The Hive city of Zelris looked like a the blade of black jagged knife jutting from the ground. From several kilometers away it appeared to be wreathed in a permanent blood mist of black. Staining the air where it pierced the depleted soil of Orion 5.
Stanz Freider sprinted across the motorpool as the base sirens blared their angry cry. Troopers of the Orion Planetary Defense Force scrambled to their designated positions. The warning of the sirens signaled an alert. When an alert was issued every trooper was to prepare to repel invaders, which meant vehicles needed to be checks, weapons issued, orders received and support equipment stowed.
Sergeants shouted ordered to manage the chaos and channel the sudden surge of energy created by this hostile sound. Stanz hoped it was a drill, but there was something in his stomach that told him the winds were blowing ill will their way. This was his first assignment after becoming an officer in the Imperial Guard. He was a line trooper that was lifted to momentary greatness when held an outpost against an Eldar assault.
It was a lightning fast attack, break in and capture slaves and escape. Better to die then let them take you alive, he thought to himself. He managed to rally the soldiers after suffering heavy losses and direct fire and disable several craft. The depraved Eldar fled before the guns of the Guard could render all their flyers disabled.
His men fell upon the depraved xenos with all the fury of a Inquisitor would upon a heretic. Without their crafts to maneuver around the defenses the foul beings were at a loss. Stanz ended up capturing an Eldar being that interested certain dark hooded figures of the Inquisition. After the attack he found orders promoting him to junior officer and sending him to his duty station on Orion 5.
The world appeared before him in the form of a thick permacrete wall and a heavy plasteel door that lead to the command center. Behind him in the yard tanks roared to life and a promethium laden truck hastily fueled the remaining vehicles. Stanz entered his passcode into the small consol and laid the palm of his hand against the screen. The door whooshed upward and allowed him into the small foyer only ten by ten.
A storm trooper stepped forward in carapace armor with a hand scanner. Stanz noted the serious look covering the man’s face, some of these glory boys took themselves way too seriously. The man scanned Stanz’s datacard and awaited the appropriate clearence to populate his handheld. The two gun slits flanking the door ahead were empty, but the officer knew there were two troopers behind him ready to fry any intruder attempting to gain access to the command center.
“Green, sir.” The gruff man stepped away to the corner and waited for the next person to come through. Stanz turned from him and the door opened revealing a room crammed with computer consoles, screens with planetary maps and war tables. The room was crammed with equipment and officers, but all these men were huddled around one single holo-table at the far end of the room. A single vox trooper was issuing orders across the planetary net and another was receiving incoming reports from various outposts.
The junior officer avoided the mass at the tables and walked toward the vox troops.
“What is the report.” He asked to either of them. The trooper sending orders regarded him but finished his transmission before replying.
“Mobilization to repel planetary attack, sir!”
Stanz’s eyes widened but the vox transmissions kept flowing and the trooper barely missed a beat between his reply and returning to his job.
“Stanz, get your no good ass over here before I put the torch to it!” The voice was that of the base commanding officer, Senior Officer Geitner. The rest of the officers turned to offer their stares of dark eyes full of resentment and disapproval. The entirety of these men were born and raised on this planet and came from prominent families. These positions allowed their children a “distinguished” position in their world’s military. Apparently these men believed they were bred for command, and Stanz was bred for slinging chow. Even their neatly trimmed black hair seemed to scorn his lighter off blonde color. Stanz was the outsider in more ways than one.
The blonde haired, blue eyed man approached the table and the uniform sea dark haired officers parted as if to avoid the volley of ordnance Geitner was about to launch at tardy junior officer.
“Well, well,” touted Geitner. “Maybe you can tell us what these are.”
The black glass tabletop showed several red space vessels and their designations as they approached the fifth planet of the Orion system.
“Sir, those are Adeptas Astartes codes.” He resisted the urge to explain any gutter rat worth his salt as an officer would be able to tell that from Imperium Naval vessels. There was a twinge as he felt his brain working to understand but he fought the urge to voice his next thought, How can the Astartes already be responding to the alert?
“Smart off-worlder. They even teach their miscreants the basics.” Muttered Geitner. The older man was thickly built and his dark hair seemed to only turn blacker with age instead of graying like other humans. His uniform was crisply decorated with few Imperium medals and extensively with Orion military decorations. Stanz doubted there was any room for the Emperor on that uniform.
“This is the situation men.” Geitner turned his ire from Stanz and to the situation before them. “This is a planetary invasion alert. Adeptas battle cruisers and frigates entering Orion space are designated at enemy contacts the moment the appeared from warp space. According to our orders these ships will attempt to make planet fall and we are to deny them with every last man, lasgun and Russ.” This information caused a murmur to spread across the officers like wild fire.
“Are these Chaos marines?” asked a broad shouldered man across the table.
“According to our information these Astartes are designated the Ravenguard.” Added Geitner. “This chapter is not designated as traitors.”
“Why are they here, what have we done to them?!” Another officer asked with hysteria in his voice. The man was right to be worried. Fighting aside an Astartes would be an experience one would never forget. Fighting against them would be an experience one might hope to live to forget.
“Their mission is unknown, but they are considered hostile. This information comes from Inquisitor Gastone located at Hive city Zelris. We are to deploy to defend key planetary defense guns and to resist planetfall!”
A questioning glance was exchanged among the officers.
“Regardless of who they are!! They want to come to our planet and bring fire, then they will be met with fire! Now hop-to-it!! Get your orders and deploy your men!” roared Geitner.
The junior officers knew their place in the food chain and scrambled as if the warp incarnate was chasing them. As the last of the lieutenants passed through the door Stanz just shook his head and calmly headed toward the exit. His mind was afire with questions and requirements needed to mobilize to his designated coordinates. Suddenly a gruff voice rumbled from directly behind him causing him to snap out of his haze.
“Not you, Freider!” Commander Gietner was behind him now, glowering menacingly over him.
“Sir, I have to get my men together and depart in less than…”
“Your present orders have been rescinded,” the superior officer cut him off in mid sentence. “This was sent for you.” The older man handed him a folder with a set of papers inside. Stanz took the papers and glanced over them cautiously. The Imperial signet of the Inquisition was stamped directly at the beginning of the page. Stanz wanted to cringe at the symbol but his past experience with the Inquisition gave him the smallest bit of courage. This wasn’t to inform him he would be tried as a witch, they wouldn’t be so formal as to send him notice, the young officer knew that much.
Freiders commanding officer puffed out his chest and appeared to be waiting for the man to finish reading.
“This says I am to take three squads with heavy weapons teams, two chimeras and a Russ and depart for these coordinates to support the Sisters of the Burning Blade in their defense of Bastion A-21.” Stanz looked up at his superior and could only imagine the infuriation he must feel at the sudden acquisition of men and equipment under his command by an outside force. Geitner stepped over to a terminal and began punching several keys.
“I’ve sent word to the motor pool. Take the vehicles, but man them with your own men. Take your own squads and get there without hesitation. I’d much sooner fire a plasma rifle on full auto for three minutes straight than face an unpleased Inquisitor.” Geitner turned and shouted at the stunned Freider, “Get out of here! Before you get us both kill for keeping the Emperors people waiting!”
Freider was out the door, all questions and queries leaving his mind. He was already behind schedule.
-battle results to follow with pictures-
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