What We Do Is Right

"I need a grenade resupply, Ziliag!" I shouted, a storm of projectiles howling above the trenches I took refuge in. I clicked a magazine into my boltgun, rising from my position, and returning fire. I fired with the fury of the chapter at my back, felling dozens of creatures, the casings of the bolt rounds careening off the hard earth below me.

"Catch, Corvane!" Ziliag tossed me a satchel pack of explosive. I caught it, tearing the pack open to reveal the contents within, arming two frag grenades at once, and hurling them towards the creatures encircling us. I continued to throw explosives until the bag ran dry, and returned to my bolter, letting the enemy taste my fury. The streaks of explosive bolts created an almost dazzling effect, and in a way, the carnage was almost beautiful. I once again felt my bolter go dry, and reloaded my final clip into my gun, and aiming for the heads of the beasts approaching us. I attempted to conserve my shots, but the creatures began to swarm us, forcing me to waste precious rounds. Throwing aside my boltgun as I heard the click of the magazine, I drew my combat knife and bolt pistol.

   "Ziliag!"

"Yes, Corvane?!"

"I'm not going to die here," I said defiantly, slashing apart a beast with my knife, before shooting a creature that was approaching Ziliag from behind, "And neither are you. We've come too far my brother ..." I gutted an enemy , tearing it open and decapitating it to be sure, "Too many have been lost ..." I spammed my bolt pistol until it emptied its clip, "So what do you say Ziliag ..." A beast pried the boltgun from my hand, and I eviscerated it before retrieving my sidearm, " In the name of the God - Emperor , The Fourth Company ..." I hesitated for a moment, but there was no turning back now, "And in the name of Equis!" As I roared defiantly an enemy took me by surprise, delivering a concussive blow sending me sprawling a few feet away. My vision was blurry as I saw the monstrosity approaching.

The knife and boltgun were out of reach, though I tried desperately to dash for them. Another blow struck me, rending my breastplate, but I continued to crawl towards my weapons. For a moment I thought It might end here. And for a moment I believed my doubts, but if there is one thing I know as a fact, it's that the Emperor protects. The limb of the behemoth pins me to the ground, even as I struggle to break free. Time seems to stop, and my actions with it. And for just a split second, I remembered my time, however short it may have been on this planet. Of the drop pod insertion, the confused wails of the first wave of fighting, of agony and distrust. But I also recall my time spent with Twilight and her friends, and of the Court of Princesses ...

Yet even so, I'm starting to realize something as I spend more and more time on this planet. If the Emperor Protects Mankind ... Then who protects the inhabitants of this planet? For all this time I've been here, I've always been in denial of the answer, for I've known it all along, but now I'm ready to accept my destiny. My name is Corvane Valorus of The Salamanders Chapter.

And I defend Equestria.

144 Hours Earlier

"Ziliag? Do you ever wonder about why we fight?" I inquired.

"Corvane, we fight for the Emperor, and in the name of Mankind. We fight to ensure that we continue as a species ... "

"Yes, I know, it's what we've all been told time and time again, what has been preached to us by the Chaplain. But I wonder sometimes brother, why must we always be at war? We have a million million enemies who would like nothing better than to gut us, and yet, I hold out hope for the day when humanity and the xenos can finally put aside their petty differences, and co-exist. Then we can finally turn our attention to those who cannot be reasoned with ..." I said, drifting off into the memories of wars long past, and of war that never seemed to end.

"Such a way of thinking is optimistic, but dangerous nonetheless Corvane. We must--"

"--Unquestioningly fight for the Emperor, I've heard it all before, Ziliag. I don't doubt that humanity needs protectors, and we happen to be those guardians. That much is fact, but I just dream of a time when war isn't what defined humanity. And this whole bloody galaxy for that matter ... Trust me Ziliag, I am no traitor, nor am I a heretic, nor do I sympathize with the xenos scourge ... I just wish it didn't have to be this way."

"I believe you Corvane, and I agree that war is not the most desirable state of affairs to constantly remain in, but such is the 41st millenium, and such is our duty to ensure that it doesn't spread too far or too fast. That is why fight," Ziliag replied, loading several godwyn bolter magazines.

I looked to my own arms, prepped and ready with plentiful reserve magazines. I walked over to assemble my explosives pouch, securing several fragmentation grenades, and even slipped two krak grenades inside. Fastening the storage pouch to my armor, I returned to my place sitting across from Ziliag, securing my bolt pistol firmly to my belt, and beginning to account for my extra ammunition. I could hear the heavy metal footsteps of the sarge clanging down the hall.

"Tee minus ten minutes battle brothers, make ready for Thunderhawk insertion. I want my squad prepped and ready in the hangar bay!" he shouted, continuing down the corridors of the ship, readying his Space Marines.

I glanced at Ziliag, who had completed loading his final clip of bolt pistol ammunition. "I better get down to the armory, my heavy bolter is waiting for me." He patted me on the shoulder before exiting the room, leaving me to my prep. I took up my boltgun, while snatching my helmet on the way out of the room. I continued down the halls of the strike cruiser, donning my helmet as I entered the lift down to the hangar bay. I was greeted by several other devastator marines, all equipped and armored in a nearly identical fashion as me, although one carried a flamer as his main armament, though I had been lucky to acquire a full set of MK VIII Errant power armor following the liberation of a previously xenos held world. I was surprised to say the least, but Dac'tyr felt I deserved it. A great honor indeed, especially for a devastator marine.

Still, as I descended the lift surrounded by my fellow kin, I couldn't help but feel alone. It was not a feeling of distrust, nor was it one of depression, I simply felt different from those around me. I felt as if sometimes no one understood what I was trying to tell them, even when I clearly and eloquently presented my points. Nonetheless, I would fight and die for each and every one of them, for no matter how alienated I sometimes felt, they were my brothers.

The lift came to a halt, the security fence retracting as we stepped out onto the floor of the hangar bay. The first few marines jogged over to their respective squads already starting to assemble besides their respective gunships. I caught a glimpse of Ziliag disembarking from another lift across the floor, nodding to him. We remained in view of each other, jogging over to meet our battle brothers beside Thunderhawk Five. We aligned ourselves in rows across from each other, eying the marines flooding in from all sides. I raised my bolter diagonally across my chest pointing upwards, the last of the company filing into formation. The thud of boots against the floor ceased, and a bulkhead door opened, revealing Dac’tyr, the Captain of the Salamanders Fourth Battle Company. We stood at attention, the Chaplain and Apothecary flanking the Captain.

“At ease my friends. Today, we undertake a large scale sweep of the planet below. Our sensors have detected the world is teeming with biological life, and from what little info we could gather, the apothecary has put together a short list of life forms we’ve observed on the planet below. Your sergeants will brief you on the way down. However, something else has drawn us to this planet, for the world seems unremarkable in its appearance, but it holds a strong psychic presence. The chapter Librarius sent us here for this very reason. We know nothing of the psykers below, aside from the fact they exist. Your sole purpose is recon, not extermination … “

The astartes stood at attention shifting uneasily as the captain paused for a moment before returning to his speech.

“As Space Marines, your duty, first and foremost, is to the Emperor of Mankind, and if the bioforms below show signs of taint, waste no time in their eradication, but remember brothers: Righteous fury and needless conflict are not one in the same. Space Marines, to your stations!” the Captain roared, raising his power sword as if to signal a charge.

The ten squads that had assembled on the deck filed into the gunships, One, Three, and Five holding ninety marines -- six tactical squads accompanied by two devastator squads, and one assault squad. Gunship Two carried two whirlwinds, while Four and Six carried two razorbacks each. The ninth Thunderhawk was loaded up with two predator tanks, and Ten’s cargo was unknown, as I did not catch a glimpse of what was to be stored inside as I took my seat in the drop ship. The remaining five gunships each carried two Rhino transports, save for Thunderhawk Fifteen, which was stuffed with combat supplies, and accompanied by a devastator squad.

I took my seat inside of Thunderhawk Five, right beside Ziliag, equipped in full battle regalia, and brandishing his heavy bolter, Thanatos, because being a veteran of the devastator squads has its advantages, after all. We sat in silence for several moments, the glowing light from our helmets illuminating the dark cargo hold. Aboard our transport were two squads of tactical marines, equipped with flamers and meltaguns, the weapons of choice of the Salamanders. I held my godwyn pattern bolter tight, unsure of what to expect. As I contemplated these thoughts, the gunship lifted off, and I could sense we had exited the hangar, beginning our descent to the surface below. A sergeant from one of the tactical marines squads stood up a few astartes down from me, grasping his bolter beside him, and clutching  the railing above, and steadying himself from the turbulence of atmospheric entry. He began to speak calmly, trying to reassure us of our intent.

“Battle brothers, as the Captain explained aboard the strike cruiser, our mission is simple: We have detected bioforms on this planet, and as such, it is our duty to investigate the potential threat of the psykers on this planet. I’m uploading the data we currently have on the life forms below, its mostly just plants, but there are a few animals we’ve managed to catalogue as well. We’re dropping in four minutes. Make ready, Space Marines. “

The sound of magazines being secured and loaded into boltguns could be heard along with the clicking of promethium canisters as they were slotted into place, and a dim orange flame burned at the tip of each flamer. The low buzzing sound of the meltaguns was the chorus to this cacaphony of military hardware. I checked over my bolter once more, making sure I was ready, and then quickly eyeing Thanatos. I didn’t even need to ask Ziliag if he was prepared, simply nodding at him, and taking a deep breath.

I could feel the landing gear hit the ground, jarring the squads inside for a moment before the forward ramp opened, and the marines began to pour out. Heavy weapons teams began to set up at various vantage points, behind rocks and trees, for we had landed in a dense forest, close to where animal bioforms were detected I noted, browsing the data in my helmet interface. I filed out of the Thunderhawk, taking up a position beside Ziliag, resting my bolter upon a boulder, scanning the area for movement. The tactical squads had begun to fan out when a massive streak of magma-colored energy streaked through the sky, towards the Thunderhawk gunship that had begun to take off. The beam hit the gunship, forcing it backwards, and damaging one of the engines.

“Thunderhawk Five under fire! We need a ground visual, do you read TAC-6 and 7? We need a visual, we’re not picking up anything on the sensors,” I could hear the pilots say over the vox channels. I began to feel the ground shake slightly, and I readjusted my footing, digging in next to Ziliag, who was planted firmly beside the boulder, heavy bolter ready to go. I tried to find any signs of movement for several seconds before a tactical squad of ten marines began to advance. They moved slowly, cautiously, keeping an eye out for danger. All was silent, the marines moving up through the thick forest like snakes slinking along in tall grass.

Another streak of orange energy soared through the tree line, striking a tactical marine dead in the chest, knocking him off his feet, and sending him flying backwards.

“Thunderhawk five, we have a visual, repeat, we have visual, linking coordinates!” I could hear from the vox channels. The trees seemed to split apart as the transmission ended, revealing a hulking beast several dozen meters tall. His body resembled that of a horse, and his upper half was the deformed shape of a man, demonic in its appearance, especially the horns.

“Daemon! Daemon! Concentrate fire, and request whirlwind barrages at these coordinates: Zero Five …“ the Sergeant continued over vox, relaying the position of the beast to the whirlwind artillery pieces. Ziliag opened fire, pounding the chest of the creature with diamantine tipped wrath. The whole of three squads opened fire, bolts flying, and flamers setting the creature alight. A meltagun tore a hole in the leg of the creature as it let out a mighty roar.

“HOW DARE YOU INSOLENT PONI-- What’s this? What exactly are you whelps?” the centaurian creature let out a hearty laugh that shook the ground.

“WE ARE THE SPACE MARINES! WE ARE THE EMPEROR’S FURY!”, a sergeant of a tactical marine squad shouted, charging the creature, chainsword raised, and bolt pistol firing. The marine chucked both of his frags as he fastened the empty bolt pistol to his belt, strategically aiming them at the hooves of one of the feet. The shrapnel impacted the centaurs flesh, sending it reeling forward in pain, allowing the sergeant to grasp onto the fur of one of the arms, viciously ripping away at the limb with his chainsword.

“You idiotic parasites! Die at the hand of Tirek!” The beast grasped the sergeant with his gargantuan hand, crushing him into a bloody pulp, and tossing him aside,the body of the marine crashing into a tree and toppling it. All the while, copious amounts of ammunition continued to be pumped into the one known as Tirek’s body. I reloaded my bolter for the third time, glancing over at Ziliag, keeping a steady stream of rounds on Tirek’s chest.

I saw two tactical marines swept aside by the beasts hands, as he fired another beam of energy at a melta wielding marine, sundering his power armor, and sending him sprawling backwards, dead.

Tirek roared in anger once more as I tossed a frag grenade at his large feet, the shrapnel causing him to wince in pain. Tirek attempted to grasp a marine armed with a flamer, and opened his cavernous maw, holding the marine before him, but not quite eating him. Tirek seemed almost surprised at the result of this: The marine squirmed, and managed to squeeze the trigger on his weapon, setting the centaurs face alight. Recoiling in agony, the beast began to drop to its knees, battered and bloodied.

I tossed two more frag grenades at its equine torso, now closer to the ground, and I could see several other tactical marines moving up to make use of their meltaguns. But, as they approached, the distinctive noise of artillery shells could be heard, and they ran for cover. I ducked behind my boulder, joined momentarily by Ziliag, laughing in earnest.

“What’s so funny?” I asked.

“That!” He pointed to Tirek, as the shells impacted, blowing apart the behemoth with ease. The humanoid top half was completely eviscerated the shower of massive gore and guts strewn across the ground and treetops. The carcass of the equine half lay limp upon the ground, battered and torn open.

“We just killed a bloody greater daemon Corvane, perk up!”, Ziliag cheered heartily, raising his weapon above his head and celebrating.

“Ziliag, I don’t believe … I mean, I don’t actually think that was a daemon. I could feel a psychic presence, for sure, but it wasn’t twisted like that of Chaos, not in the same way at least. Nor was it anywhere near as powerful."

“Ah you’re just a nance me boy, of course it was a demon! Did you see how many marines it killed?!”

“Yes, Ziliag, I’m aware that it slew five of our battle brothers, but that’s what concerns me. Greater daemons, even the weakest, are no pushovers. This being was no daemon; it was too weak, and it energy was not right. It was twisted and dark like that of chaos, but not of corruption and evil. It felt almost like it was … ambitious.”

“Ambitious? How the hell do you figure that, mate?”

“I can’t explain it, not in any way you’d understand, but its psychic power, it didn’t seem to come from the warp. Look, Ziliag, both you and I have been around, and faced down the forces of chaos, and you and I both know, they were never this easy to defeat, nor did they feel as this one did. This one was something different.” Ziliag sighed in response to my rebuttal.

“I suppose, Corvane, but then what the hell was it? The data files show no indication of anything even remotely like it. It’s entirely possible it’s just an indigenous species, but it concerns me that a naturally occurring beast would posses the power psykers hone throughout their whole lives. It just doesn’t seem plausible.”

We were interrupted by the remaining six marines of the tactical squad, dragging their fallen comrades back to the damaged Thunderhawk which had provided fire support during the encounter, scorching the beast with lascannons and ravaging it with heavy bolter fire. Still, even as the beast had fallen, the gunship wobbled in the air unsteadily, awaiting the wounded, or dead astartes that were certain to result from the combat. Setting down on damaged landing gear, the four astartes were loaded into the cargo bay while the other six marines remained with the contingent to continue fighting.

“You know, Ziliag, after a century of bloodshed and death, it never gets any easier to see your fellow brothers carted away …“

“I couldn’t agree more, brother …“ Ziliag replied solemnly, before starting towards the vanguard of the force that had begun to move cautiously through the jungle. I followed behind Ziliag, listening to vox chatter relaying coordinates of First Contact. I radioed a friendly assault marine from another expeditionary force, and he replied they had seen nothing just yet. I wondered what else this planet had in store for us …

I checked my explosives pouch; only the krak grenades and one fragmentation grenade remained. I still had plenty of bolter rounds for both of my weapons, and Ziliag showed no signs of a depleted ammunition store.

We crept through the thicket for several hours, surveying the dense forest, looking for signs of life. We came upon a few startled animals, resembling those first found on Holy Terra, like several deers and birds. Amusing.

“Wait my brothers, I have a visual on bioforms, several dozen. They appear to inhabit a small settlement that seems to be on par with feudal world tech judging by the architecture of the structures …“ said a tactical marine over the vox channel. I pressed a small button on the side of my helmet, allowing me to speak into the channel.

“What is the appearance of said bioforms? Do they appear to be hostile or otherwise corrupted?”

“They are equine in nature, walking on all fours with a large head and comparatively small body. One second, let me get to a better position … Alright, my scanners are relaying the data to the Apothecary as we speak, stay out of sight.”

“Copy …“ several marines responded through the vox. I took cover behind a tree, trying to see up ahead to where the tactical marines had reached a hill. I nudged Ziliag on the shoulder, gesturing for him to follow me. He complied, falling in behind me as we crept up into the treeline of the hill, joining the tactical squad. Ziliag hunkered down beside a particularly large tree, deploying Thanatos where he had a good line of sight over the settlement. I scoped in with my auspex, scanning for various things, ranging from radiation to gas emissions. The readings indicated a human breathable atmosphere with almost no radiation or gas emissions. I began to survey the town more closely, zooming in with my helmet’s array of sensory tools.

     The small town was bustling with activity, equine creatures of all colors dashing to and fro, tending to various tasks. Simple ground ones, which seemed to be bulkier and larger than the other similar species present, hauled large loads, and were at work in the large fields surrounding the village. However, what perturbs me the most is that certain individuals appear to make use of powerful psyker abilities, such as levitating objects encased in an aura of energy. It seemed to resemble the energy bolts Tirek had attacked them with, but in a stable form. Only equines with horns upon their foreheads seemed to be able to perform such tasks, so it is only reasonable to assume these creatures, at least at first glance, are the source of the powerful psychic readings the Captain spoke of.

    Still, though, another species of equines soared through the air with surprising grace, given the wingspan to body size ratio. But, what made these seemingly normal creatures interesting was not in their flight capabilities, but in the fact that they seemed to be able to interact with cloud formations at will, as if they were solid.

    “I have a bad feeling about this place Corvane. Everything looks so … peaceful. We discussed this earlier, about how the galaxy is at war, and I find it a bit hard to believe that a planet as seemingly defenseless as this could exist … “

    “Put your doubts to rest Ziliag, they appear to be simple beings. They’re not hurting anyone as far as we can tell, and from what I’ve been hearing over vox, the other squads have spotted the same settlement from various points. Ziliag, if these creatures are the disturbances we seek, then we should mean no harm.”

    “Yeah, just keep saying that until one of them blasts you with a psychic bolt, won’t seem so friendly then …” muttered Ziliag. I payed him no attention, readjusting my auspex to hone in on the energy aura of the horned equines. A few seconds later, the read out in my helmet read: INCONCLUSIVE. Damn.

    “This is a direct order from Captain Dac’tyr, we have orders to advance into the settlement, but do not open fire unless fired upon first. Do not harm the residents, all armored vehicles, stay in reserve for now. Devastator squad one set up a position at the coordinates I’ve sent to you, all tactical squads advance and secure the town. Assault squads are not to engage jump packs. Also, I want devastator squad two to move up and secure the --“

    The vox transmission cut out suddenly, as a blinding spectrum of colors washed over me.I raised my hand to shield my eyes, surprised that something so intensely bright was present on a feudal world. My vision started to return as I felt around for Ziliag who was still to my right, brushing up against his pauldron. At the same time, I could also hear the frantic chatter over the vox channels, giving orders to advance on the town immediately. I began lurching forwards, my vision still plagued by the after effect of the intense light. Gripping my bolter firmly, I broke into a jog, while Ziliag followed right behind me.

    “Seismic disruptions have been detected at the center of the town, brace yourselves.” a tactical marine hollered over the vox channels. I began to feel the ground beneath me shake violently, nearly losing my footing as a tower of gleaming crystal erupted from the ground, rising above the tops of the other buildings.

    “Ziliag, follow me! We’re going to investigate the source of the seismic tremor. Let’s go!” I shouted, motioning him to follow. With a quick nod, he started into as fast a jog a heavy weapons marine could manage. I gripped my bolter beside me, running into the town with Ziliag and several tactical marines following.

    By now the creatures had noticed us, and had begun to scream and flee in terror. The misunderstanding of our entry into an otherwise peaceful village gnawed at my thoughts. For a moment, I imagined the citizens of Nocturne, being stormed by the Traitor legions … The fear , the dread, the feeling of certain doom. I nearly came to a halt for a moment, before remembering my task, pushing the thoughts of empathy to the back of my mind for the time being.

    Rounding a corner with Ziliag and a fireteam of tactical marines, we came into full view of the colossal crystal construct. It had many branching tendrils, and gleamed in the light of the alien sun. A tactical sergeant rushed past me, leading his fireteam directly towards the building. Ziliag and I stood our ground, providing support should the need arise. I removed my helmet after taking my position, making sure the atmosphere was breathable one last time before I did so, and placing my helmet on my belt. I returned to the iron sights of my bolter.

    But, just as the sergeant was about to smash the door to the construct apart, the doors swung open, revealing several more equine creatures. Two of them appeared to be substantially larger than the six smaller ones. We stared at eachother for a moment, as the sounds of the chaos raging around us seemed to dull. I met eyes with a lavender colored creature, and in that instant, if only for that very second, we understood each other. It could not possibly comprehend what I was, nor what my intent, or that of my battle brothers was, but we had reached an agreement, speaking to each other through. I was determined to fulfill the promises we had made to each other.

    I lowered my bolter for a moment, before a marine yelled “DAEMON!! OPEN FIRE!!!” I glanced to where the bolter fire began to be directed at, atop the crystal fortress. An entity comprised of multiple parts, seemingly cobbled together, lay perched upon a branching tendril of the building. Boltgun rounds ripped into the structure, shattering it. The creature seemed to hover in the air as his perch collapsed. Then, just as a devastator marine fired a missile at the creature, it teleported to its right in a burst of light. As the fighting raged on, I frantically considered whether or not to fire, on the one hand it looked like a daemon, and possessed warp associated powers like teleportation and inexplicable flight capabilities. But still, it didn’t feel like a warp entity, for even though it’s psychic presence was massive, I didn’t sense anything in inherently wrong with it. It almost felt … natural. It is impossible to explain the presence of such a being, only to liken it to that of feeling the world around you, for it was certainly. there, and yet it required no thought to sense it, no effort. It was simply … there.

    “Ziliang, cease fire!” I implored, pressing the button on my vox and commanding into the channel, “Marines, cease fire! Cease fire! It is not a daemon, brothers!” As soon as I had finished, the bolter fire ceased momentarily, a tactical marine dashing over to me. The creature simply levitated in the air, a disgruntled look upon its face.

    “Brothers, these creatures mean no harm. Take pity upon them for the time being,” I said to the marines.

    “What if they try to kill us Corvane? Your misplaced trust in these animals could get us all killed! All for what exactly? To save a few xenos civilians?” the tactical marine questioned impatiently, snarling at me.

    “We are Space Marines brother, and the Emperor protects us from harm. Please, just give them the benefit of the doubt for now. Like Dac’tyr said, there is no reason to start a needless war,” I replied calmly.

    “Aye, I agree with Corvane here,“ Ziliag backed me up. The tactical marine shook his head for a moment before returning to his fireteam, where their sergeant had approached the group of equines cautiously,  bolt pistol trained on the so called daemon.

    Sensing the air of authority the larger equines had about them, he respectfully sheathed his chainsword and bolt pistol, knowing full well it was a risky decision, even with my assurance about the daemon.

    “I am Sergeant Arithias of the Salamanders Chapter, we mean you no harm xeno.” he spoke calmly, introducing himself to the band of equines. The large white creature shook a shocked expression of its face before beginning to speak … in perfect Low Gothic.

    “It is an honor, Arithias …“ she said, bowing her head before him, “I am Princess Celestia,co-ruler of Equestria, and this is my sister, Luna.” She gestured to the other large equine, who also bowed her head respectfully.

    “… Who are the rest of these creatures, then, Celestia? In particular, the daemonic-looking entity.” Arithias gestured to the floating beast, still a bit surprised by Celestia’s fluency in Low Gothic.

    “That is Discord, he’s … a friend of mine,“ Celestia replied. Discord  teleported once more, appearing beside Celestia, causing the sergeant to reach for his chainsword before Celestia gestured that he was not dangerous. “This is Rainbow Dash,” she said, gesturing toward a rainbow maned equine that possessed wings. ”This is Rarity, and that one is Applejack,” Celestia continued, motioning first to an alabaster horned creature with a  frilly purple mane, and then to one colored orange with a blonde mane, and wearing a hat. “Finally, this is Princess Twilight Sparkle and, Fluttershy.” She motioned to the lavender being I had met eyes with earlier, and then to the butterscotch colored creature cowering behind her.

    “Very good then, Celestia. Now, seeing the chaos we’ve wrought here, would you mind calming your subjects, and informing them we aren’t here to kill them.” Arithias replied.

    The word kill caused Celestia to flinch slightly, but she obliged with a nod before stepping forward and informing Luna to tend to the unexpected guests. Celestia spread her impressive wings, soaring into the air, her announcement of our friendly intentions echoing throughout the town. I could hear vox chatter informing various squads not to open fire upon Celestia, and spreading the knowledge that the equines did indeed appear to be non-hostile.

    But then the channel felt deathly silent as the distinctive sound of incoming direct orders were bellowed in our helmets. The frantic squads quieted down, before the grim voice of the Apothecary spoke.

    “This is a message to all ground teams. I have analyzed as much of the data the various squad forces have relayed to me. I have sent you each what I have determined about the planet thus far … but there is a more pressing issue facing us. We just detected it on our sensors. Previously it was masked by the strange psionic reading the planet was giving off, interfering with the machine spirit of our Augurs. Captain Dac’tyr, you have the floor.”

    “Thank you brother. As the Apothecary has alluded to, we face a much more pressing matter. Our Augurs have detected the bioforms of a pair of tyranid hive ships, believed to be the remnants of a tendril of Splinter Fleet Ophidia. Brothers, Exterminatus is out of the option with the supplies available currently. I have discussed the implications of such a force of tyranids with the Chaplain and the Apothecary, and we have come to the decision that we are holding this planet, no matter the cost.”

    The ground teams around me remained silent, shocked by Dac’tyr’s course of action. I glanced over to Ziliag, who had removed his helmet. His mouth was agape for just a moment, before he noticed me, returning to his stoic disposition. The Tyrannic wars still echoed their horrors within him. Dac'tyr resumed his grim speech.

    “Though we are hopelessly outnumbered, we cannot allow the Tyranids to take a planet so rich in biomass. I have already requisitioned reinforcements from the nearest force of six Imperial Guard Regiments, along with two companies from the Praetors Of Orpheus Chapter. I’ve even managed to send for a Deathwatch Kill-Team to aid us. All of our allies are en route to assist us, but even so they will not reach us in time. The Hive ships will be in range of our strike cruiser within 96 hours. We shall hold the line until reinforcements arrive Space Marines. We cannot let this planet fall." , said Dac'tyr authoritatively. The silence following the speech was nothing short of disturbing.

" For Vulkan He’stan!", cried a tactical sergeant over the vox suddenly.

" For our Primarch Vulkan!" , chimed an assault marine.

"And For the Emperor, we shall not fall!” , came the resounding warcry of the chaplain, galvanizing his company. Raucous roars of confidence bellowed from the marines on the ground. The vox roared with chants of victory and of determination.

    “What exactly does any of that mean?” a soothing voice asked sheepishly. I turned to face the voice, and noticed Twilight standing behind me, listening to the speech coming from the helmet on my belt. I was a bit confused as to how I had not noticed her sneak up on me. I suppose I had gotten caught up in the speech. Still, I felt empathy for the creature, as alien as it was to me.

It almost startled me at how bold she was in approaching me, even after we had introduced our races to each other. Very bold indeed. It would be needed in the days to come. Even so, I had my doubts about the bloodbath that was to come ...

I knelt down, bringing my face closer to hers, trying not to scare her with my frightening complexion and glowing red eyes. I spoke in a very wistful and exasperated tone.

“It means we’re all going to die …“