses of the Imperial forces that covered the battlefield. Guardsmen fallen, still in line formation. Stragglers with holes through the head. Scions scattered randomly, the retreat obviously keeping some alive. Space marines, bloody and battered, honourably surrounded by dead Tyranids. He brought his attention, and his boltgun, back to his targets.

One, two, three shots are fired and all make their mark, splitting the skulls of the xenos in a shower of gore. He flicked the blade into his hand so it was reversed and prepared to strike.
“Unit, charge!” Arael ordered, butting a weakened gaunt with his pistol’s grip. Ytiel slashed at a creature’s throat and rammed his knife through its head carapace, bringing it to the ground.

A scream could be heard from behind him, only noticeable with Astartes’ enhanced senses in the roar of the battle. He spun around to find a Genestealer almost upon him, flailing in anticipation of killing its foe. He tried to stab it in the chest, but it proved too fast, and he missed. He held it back with his forearm, its claws scratching the edges of his armour. Ytiel kicked it away with his left leg and brought his boltgun up and fired. Blood splattered onto the scorched ground, mixing with the brownish sand.

Arael struck the Ravener with his power sword, only cutting off one of its claws. It ducked and weaved around his swings, only to be finished off by his bolt pistol. Through the mist of the battle, Arael could see a group of warriors advancing. He opened fire, hoping to pick one off before his squad engaged the beasts. The round must have found its mark, as a low growl could be heard. The trio were now upon them, and it was now that Arael realised what they were up against.

The Tyranid Prime fired a salvo from its deathspitter and its maggots exploded on impact with the sergeant’s armour, spraying the ceramite with acid. It melted through his abdominal plating, one or two drops making their way onto the space marine’s flesh, hissing and searing as it burned him. “Losin! Tobias!” The two squadmates ran to their sergeant, one scorching the creature with a flamer, the other slamming his broadsword into the Tyranid’s bonesword as it howled in pain.

Ytiel knew what to do. He’d done it before in training. Arael would stab the enemy’s weak point before punching it in the head, stunning it momentarily. Ytiel would stab them in the chest or parry their counterattack with his combat knife, then he would rip the power sword out and spin to build momentum before cutting the target in half.

He ran forward. Arael stabbed the Prime in the lower chest, lodging it deep into its ribcage. He swung his right fist into the Tyranid’s head, making it stagger backwards. The Prime tried to decapitate Arael, but Ytiel parried it with his knife, the force of the attack knocking it out of his hand. Tobias was pushed onto the floor by its strength and found himself defending against another warrior. Ytiel’s hand reached the sword, but the Prime was faster.

A painful ring was let out as the sword shattered in two. The pain in his wrist forced Ytiel to drop the handle of the power weapon. It kicked Ytiel away and into Losin, causing both to fall to the ground. A swish of its bonesword left a huge cut in his armour, and blood flooded out onto his green armour. In a daze, he came to his knees, his eyes closing and senses fading. His last breath was drawn.

Thank the Emperor...

 Buttery Commissar wrote:
Welcome! I find building your wallet a nice warm nest, where it can sleep and feel safe tends to aid with abrupt shocks.
 
   
 
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