Chapters The Spear of Sacanas shall Light the Way, and Blood shall spill over the Wandering City.
The Storm King Shall Unite the Wayfarers, and their Victory shall shake the Heavens!
The Fortress of Harmony, in the Frozen North, was under assault from the hordes of Discord. Wave after wave of his minions and their machines crashed against those mighty gates, only to be repulsed by their heavy guns, the might of the Crystal Knights, the last loyal elements left of the Crystal Empire, and the troops of the Fabricator-General herself.
But Inquisitor Diamond Tiara forbade the deployment of reinforcements, holding all assets back on the Skyforts orbiting overhead. The Fortress was left to fend for itself, and would not hold forever.
And eventually, the enemy broke through. Hordes of creatures, Killa Kans and Deff Dreads broke through, and assailed the mighty defenders. The Knights fought for as long as they could, but it seemd they would be overhelmed. They prayed for deliverance from the oncoming storm.
And it found them.
The Space Mareines of the Blood Mares made landfall upon their Thunderhawk Gunships, tearing the foe apart with blade and Boltgun. This alone stemmed the tide, but was not enough to push the enemy back.
Then came their salvation. The God-Empress herself took to the field. Clad from head to toe in her golden suit of armour, and wielding a Warhammer of purest construction, she took it upon herself to liberate the fortress.
"Sisters, rise! We have Monsters to Kill!"
Scootaloo surged to her hooves, gripping her hammer, Foe-Splitter, tightly. Her Vox stuttered into life.
“It took ya yer sweet time getting' here Scoots!”
“Fabricator-General, what would you have me do?”
“There’s currently a hole in the wall. If they get through, all is lost!”
“We shall hold the breach.” The Vox switched off. “Sisters, do not let a single beast through that gate!”
The enemy surged forward out of their rallying positions. Wave after wave of infantry assailed the position, only to be broken asunder by the thunderous roar of armour-mounted Boltgun and slash of Chainsword. Assault Mareines thundered into the fray, the din of their wings and weapons adding to cacophany of war.
The God-Empress herself charged in, her hammer swinging around her and tearing the foe apart effortlessly. She surged into the air, and brought it down, the blow slamming forth in a tide of metal and blood.
But then, capsules made of chocolate fell behind them, and more creatures landed in their lines.
“They attempt to flank!” shouted one warrior.
“Courage and Honour!” Scootaloo bellowed. “We shall slay this evil!”
More mass-reactive rounds rang true as the foe was ripped apart by explosions and rotating teeth, blood covering the walls of the fortress and corpses strung everywhere like confetti.
Scootaloo switched her Vox on again. “Fabricator-General, the breach is contained. Where would you have me go?”
“Head toward the Communications Array. Please be aware only 3 Knights are still operational, and we have only one active repair bay. The door should open momentarily.”
Scootaloo turned to advance through the door-before a stray artillery shell demolished the structure. “A simple matter,” she said grimly.
Stretching her wings aloft, she took to the air, soaring through the skies and touching down on a precipice.
“Oi!” shouted a group of enemy creatures. Shooters. So named because they were formed around a single, rapid-fire weapon contained in their chests. “Shoot the pony!”
The hail of bullets pinged of the God-Empresses' armour as she charged forward, swinging her hammer and reducing the first of them to paste. But their numbers were too great.
Thankfully, her salvation came. “Blind grenade! Fire in the hole!”
A small object flew to the ground and detonated, sending the Shooters reeling backwards.
“Damnit!” screamed one of them. “I can’t see!”
“Exterminate the vermin!” Scootaloo bellowed, and the Scouts complied, the screams of the enemy and the roar of Bolter ending their pathetic lives.
The Scouts hopped down from their vantage point. “My lady, what would you have us do?” one of their number asked.
“Follow me to the Communications Array,” she replied. “If we can hold it, we can bring in reinforcements.”
“Aye, my Lady!”
Scootaloo activated her Vox. “Battle-Barge Unity, status report?”
“Fleet Master Mash reporting. We are currently in orbit over the Fortress, awaiting your order.”
“I need a Tactical Squad fired in on my position. I am but one pony, and two squads of Scouts isn’t going to cut it.”
“Understood, My Lady. Drop Pod incoming.”
Within seconds, the pod had slammed into the ground. Out stepped a group of Tactical Mareines, all clad in MKVII ‘Aquila’ armour. Itself less advanced than the Cataphractii Armour worn by the God-Empress, it was a world above that used by the defenders of the fortress. Each suit had a weapon mount fitted to the side of the armour, which typically mounted a Boltgun, but sometimes carried other weapons. A Chainsword was also equipped for situations where close combat was needed. The helmet also varied depending on the wearer’s species; Unicorn ones had a slot for the horn to fit through.
Each of them knelt before the God-Empress. “My Lady, we are ready to serve.”
“Rise,” Scootaloo commanded. “We are needed elsewhere.”
The band pushed onward, running into and despatching enemy resistance, before arriving at the Communications Array. The enemy swarmed in, waving axes and firing rounds into the defenders.
But the Blood Mares never faltered and never wavered. With courage and steel they drove the foe back time and time again.
“For the God-Empress!” bellowed a grizzled sargeant. But things were about to turn.
A large explosive flew through the air, knocking everyone onto their backs. As Scootaloo staggered to her feet, a Killa Kan advanced on her, its chainblades roaring.
“I’m gonna cut you into minceat!” it bellowed.
Scootaloo swung her hammer into it, knocking it back briefly. But that only slowed it; the machine was not felled, and closed in again, knocking her down. It stormed in for the kill, blades spinning.
But the kill never came, as a giant rotating fist smashed through the back of the machine, tearing the machine from torso to cockpit. The parts fell everywhere as the Dreadnought grabbed the pilot and ripped it in two, before stomping on the legs, leaving nothing but a mess of twisted scrap.
Scootaloo got to her feet. “Thank you, Brother.”
“It was an honour, My Lady,” it replied. “But the foe assails us still.” And he was right. Heavy weapons fire was cutting up the square, bullets tearing through armour and making a mess of cover.
“Sniper team on hand!” called a voice. A group of Pegasi flew in, armed with sniper rifles. “We can kill those Looters!”
The massive .100 calibre bolts rang home, causing the enemy’s heads to explode. Their bodies fell lifeless to the floor, a true mess to behold.
“Fabricator-General, the Array is secure!”
“Excellent. But we gotta massive wave closin ’ in from the south. This is their final assault, get to the Sanctum and hold them off!”
Onwards they pushed, into the Sanctum itself, although they were briefly separated by a collapsing bridge. The enemy swarmed into the Sanctum, intent on killing and destroying.
“Unity, deploy the Holy Standard.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
The standard slammed into the ground, its lines and colours showing proudly upon the surface.
“May the first Mare to take one step back be damned to Tartarus!” bellowed the Sargeant.
The enemy assaulted again and again, but with their sacred standard, the Space Mareines never faltered and never wavered. As the last tattered remains of the enemy staggered away, Scootaloo radioed.
“Fabricator-General, the breach is secure.”
“Ah owe ya a great debt Scootaloo .”
“The Imperium never abandons its allies, Fabricator-General. Your Knights will be a valuable ally in driving back the armies of Discord.”
“We will remember this, always.”
Scootaloo switched channels. “Inquisitor, report.”
“Why have you violated my blockade?” demanded the voice. “Our troops are better kept in high orbit. From there we can more accurately respond to enemy threats.”
“You would leave the Knights to die?”
“I would have you obey my orders. Secure the ground, and ensure that the Fortress remains secure. Inquisitor out.”
Scootaloo switched channels again. “Deploy the Lord-Chaplain, and tell her to see me at once.”
Author's Note
Sorry it took so long.
The Northern Wastes had been fought over for thousands of years, mountains of war machinery and technology adding to the twisted piles of war.
For most races it was naught but a dumping ground. For Discord's followers, it was a bounty of valuable scrap and military components. They sifted through the parts, seeking mighty components to construct new machines.
Still, the generals squabbled with one another. But one of them was truly ambitious.
"I WANT IT ALL!"
The offensive plan was not going at all well. Discord’s beings rushed the gate, but were cut to shreds by focused enemy fire.
“We can’t go that way!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “That way will get those idiots killed.” She hissed in frustration. Hissed would be the appropriate word, given the once-proud Pegasus was now a strange hybrid of a dragon and a snake. “I told that numbskull Rarity that a frontal assault wouldn’t work, but does she listen to me? No!”
Her mind flashed back to the past. In the ancient time, she had opposed Discord, but he had opened up her eyes to the reality of things. Like a rampaging band, the armies of chaos had swept across Equestria, like a great tide that tore everything apart. But who cared about that, or victories? Rainbow just enjoyed the fighting, and always led her mob toward the best fights. She and the others constantly jostled with one another for control and dominance, and today was no different.
Her inward monologuing was suddenly interrupted by a mob of Choppers running at her. These warriors carried a single axe, unlike the Shooters, which were based around a ranged weapon.
“Boss!” one of them called. “Our Boyz are bein’ shredded by da shooty fing. What should we do?”
“Follow me!” Rainbow called. “We need to go around if this is going to work.”
“Follow da Rainbow!” shouted another, and away they went.
Rainbow surged into the air, and blew a gate control, releasing a drawbridge allowing her mob to advance. They charged into a group of Imperial Guard and wiped them out in spectacularly short order, before stopping.
One Chopper ran forward, only for a beacon to activate. "Xenos movement detected. Engaging.”
A turret suddenly popped up from the bushes, and sprayed a hail of Bolt rounds everywhere, tearing the Chopper to pieces.
“I shoulda fought dis threw!” he shouted, before being reduced to a bloody pulp on the floor.
“How’s we gonna get through dat one boss?” asked another.
“Easy!” Rainbow replied. “We go through those bushes there and evade the guns!”
The plan worked. The guns were unable to detect them, and the horde snuck through without so much as a peep out of the big gun. But then they came across an obvious problem; there was no way down into the courtyard.
Rainbow Dash looked down in disdain. Commanding the enemy army was an Imperial officer, Colonel Roseluck to be precise. Like her comrades, she was clad in green armour.
“Futile effort,”she laughed, as she smashed the control box. The gate flew open, and in poured the hordes-those stuck outside the door, and those on the battlements.
“Who opened the gates?” cried a terrified Guardsman, as her Lasgun took out another Chopper.
“Clearly,” said Rarity over the Vox, “I’m so terrifying that they opened the gate for me! I will make them so much more fabulous.”
To describe the remaining scene as a battle would be inappropriate. A cull would be altogether more appropriate, as the Choppers hacked and slashed away at the foe, bodies coming apart and blood slicking the walls in red gore. Rainbow flew in and decapitated the enemy commander.
“I’ve waited a long time for that,” she bellowed.
Once the mess was cleaned up and a base established, Rainbow flew over to Rarity.
“Clearly,” Rarity said, with a laugh, “my plan was so brilliant that the enemy couldn’t possibly win.”
“I did all the heavy lifting!” Rainbow exclaimed.
“We wouldn’t have to have launched this assault if your plan to take Harmony Fortress hadn’t gone so spectacularly wrong.” Rarity paused. “But out of the generosity of my heart, I’m willing to forgive you if you do something for me.”
“And what would that be?”
“Scattered around are the parts needed for a Super-Cannon. If you can assemble that, I’ll call it even. OK?”
“Sure thing!” Rainbow smiled. “Gotta show Loyalty, huh?”
Upon rallying a new horde, a mixed force of Choppers, Shooters, and Looters, Rainbow Dash flew over to one of her engineers. “Where’s these parts?”
“There are some over there,” the engineer said, pointing unhelpfully, “some over there, and some over there.”
She sighed. “We’ll need to move swiftly then.” She signalled the force. “Move out!”
As they advanced, they came under heavy fire from turrets and Guardsman in cover. “Incoming!” a Looter shouted. “No way we can survive that lot!”
Rainbow flew up into the air, and began to spin rapidly in a circle, which absorbed the bullets and sent them flying upwards into the air. Bullets spewed from the troops and blades slashed as the defenders were cut apart in messy fashion.
The first two locations drew blanks, but the third was the most interesting. Interesting because a small host of Crystal Ponies suddenly appeared in the fray, vaporising the Guardsmen with shots of plasma and shuriken before suddenly melting away.
“What’s the Crystal Empire doing here?” Rainbow wondered aloud.
“Boss!” one of the engineers called. “They destroyed the parts we need!”
“Are there any more?” Rainbow asked impatiently.
“Yes! But the Crystal Ponies have dropped a dropship in the way!”
“How else do ya put a drop ship anywhere?” asked one of the Shooters.
“We’ll just have to go right through them!” Rainbow bellowed. “Charge!”
Although many fell in front of the devastating fusillade of shuriken and plasma, enough made it through to hack the Crystal Ponies apart. Gunfire from troops tore apart hover bikes and axes went clean through armour, although it took a lot of work to break open.
“They sure have some heavy firepower,” Rainbow sighed as she flew forward.
At last they recovered the parts, and assembled the gun. This was problematic, as the weapon was now several miles from base.
The engineer stepped up into the firing port. “Shall we fire it, boss?”
“Yes!” Rainbow cackled.
The weapon activated, and began bellowing insults just as the enemy began pouring in.
“What’s da point of that?” asked one of the Choppers.
“It scares the enemy,” the engineer replied.
“Really?” said Rainbow. “THEN WHY THE BUCK ARE THEY STILL FIGHTING?”
The engineer threw another lever, and the gun shot backwards due to the recoil, flying several miles and landing nearer the base.
A smile crossed the commander’s face. “We can get the gun back to base by firing it!” she laughed. “We need to protect it whilst it charges up!”
A series of running battles began, with Discord’s troops protecting the gun, it firing, and then pulling back again.
As enemy Falcon tanks flew into the sector, the engineer threw the switch for the final time. The gun shook with the energies it contained, and flew through the air, into the base itself.
Rainbow Dash cackled. “Victory!” she cried. “But I need you to modify it before Rarity gets here.”
Presently Rarity arrived. “I trust you have my cannon for me?” she asked.
“Yep!” Rainbow replied. “I hope she works well for you!”
“The fortress shall fall in no time at this rate,” Rarity smiled. “Good day!”
Rainbow laughed under her breath. “Idiot. Not to worry, I don’t need to worry about her. Not when the thing I came to this dump for appears anyway.”
The armies of King Sombra swarmed across the North, awaiting the arrival of the Prophecy. But they found that Discord's legions were an inconvenience, and so the King himself dispatched his greatest warriors to the fray.
Tempest Shadow was both his right-hand mare and his bloodied left-fist. She would clear the way to ensure that the Prophecy came to pass.
But Tempest Shadow doubted the prophecy. In order to clear the way for her followers, a decapitating strike against the armies of Discord was needed. And such an opportunity presented itself...
It is the 11th Millenium, and there is only war.
The land of Equestria is no more. Discord re-awoke from his slumber, and destryoyed the Elements of Harmony, transforming them into his field commanders for his plan of conquest and war.
But it was not only Discord who re-awoke. Emboldened by the failure of the Elements, King Sombra raised his hordes and marched on Canterlot, destroying Princess Celestia, as well as Princess Cadence and Captain Shining Armour. Luna fled into the darkness unknown, before sealing off Equestria into an eternity of madness.
Ponykind descended into barbarism and savagery, and 1,000 years of madness reigned as technology regressed to its basest and most horrifying forms.
We tetered on the brink of extinction, and would have fallen, were it not for the Might of the God-Empress, and her Angels of Death. The Space Mareines.
Awakened was the might of the Imperium of Ponykind. From the City of Vanhoover, the might of the Legions slowly clawed back the realm of Ponykind. But not even the mighty Adeptus Astartes could be everywhere at once.
From the ashes of the art of sorcery rose the Inquisition. Headed by Grand-Inquisitor Sweetie Belle, they are the bullwark against any spiritual evil that threatens Ponykind, aided by the might of both the Inquisitors and the Deathwatch, who purge evil with fire and fury.
But such might is of little consequence without troops on the ground. For this, we have the glory of the Fabricator-General, Apple Bloom. Her machines and weapons are the Hammer of the Empress, the Imperial Guard. Their numbers are limitless, like a mighty wave that crashes upon the shore.
But it is a dark and brutal time. Although Ponykind was saved from extinction, the many threats still ravage the lands. Brutal creatures of madness roam the land, ravaging and killing. From the depths of the Warp, Luna plots her return to the world, aided by her Chaos Space Mareines. Sombra continues to push his mysterious agenda from the North, whilst the Changelings slaughter all in their path from the South.
To live in such a world is to exist in the bloodiest regime imaginable. It is a time of bloodshed and turmoil. It is a time of death and savagery. This is the tale of those times.
If you choose to make the journey to this world, then prepare yourself now. There is no peace in the world of Equis, only an eternity of carnage and the laughter of cruel gods.
The world, however, is a big place, and whatever happens, you will not be missed.
In the Grim Darkness of the 11th Millenium, there is only war.
