Chương 221: Familiar Friend
In the Imperial base in the rebuilt Dublin.
Alexander sat in his office, hearing the sound of construction ongoing outside. The voices of the people resonate with him. Joy, sadness and hope for a bright future...
Alexander admired the tenacious ability of humanity to stand up. Despite a God that fallen wrecked havoc in Dublin. People have the guts to smile att the face of devastation...
Piper venture out to interview the post war Dublin and Eddie the eyebot is being the mascot in a orphanage... How the eyebot manage to escape the slaughter is unclear, but the last sighting was that Eddie managed to stave off several Bronze giants in a school while waiting for reinforcements... And he was nickname the Floating guardian around the city. Children often gave it flower crowns.
He reflected upon certain things.
He had some information that he gather with the Irish demigod to know a bit about his body heritage...
And before he got to it, he fought against Zeus and Hercules that is warped... He thought that... He could handle them as seeing that they were "just" Gods that fled from Warhammer terra... Never realizing that he picked a fight like a cornered rat.
How many coffins accompany him that day?
How many people looked at him for salvation and desire for vengeance? He can give comfort to the families that lost their loved ones with material comforts, with pension and reimbursement of their loss of properties, but deep down he knew that their hearts were scarred by the simple attack...
When he commence the rite of passage of the souls of the imperial to enter the gates of heaven ordained by Revelation... He wondered... Were the souls find peace from the clutches of the daemons?
Many looked at him as a god... But he is not one...
He bleeds, he brushed with death... One point he died...
He wished he would listen Lorgar sermons that the God Emperor is a god... What makes him one?
He uncorked his Amasec bottle and pour it's contents in a whiskey glass...
He swirls and stare at the glass as if looking for answers.
He spoken with pride that the imperium is unbeatable and they will seek justice...
The attack have shattered the myth of a unbeaten Imperium...
But deep inside his thoughts, vision of a Imperium for the people is crumbling... He shook his head as he stared at the Aquila that is placed by the door...
"Macaldor.. old friend... What would you do if you was in my shoes?" He reminded of his mentor... a stubborn bastard that send paperwork as he sneaks out watch the blood bowl with the masses in a nearby stadium... But still... A good friend. They never got along, but as time grew, they shared the emperor vision. A student and a Mentor relationship.
During the grand crusade, Macaldor taught him how to govern the imperium just in case things went wrong as a replacement... His wish, his hope... Burn by the ashes of a future that was feared... He couldn't take reigns as it will destroy the reality he faced... In a sense he had a share of the blame of unable to take reins of the Imperial senate and the High Lords from decaying into what it is...
He ventured to this place leading the Astarte legions, without the primarchs... Because he was wary of seeing them, he led three lives, each having their opinion about them...
He grown up thinking that they were the devil's to be hated, A Indifferent man that was outside the franchise, akin of reading a book of their lives and a brother that loved each and everyone dearly... It gave him a mixed bias.
Many times he did hated Horus for what he did to crush humanity hope... But he knows the Brother that he enjoys moon gazing from the Golden Palace is no longer with him, just a Clone that held a fragment of his soul... The times when he was a part of a family... a united purpose in life... Vanished in the pyres of war, He knows that those days is long gone...
Hatred without purpose is dangerous for the Astartes to survive. And the legions that follows him in this realm is a test for them if they are truly redeemable, they are legionaries from a bygone era, that they are more "Humane" compared to the heavily indoctrinated Inductii Astartes of the 41st millennium... He wondered...
Did he done right?
This world... Is only the first time that he conquer without direction... Cyberpunk? That was retaliation conquest because Shado picked a fight with him... Starship troopers? That is just a simple coup that nearly killed his family...
But now? He felt uncertain... There are forces at work that is somewhat tipping the balance...
This is the second attempt that they managed to bypass his defenses both the materium and the Immaterium... One was the assassination of one of the culprits that infected Caesar blocking one source of information and now there are prototypes that have been stolen...
He would have scoff of the prototypes... But after reading the reports...
It was group of prototype Armor Cores that is outfitted with Imperium tech along with several Armor Cores that is downsized for mass production is stolen and Dozen of Baneblade... Enough to fill several company sized units... How on earth they managed to bypassed the motor pool security is awkward as hell.
Perhaps that using the imperial guards and the locals as the spearhead of the operations is a mistake....
But now he need to make a choice...
Become the God the natives wanted... Or remain human?
Being a god means resolving everything that is part of his desires, ending up like the corpse emperor... But being human? The path is arduous, painful, and mind breaking....
He closed his eyes as he ended up in Lorgar studies... Discussing the Theocratic meaning in starship troopers....
"There comes a time that people will worship you as the Emperor himself...what will you do Alexander?" Logar spoke.
Alexander held a conversation with the now somewhat sane primarch.
It was a time when the Federation had almost collapse on itself and he willingly became the Icon for people to looked up to. The Ad Victorum Sky Marshall.
"You know, Lorgar... I never intended to be a God..." Alexander spoke softly.
"But that's not the way people thinks... You know what happens when a man comes in to a desperate world with a hand that make miracles that is similar to my father and so much more?" Lorgar smiled.
"That..."
"Brother... I know it is hard to take in, but I spent time in the warp, and I reflect a lot of things... The creation of a god and the destruction of one made by your hands... By faith alone.. that is devastating... But a being that is a conduit of our fathers psychic might and personality? You are getting closer to divinity than you ever realize Alexander... But it's up to you what path you choose? A man pretending to be a god or a god in human skin..." Lorgar sighed...
"Suffer being that held a soul of a Human... Or embrace the powers of a god... I hope that you would tell me what path you wished to take..." Lorhar handed Alexander a bottle of water.
He hugged Alexander for the hardest choices he make in his life...
He traveled in Starship troopers earth to interview faith in different religions instead of the texts that he borrowed...
His mind opened to the possibility that the emperor may been a product of creation... Not destruction.
After recalling what Logar spoke... Alexander drank his cup and sighed.
Alexander thought ended as he received reports that the battlefield in Russian front is in a standstill...
Mech of unknown origin is now causing chaos...
And the pict that show their features have confirmed it...
The organization in Russia somehow managed to smuggle the Stolen tech in America and now using it against them.
"Don't worry about it..." A voice that is somewhat familiar to Alexander.
Sitting across him is Revelation that is watching his agony in the darkness... He is baseline sized as he held a amasec bottle.
"Its been a while... Friend..."
"Aren't we family? Why the distance between us?" The golden man smiled.
"Wait... How did you get here?"
"I surf using a space hulk, makes a great transport, you should try it sometime." He jest.
Alexander frown as he peer into the warp and sure enough... A Space hulk is nicely parked above earth...
"Don't tell me that you got a Tyranid infestation or a throne forsake me... A passenger that is unwanted.. this world is still under subjugation and we can't risk any more parties into the fray..." Alexander groan...
"Nonsense... You could have asked me to handle Zeus... Why you summon Khaine to do your work?"
"Because I am afraid that you might get my body hurt, Divine possession is not a painless endeavor." Alexander remember the time when Revelation ordered the destruction of those High Lords in cyberpunk... That was excruciating.
"Fine... I just came by to check up on you son."
"Really?"
"I heard your plans... The Celestial Imperium? Heck, you and your wives is in the honeymoon phase or something? Hell, even Roboute is winning in that department."
"Don't go into my head... That's private stuff... Wait...your thoughts about my idea?"
The avatar hummed as he nodded.
"Well, what you planning is practically combining 30k imperium and bashing it with parts of the current 40k millennia ecclesiarchy with your League of Ten thousand technology and your form of government of veterans as a glue to stick together... And making other universes act as a revenue of faith and technology to power me and the imperium I made to resolve chaos faster huh... I give it a 6.9/10 approval... And I give you my blessings so you do your best."
"Why the bleak numbers?" Alexander asked.
The emperor towered over him as Revelation grasp his shoulders
"Son... I don't know how will other multiverse native give me the faith to fight against chaos in my realm, it might give me powers or it will change me completely... Your technology that you left behind is enough to assist me...
But any more? I could see the mechanicus screaming to follow you. Hell, we can't afford another schism as tight now we saved several versions of me..." He chuckled.
"How was it? Meeting your other versions?"
"Let's just say... We get along fine, with my imperium added to the besieged version, we steamrolled everything. Hard to say about my other version sons though... I know they hate my guts... But we get along well."
"Where are you now?"
"Roboutian Heresy, don't you find it hilarious? A version of my pencil pusher son betrayed me... And he didn't get his wife Yrvaine to tame him! My Roboute spoke to me how it must felt like being Horus when he rebelled, the look on his face was priceless. Wait until we enter the Lionel heresy, that is a blast." Revelation laughed.
"What do you mean tame?"
"I gonna be a Grandfather now. I am in the Best Grandpa faction in the Citadel..."
Alexander is dazed for a moment.
"Emperor, if you send me one of your little goblins that you called Sensei, I already paid Child Support and gave them a Job in the League of Ten thousand! What? Grandpa?" Alexander blinked his eyes twice.
"Sure, I know about Vulkan adopted that eldar daughter and the little sisters, you snatch from that place, they are part of the family too... Make sure they are not so rowdy when I come to visit."
"Neoth... What you mean Grandfather?"
The emperor patted his shirt.
"Oops... Scratch that out of your mind... Now where is that... Memory eraser?" He proceeded to smack Alex with a toy hammer.
He knew it would not delete his memories but he pretended and ignore what happened. Revelation simply move the subject ahead.
"Oh, I have someone with me... I think you know who is with me... I think you need all the backup you can get at the moment. I think he's done getting his son's on the ground..." Revelation gesture at the door.
A familiar figure appeared before them... Alexander smiled as a primarch came before them.
A man now clad in armor and his arms is covered with Necrodermis gloves. His first primach that he revived now stood upon the door.
"Ferrus!" He smiled as he welcome his brother return.
The Primarch smiled back.
"I am back brother... Thank you for saving the imperium and my family..." The gentle giant smiled
"Are you sure you want to follow me? You know that Fulgrim-"
"I know... But I heard he repented, and I wished to rekindled our brotherhood once more."
"What about your legion?"
"It took time, time that you afforded for me to fix a millennia worth of pain... But it was enough for me to join my legion into a cohesive force and reformed them. And they wish to test their mettle against the foes beyond the veil. My father informed me that you need my services once more." Ferrus smiled.
"I shall no longer fear the dark brother... Your legions might will destroy the traitors of humanity. I glad to have you aboard... Thank you Revelation..."
Alexander smiled warmly at the corner where Revelation sat, now empty and the Bottle of amasec empty, Peering into the warp, he could see the Emperor suddenly took the space hulk and darted into the depths of the warp... A letter was placed on the table.
Alexander read its content and he frowned.
"You know, Alexander, I am not used to having emotional meetings since Macaldor left. I know that this is the Lowest point in your career. But know this, Defeat the Organization in the Siberia, before you meet the old gods, they keep certain secrets that I am unable to pry from their mouths, I know it is a hurdle, and that organization is conducting a ritual that will blanket the world in eternal frost, it is necessary to close the Warp rift that is spewing out daemons into this terra and lower the contamination of the warp from turning remaining gods into Zeus. And I saw the Data that you have accumulated at the moment, so I take some liberty to copy it for my personal use.
Remember, the longer you wait in this realm... The easier you are being found by organizations that hates anyone that bears any part of me, regardless of blood or soul... Take care, If you have Time, Come visit us.
P.S: Make a Golden palace in each realm you conquer, finding you among the countless variation of where you are is a pain."
Alexander smiled as he began to order his men.
A Golden figure standing on top of the hulk like a surfer, as he swept by, daemons exploded and disintegrated by his mere presence alone... He noticed a crack in the warp that is bleeding Into the reality and he simply crashed the space hulk that he surf on into the crack and damaged it to the point that, what is a gushing waterfall that threatened to leak the dam that is reality, bringing a risk of Daemon princes into this realm, into a simple faucet leak that he knows his two sons can achieve closing it for good. Bringing less daemons into the Materium Reality.
"I grown soft..." He chuckled as he floated away into the warp until Bucephalus arrive and managed to pick him up as made his way back to his realm to continue his journey of redemption... He was aware that someone is observing him, but he couldn't care less as he disappeared somewhere else. ..
A hooded figure watched the brazen Emperor left the damage and now beneath the robes a glowing eyes appeared.
"Him... Here... plans have changed... assessing and raising the Chosen designated as Midas as threat level have been increased by Principalities to Seraphim Level, Holy Father will be displeased of the Infection in his paradise... The Cleansing must continue... Midas stands in our path..."
Appearing from Chaos of the warp, dozens of the figures similar now followed behind the first.
[Purity Through Death] all chanted as they followed the figure in the howling chaos that became silent in their wake... Their march is towards a familiar world....
Alexander have good memories with Ferrus Manus. And he is the first primarch that known him before he became high lord.
Alexander brought the primarch up to speed in the current events. Ferrus listen as he formed plans and strategies in his mind.
"Brother.... Would you be my consultant once more and help the imperium in this strange land?" Alexander asked.
Ferrus smiled as if the task before him is easy to complete.
"I will brother, Me and the Sons of Medusa will heed your call, High lord." He saluted.
"Call me brother when we are off duty, I don't control you." Alexander laughed.
They went out the office, Piper watched the Primach in amazement ...
"Who's this Alexander?"
"Piper Wright, Meet Ferrus Manus, He is my Step brother.. in a sense."
She immediately held his hand with her eyes glowing.
"You definitely let me Interview him. This is the big scoop, a son of the Emperor of the imperium is enough to make headline for days!" Piper eyes gleam with so much topics in her head. She grabbed her notebook as she scribble her notes down.
Ferrus smiled wryly.
"Was your companions always like this?"
"She is one of the eccentric kind, she's more like a remembrancer in this realm." Alexander smiled back.
Eddie the Eyebot came by to see his new companion.
The eyebot hover around the Primarch and scanned him and Ferrus examine the little floating ball in return.
"You have some strange acquaintance... Is this the world version of servitor skulls? " Ferrus spoke as he bopped the Eyebot head.
"Yes, and he is unique, since I kinda stuff a Machine spirit into its frame. The unique one."
"*Smug Beeping*" the eyebot bopping up and down.
"Now... Let's begin the operation." Alexander smiled.
As usual, Ferrus and his sons will be the spearhead from Poland and Alexander took flight from Dublin to Vladivostok to take command over there to commence a pincer attack.
With the Forces coming from the Caucasus and Mongolia, he issued Chaplain, Librarians along with Regiments of Sister of battle to march into the fray. Titan legions have been summoned. And a Mobile command center Capitol Imperialis have been dispatch for more field command.
This is not longer a playing with the food anymore... The testing phase is already done. And now, they are ready to finish the experiment....
It was no longer just a war, it was a Crusade, a holy crusade to purge the taint from this world.
Inquisition flooded the street in every occupied territories to root out the heretics that aided the traitors of mankind. Spies dragged out from their homes and sentence to a interrogation that opened their mouths.
Pyres burned brightly, never ending of the traitors weep for their sins.
Factories raised up in the territories and life is getting better for the people that lived under the light of the imperium. What was lost is regain, what is lost, is found .
Food, Job and purpose is being fulfilled.
Alexander knows that since the hole in the warp is opened. It means he couldn't neglect the people he kept to be suffering to make the demons attack his controlled areas.
In the battlefield the intensity have gotten worse.
What was a Thousand Marauder Bomber that drop bombs is now ten thousand formation that rain hell every hour, to the point that Traitors ammunition ran dry for firing at the formations.
What was once a twice a day artillery barrage for trainees to learn the art of war is now opening barrages daily, till the Artillery zones is filled with mountain of shells that is shipped off to a recycling center. The barrels glowed red as the shells tossed into Siberia. Turning the land to a sickish grey and ash.
The Ecclesiarchy and the Sister of battle marched onwards towards the east and west of Russia.
Their faith and zeal have brought doubt and fear to the cultists.
The Mechanicus from the Holy Mars have transported 5 Ordinatus Gehenna, Enormous war machines that is the largest weapons to blow up the Ural mountains that is now heavily entrench with traitors and the cultist ilk.
Baneblades that was a rarity, now fielded in numbers that even a skirmish you bound to find a squad of them ready to assist.
The orbital fleets that task only to ferry troops at the start of the containment, now opened fire every chance they got, turning factories to ashes.
Siberian partisan that managed to flee from the clutches of the traitors, now returned to their homeland with Imperial issued weapons to wreak havoc. Their hatred to the communist ls much more than the Imperials that burn their homes.
Had any Siberian that fallen for chaos saw hell in their minds that conjured up by daemons.
They met the hell in reality as the world around them hate them... And God hate them.
Their pleas of mercy and forgiveness is blocked by the sounds of explosion.
Any prayers to their chosen gods have drowned by the violence and ferocity of the Imperial arsenal.
The High Lord order was given:
"No mercy... No surrender....traitors that willingly embraced the darkness to live than die like a human..is no longer human.."
Siberia is the center conduit of the warp and more time that pass in this realm will make it into another Eye of Terror, Alexander spent massive amounts of investment and resources to not have it taken away.
The issue with the gods will have to wait.
If he can't stop the leak that is in Siberia. Then his meeting with them is meaningless. As he saw what happened to Zeus... It was time to end the farce.
Whispers among the imperial spreading throughout the Forces in Russia.
"One of the Holy Sons of the God Emperor have descended upon us." Many of the soldiers whispers in hushed tones.
They seen the horrors of the front, many claim that the enemy marines were traitors that fallen.
And the loyalist Astarte simply stayed silent.
But in their helmets, they were practically asking for information as well.
In a barracks near the frontline, several astartes from different legion were recuperating, asked what is going on.
"Didn't the High Lord stated that he didn't bring in our Gene fathers?" A Thousand sons Librarian pondered.
"Which one brothers? Perturabo? Angron?, Magnus?, Fulgrim? Or the Warmaster himself?" Iron warrior is questions, hoping for his genefather to join in the battlefield and smite the traitors.
"Keep your thoughts to yourself brother... We know the Warmaster is just a title..." Chided the Word Bearer Librarian.
One of their Inductii brother came rushing in.
"Brothers, I have news of the Primarch!"
Many stared at him. Some with bated breath, as having one of their Genefathers will bring them glory.
"It's... It's the Iron Hands, Ferrus Manus!" He spoke. It brought a chill in the room. Many of them stopped what they are doing and watch the inductii with mixed emotion.
"Let me get this straight brother... It is Iron Warriors Perturabo, not Iron Hands Ferrus Manus right?" The Iron warrior is even more confused, wanting to clarify the situation at hand.
"No brothers, the Death guard Apothecaries where the high lord stationed have confirmed it! Ferrus Manus is in this world and he brought his sons with him." The inductii spoke. But he didn't noticed the chill in the air.
The marines before him, were souls that were saved from their respective chaos gods, Traitors and loyalist alike from alternate realities that have died, former traitors and loyalist alike from other realities that faced the Iron hands in both Loyalist and Traitor alike...
And they all have first hand experience what's like at the other end of the Iron Hands brutality. Both the chaos and loyalist.
Merciless, Cruel, Brutal, that some ponder if they are Iron warrior level of brutality that still remains in loyalist hands.
One side they fought Chaos Iron hands that fallen to madness and gave in to the chaos and their whispers and other side fought against them when they become more mechanical than human.
And the favorite Mechanicus Pet dogs... As some degraded them to be so inhumans that devolve into putting mechanical parts over their bodies after they lost their primarch...
One of the emperor children nearby felt his hand shaking as he attempt to calm it down... He remembered the Istvaan Massacre...
"Traitor, Death" a Iron hands spoke to one of the Iron warriors in the Scouring.
"Perfection through Technology..." A Loyalist World Eater faced a Traitor Iron Hands that willingly joined chaos, molding himself in Necrodermis through the powers of chaos.
[<Any primarch than that!>] All held a consensus.
All of the occupant in the room mentally screamed.
They did not hate Ferrus, but his legion that became after his passing. They died but their trauma that the Iron Hands inflicted upon them have scarred their very souls. And they both saw the worst part of them.
Sure, Perturabo is a best fit at this situation, Magnus alone will subjugate the Chaos cultist with ease, heck they are willing to listen to Lorgar sermons about how the Emperor is a god and whatnot. But Ferrus? He is a mixed bag.
From what they gathered from the local Guardsmen (politely)
The Primarch is close to Alexander as he was the first to accompany him before any of their genefathers. And the records don't lie.
A alarm rang out. The staff at the base became alert as radar dishes began to swivel in a frenzy.
"Brothers, Auspex shows that there is the Iron Hands, first clan spearhead that is passing by our area soon!"
Outside of their barracks, they hear rumbling and they venture out to meet it.
Clouds of dust and snow blasted in the sky as if making a entrance of their appearance, a Column of Space marine vehicles strolled by with such speed that the Astarte that accompany it, is simply running to keep up with it, and the Astartes that station in the base, flinched as they saw the familiar Silver Hand that etched the vehicles.
One of the emperor children walked out the base and approach the convoy passed by...
He was a former traitor in Istvaan... He had friends in Iron hands Legion, just as Fulgrim and Ferrus alike... He was redeemed and watched as the convoy hoping that he would look for his oath brother..
But he remembered that he fought against the Iron hands and killed what was his oath brother Cruuz... Perhaps in a frenzy... Or a memory as he is aware that he died in that hellhole... Never knowing what transpire later...
One of them stopped by in front of him as his brothers marched on to the east.
He noticed one of the chip in the armor that he noticed with familiarity...
Between them is a line of Rhino transports, Predator and Land Raiders passed in great speed by, invoking memories of their bonds between brothers if it was like it was a flickering lantern of memories...
The joys of cleansing the Xenos, Traitors in the grand crusade etch their very souls...
But the Astarte look for a few seconds to look at his former oath brother as he joined the rest towards in the front, to redeem their failure as the first clan to defend their Genefather. By resolving to butcher the enemies that sought to harm them.
"Cruuz..." The Emperor children muttered. He attempt to raise his hands towards the figure... But he couldn't...his hands fell backwards as he looks at his former brother...
He knows that... What he done to him... Could not be forgiven.
He watched as the spearhead of the First clan of the Iron hands headed into the distance...
The Emperor son simply stared at the direction where his brother is headed.
A word bearer chaplain walked up and spoke.
"You doing good brother? You been staring at that direction for quite a while brother... Know anyone in that group?"
"I do... I... don't deserve to say what my heart will speak out..."
The Chaplain looked across the dusk filled skies as if looking for answers.
"I understand... It's been a while since we returned to the Emperor embrace... Our legions is muddied with doubts and wariness of the soldiers around us... But I know... Someday we will absolve of our sins and one day... I hope you have the courage to speak to your brother once more. Let's return back to the base brother. Command have been sent that we should make the push once more tomorrow. And you might find a opportunity to speak to him once again, this time with pride in your heart." He console the lone Emperor children that stood outside the base.
The Emperor children took one last look as the sun slowly sank to the distance...
In a Tactical center in Vladivostok, the base that is build there is in a uproar. Servitor skulls and office workers is rushing about. Recaff mugs and grox pizza boxes piled high near the holotable.
Alexander oversee the holotable that shows the situation in Siberia.
The location is getting more severe as what the emperor spoke in his letter.
The fool started a winter storm that is slowly expanding. And the worse thing was that what is based on the reports, that it slowly froze astartes armor and damaging the circuits of the god engines.
Alexander did one thing... A infiltration mission of using mechs that will cause the destruction of whatever is making the snow of Siberia more worse, would be beneficial to the front lines...
"High lord, you can't be serious of you taking control of the operation at this time? Three squadrons of Imperial Mech in the middle of the night to attack a complex that we don't know, with a winter storm that is now -1709 Celsius and increasing thanks to the effects of the warp? Isn't that plain suicide sir?" A General asked him as it was madness.
Alexander looked at the man calmly.
"No, better time to crush them completely, I believe that my handpicked men can brave the weather. If we wait any longer, then we would have another year of slugfest." He spoke with a smile.
A operation to conduct a Night Raid in a Siberian Winter, to what is normal to tactical strategy sure it would be suicidal since it have been confirmed that Black legion is present in the area of operations and they have General Winter with their side.
With the center of the winter storm, the temperature is so cold that it would freeze any soldier and civilians in seconds.
And the snow in Siberia is now tainted with the warp, now making the invasion harder to penetrate. As it somehow chills the machines despite using antifreeze.
"Don't worry... What happens to me will not affect your record general, your task is to provide a blanket for us to enter into the depth of madness."
"Sir... I"
"I have faith in your abilities that you do well to keep your men alive in face of the fallen angels of death... I trust in your ability once more, to let us have one last laugh." He looks at the general that exasperated of the hot headed Leader of his.
He swung his commanding cap as to not let his eyes shown.
"Alright, we will be initiating a schedule Artillery barrage in 2000 hours, The Emperor Protects." The general saluted as he left the room.
Alexander chuckle as he went out and enter a Hangar.
Several tech priest loitering and handle their task at hand and in the Hangar is Alexander personal Armor Core Foxeye waiting for him. Tubes and candles scattered around the Mech that stood upon a platform that tech priest do their diagnostics.
A Archmagos of the Cybernetica awaited him.
"Archmagos, is the mech prepped for launch?"
"++Emissary, Your God Engine is now ready and awaiting the rites of awakening.++"
"Good, start the rite of awakening, I must reach a hour before the next artillery barrage, time for this vessel to slay the enemies of the Omnissiah."
"++Understood, May our priests do the honors to please this machine spirit?++" The Bionics of the Archmagos sparkle.
Alexander nodded and the techpriest left in haste to gathered his brethren.
Alexander stood up in the platform and enter the cockpit of the mech.
The machine purr to life as if missing a old friend.
"Sorry, I am late... Paperwork is a bitch to handle."
The machine grumbled as Alexander check the diagnostics of the craft.
"Yes, yes... You get your kills... Jeez I didn't used you for a few thousand years since the Horus Heresy, you get that grumpy? Didn't the priest of mars taken care of you in Mars when I was gone?"
The Machine protested that it was nothing more than a glorified statue at that time.
"Jeez... Alpahrius came to you and installed something? Huh? What's with me and Rubber chickens?" Alexander stared blankly at the ten thousand year old rubber chicken that is stuffed in his backseat.
Several conglomeration of Techpriest arrive with incense balls and Chants of binaries echoed the Hangar. Many of the people watch as the machine laid dormant now sense a spark of divinity spread across its frame.
Slowly the machine slowly creaked as it moves towards the outside.
"Yes... May the raven fly once more... let's go... Partner."
The mech walked outwards and met several mechs that walked out of their respective Hangars.
Several screens popped up showing the faces of the pilots that join him in this suicide mission.
Young, elderly... Eyes that filled with life just the same
"Brothers.... For now we face a situation that is beyond mortal comprehension... As of now I am not the high lord of Holy Terra, but your Commander of this mission..." Alexander look at the mechs that slowly gathered.
"There is a structure hidden deep in the depths of the treacherous lands that is blasting snow that freeze even the Holy God Engines of Mars... And you may wonder... Why you? Why pick you out of all the qualified pilots that wished to join me in this mission that no one might not even remember our names if it fails..." Alexander turned his mech head cameras at the pilots that were chosen...
"Because you have faith... A bond between brothers that is unshakeable in the face of death... Where we are heading, is not a place of logic and reason, the rules of reality is bent beyond control that Hell opened to flood this realm with it's malevolent demons that will feast not just your body as well as your souls... To destroy that thing we have deemed the start of the storm, we need not just military prowess, but faith in your humanity and the willpower to face the monsters within... Faith... My brothers... In the God Emperor of Mankind, Faith in your family, Faith in oneself... Only then the daemons is as weak as a Shit Gretchin... But a feral Gretchin nonetheless.... We must head into the strongest winter storm in the history in this planet... And avoid as much of the Traitors of mankind...they will do everything they can to stop us from achieving our goals..if we succeed, reinforcement will come and assist us.." Alexander mech glowed gold and a halo sprang forth as if giving it divinity...
"I cannot assure that most of you would survive and come back... But I will assure you that I will never let the daemons take your soul... And your grieving loved ones will be taken care of... I am the Emissary of the Imperium, and I am the Herald of Imperium, my words is the Imperium faith in me... May our deeds be the torch that light the way for those that follow us..."
As if on cue, hundreds of thousands of Artillery roared forth as if giving them a farewell and missiles that lighted up the night skies with their thrusters like countless stars in the darkness.
As if giving a hero's farewell.
"Onwards to victory! For the Imperium! For Humanity!" Alexander roars out as he moved the mech into the neverending storm of darkness. Their thruster are the only thing that show their existence.
Alexander and his squad traverse the darkness. The cold slowly etched into their cockpit, The never ending storm have frozen some of the ordinance that raining around them but plenty had enough time to turned it into a blazing inferno made by the promethium within. It provided a brief warmth until it was extinguished by the sheer coldness.
He notice something is strange...
Along the path that is marked, there was military bases, but he never saw or even sense of life...
Even the astartes that is in the black legion is somewhat sparse...
And the defenders that they met were somewhat lacking as if their eyes were glassed and they lost something with them.
They noticed as they managed to kill the cultist they were like living dead... Their actions were human but their movements is slowly becoming more robotic.
Alexander squadron arrived at the designated location.
It was a tower that reached the skies and it expanding with blood vessel and flesh that exhumed winter breeze....
"This is strange... This structure shouldn't exist!" One of the men shouted...
Many felt disbelief that such a thing shouldn't exist in this world.
Alexander didn't gawked for long as he ordered his men to enter the tower and destroyed the power source that creating the storm. One squadron stood outside the gates to prevent any enemies from going after them.
Thsy didn't look at the architectural nightmare that dwell within... Not questioning the fact that it could house a 10-12 meters mech through its hallways.
The team met what's left of the defenders of the Siberia... People of different ages now turned monstrosity by the warp.
Metal and flesh fused together to create warp cyborgs to slow down their spearhead.
It damaged the psyche of the you get recruits as cyborgs as young as ten attempted to blow themselves up with the mech...
They dodged as much of the arsenal lobbed at them.
Alexander couldn't perform the rites of mourning as the living is in danger as he wasted every second of the time given by so many people that entrusted to him.
"Captain! We got Bogeys coming up the rear!" One of the soldiers yelled, Alexander looked at the rear panel and sure enough it was like a sludge of flesh and blood. As if the cyborgs merge into a giant cybernetic worm.
Figures of people glimpsed in it as it threatening to swallow them whole.
"Captain..."
"Yes... Dimitri?"
"You told us... That we would die... Do you keep your word that my people would be safe?"
"Yes... Don't tell me..."
"Private Dimitri of the Imperial Raven Nest, second Squadron... Now serving as the rearguard for My Brothers!" Dimitri's words rang true in the hearts of men.
One by one the soldiers that followed him stayed behind and served as a rearguard to fight the tide of flesh and madness.
Alexander closed his eyes as he moved forward.
He could hear the flames and roars of pain. And through their sacrifice, they bought time.
Alexander found the source of the corruption.
A man wearing a Soviet uniform is merged on top of a pedestal of flesh, his hands held a withered hand that Alexander held a instinct to obtain it at all cost...
He aimed his mech rifle at the man...
No discussion of a long queries of morality, no fight of grandeur that involves a cosmos battle... Just put a bullet on his head and grab what is his...
Alexander watched his handiwork on the levels below and he is not redeemable... All the cyborgs had no souls... As if they were sucked out.
"I thought you were a better man... Seems like you sold your soul to the false gods to become a monster... Pity."
Meanwhile The Man before him is in a lucid dream...
(3rd Pov)
[Few Weeks ago]
In a Underground city that used to filled with life now turned cold and empty, factories became silent and devoid of the cheers of the workers, many of the people that lived there is already gone, by sending them to the front lines, all that left in this underground city is the elderly and the children...
A man smashed his glass against the wall.
The man stared at reports that flooded into his office daily.
Every hour that passed by seemed like a dream that he would never wake up from.
Defeat after defeat, the casualties is rising that the last report was simply stated, that God hated them.
He grew frustrated that the fact that what he thought was a good plan is doomed for the start.
A blitzkrieg to a Europe that suffered the nukes and raiding the province that held Vladivostok is enough. Since he got the almighty Space Marines "that" stranger provided him with, 9 legion worth of combat veterans of a millennia of warfare.
He received weapons from his benefactors that is hoping to keep the status quo.
Armored cores they called it....
He ordered his men to reverse engineer one of these however, it was too complex and hard to manufacture due to lack of materials. So he had to do with the ones that remained.
He simply lobbed them at the western front without a care for strategy and tactics as the majority of the imperial forces is stationed there... Hoping to buy time...
However the Imperials have already trained in Anti Mech warfare, that even a Guardsmen have the ability to take down a Armored core in open field, instead of hiding in the cities to drag them down In Close Quarters Combat.
And along with the mechanicus that made them it was a wonder that it lasted that long.
The losses was catastrophic .
What left companies worth of stolen military hardware, is now simply just 4 mechs and a Baneblade that now served as his personal bodyguards, no Spare parts to replace their damaged frames.
He flung his furniture around as if to vent his frustration.
"Damm you Midas... You ruined my revolution!"
He stared at Abaddon with eyes of madness.
"You! What good of your supposed Black legion facing the world! " He amshed his vodka bottle at Abaddon Armor.
The giant didn't moved. He looked at the man before him as if he was just a mewling insect.
"They told me that you are the best, that your pathetic legions of the gods would be enough to steamrolled this world and beyond, now you cower behind fortifications? So much for the son of hor-" his words ended as Abaddon slapped the man sending him across the room. He approached the man that is gasping for breath and grabbed him by his throat and slammed him into the wall. He could sense the fear in the man that within his grasp. Every pulsation of veins that held the precious blood spiked with endorphins...
"Don't speak of that traitor name" he growled. He tossed the man once more making a mess.
The Man gasping for breath held out the withered hand and shouted his desires.
Abaddon spoke to him as if he was lower than a hiver in necromunda.
"I came here on the behest of my benefactors to contain Midas and what do I see? A sniveling coward that hides behind a fortress wall. My men are dying because of you and your flawed ideology. They should have sent me to meet the enclave as they have more bigger balls of playing both sides!" He roared and the office somehow felt oppressive.
The man grasp at his scepter and pointed it at him
"I demand you to make a ritual to cover the world in ice and snow! I don't give any shit about restoring the Soviet union, I want the enemies to perish with me!" He yelled.
Abaddon smiled
"What sacrifice you have to give... As such a ritual needs souls. What souls you have?" Abaddon remarked.
Like a devil whispered into his ears...
He already sacrifice the convicts and the traitorous countryman in a cleansing. all that's left....He began to realize...
"Yes.. to gain extra power... You must sacrifice all you have as a human... Are you willing to do it?" Abaddon smiled ever more widely.
In a few hours later the underground city was filled with screams...
"No... You can't do this to us!" screamed a woman that is being dragged by the Black legion.
The giants were cold, the woman screams did not reached their ears as they dragged everyone into the Pits of Sacrifice that is in the plaza where they commune, A Warp Artifact that sacrifice souls that is maintain by a Black Legion Sorceror, whose chants bring dread to the population, they didn't understand what is he saying but they know something hellish would come for them.
When the Sorcerer stopped his chants, everyone was tossed there, Woman, Children and the Elderly. Many cursed the Man told them of salvation, a choice of their contribution to the eternal Revolution...
"I cursed You Bastard a Million Deaths that you will never find peace!" A Old man yelled as he was tossed into the blackness of the pits where his screams is his existence as he is devoured. Blue flames burst up to the pit.
The Man simply held his cap and shook his head...
"Perhaps I am... But I will do whatever it takes to defeat that Man..." He snarled as he gripped his scepter...
The Sorceror smiled as he chant the Prospero Language as his ritual is complete...
The amount of flesh erupted in the plaza and surrounding the man...
"What is this?!" He screamed as Tendrils flood and drilled into the flesh of the man, he desperately tried to wade the flood of flesh.
Abaddon smiled...
"You get what you wished for...a King in a empty world, This is Abaddon, All Units are to flee from this realm, we have already obtain enough information about the Corpse Emperor Herald, those who is willing to stay, The battle is all yours to do as you see fit." He immediately turned to leave the plaza
"Abaddoooon!" The man screamed and yelled at the behemoth that is leaving the now flesh infested room.
His mind twisted and collapse like a malleable clay.
Memories and beliefs is fading away, twisted as he existence is drowned out by the chorus of souls that screamed in agony in the warp.
All in his mind is the beating echoes of his heart and his hatred of a man that he doesn't see...
He found himself staring at a younger self watching TV.. a time before the bombs fell...
He looked around and found that there is pamphlet of the Soviet montages...
He wanted to bring the revolution and bring the Soviet to glory, to be the next Premier of the world and the people loved him and cheer in his name...
That grandiose dream is slowly flickering...
And the memory is turning to ashes.
He found himself in a pit of corpses and he is covered by the dead people that he sent to die...
Everyone of them look at him with their hatred towards him...
His eyes widen as they devoured him.
Flesh, bones... It didn't matter as they become hungry ghosts of his deeds...
He screamed as his lungs ripped off...
His eyes darted as they left his sockets...
Every organs desperately trying to cling on to his flesh, his sense of self is ripped apart, leaving a bare skeleton in their wake... But it wasn't enough.
To the dead...
It's never enough.
His psyche was broken over and over as time seemed like a millennia... All he had was his tattered hatred...
He opened his eyes... And found a mech that is in his supposed throne...
He wanted to scream but his body lacked any form or function...
He could stare blankly as the Mech weapon opened fire and tore his body apart...
There wasn't any thoughts in his final episode...
Just another two bit villain in somebody else story...
(Alexander pov)
He looked at what remains of the supposed rival... He did glimpse of what is in the mind of the man before him... Nor he didn't cared... A Dead Commie that sacrifice the people and land under him... Deserve to die without honors...
He glanced at the hand that was his body part...
Scents of chaos linger it, making him frown.
He got the one of the four in his hands... But it is warp tainted that he needed the Thousand Sons and Word Bearers to cleanse the taint..
The tower rumbling making Alexander aware that the cornerstone of what made up this tower is destroyed, forcing it to go back to the warp.. He took one last look around...
Nothing but the dead to save...
He toggle his analog controllers and moved the mech away from this place.
His mech thruster glowed in the darkness...
He met several survivors of his taskforce.
What was 3 squadrons is simply just half of it.
Fighting against the soulsess tide of flesh and metal.
The mechs is powerful but it's just a lion against a horde of ants...
He swept by as the men told him of the people who died...
He gritted his teeth..
Each of them had a story... Dreams, aspiration.
For a mad dash... It was successful by imperial standards... To him. It was a miserable pyrrhic victory.. as promised he managed to get the souls that linger within the destroyed husks.
They done their duty in life... Now... Just rest in peace.
Only until they managed to escape the tower, the portal to hell opened and grabbed the tower and it disappears, leaving a pit in it's wake.
Now the endless winter stopped, Imperial Aircraft flew by as if giving reassurance that they are already there, in the distance Titans gave their Warhorns and the cheers of victory is at hand.
Alexander stepped outside the mech as he watched the Siberian Sunrise.
He sense something...
Something holy but yet disgusting is headed towards him... But he have time on his side...
For now.
_____________________
(A/N): Hello been a while... Just watched the election of US and I felt a bit more safer now.
Before the election, the places I go for information gathering is so hostile and difficult to work with... I am honestly scared that I might be... Somewhat in the crossfire.
Why a Asian bother with the politics of US?
Well, when your country elections is the deciding factor of my nation fate... I do have a stake when my country wanted to draft people against China. Because they wanted to bootlick the democrats position.
I write because I want to be free, to learn more English, without losing my mind as the world is hostile towards one gender,I lived in a world that is pretty much censorship everything...
Brave new World and 1985 is around the corner.
Their madness bleed into our forms of escapism. And tell us how bad we are? That deserves to be concerned.
... When you have Liberals Californian acting like the world police, censoring people outside of us...
Our games is crap, remakes and remasters every single time and we are forced to like the slop... Honestly I fear for my life about the raving dogs of the left... They act smart... But they want to make us the next plantation slaves to fuel their livelihood of debauchery...
Didn't they already mentioned that Asians is the next White Supremacy Terrorist? In the event that White people is dead or just a Masochist activist that bootlick their masters feet. They killed Peanut the squirrel and Fred the raccoon... And your Media may twist it and they forget that we lived in the world of Internet and we see how freaking crazy the Left had become.
The only reason why the rest of the nation played lip service to US because you had those Aircraft carrier groups. And the threat of Cia. Many already joining Brics... It's too late to turn the boat that the lunatics drilled for 4 Years.
The worse part had Kamala Won... I was thinking of just nuke my fanfic right then and there, because it is a Quote "Far Right" and I am aware of the lunatics that have the time and energy to hunt me down. I'm just a person that worked in the farm and don't have a bank account as it ran out ages ago. And I don't have money to fight against threats against the lunatics that can dog pile me with the Almighty dollar...
I will write hopefully next week... But nowadays it's uncertain to even move forward.
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