Disclaimer (Edited July 14, 2014): For those wondering, this is not a RP. This is a Fan Story. It is going to be moved to the Fan Art and Fan Fiction sub-forum soon. Otherwise, enjoy the story! I hope it turned out all right, and there is more to come in the future. Any and all feedback is always welcome. This story had been edited since it was originally posted. Chapter 1 - Part 1: The Calm Before The Storm Huge concrete buildings of highly detailed neo-gothic design stood tall within a city littered with Imperial markings deeply engraved into the every tower and statues dedicated to warriors of old. It was a sight to behold for any loyalist to the Emperor, yet these master crafted structures were heavily damaged, standing just barely in defiance of the constant never ending bombardment from the searing hot plasma volleys that fired tirelessly from beyond the city walls of rubble and dust. The rocky, marble roads between these establishments were littered with rotting desecrated corpses, fresh blood slipping away from the bodily fluids of the dead and into the various cracks in the damaged pathways of stone. Innocent and soldier alike, none seemed to be spared by the violence that engulfed the city streets. Fortifications had been hastily built around the imperial cathedral located in the center of the city shortly after the fighting started, by some miracle having remained untouched by the artillery and weapons of their attackers. The citizens of this place hid inside, cowering together in prayer in an attempt to find serenity were hope seemed lost. Soldiers blockaded the windows and kept a lookout from the safety of the indoors with their Las-Guns in search for any adversary unlucky enough to appear through the thick stone dust that polluted the air. Outside, what remained of the Guard rushed around and knelt behind the safety of their makeshift cover made of specially designed sandbags and whatever cement bricks could be scavenged from the remains of fallen structures nearby. They remained vigilant in their observation of the battlefield, but the twilight of the darkened sky descended on this metropolis and the moon barely penetrated through the clouds of ash and smoke, making it hard to see anything without protected eye-wear. But the verbal cries of terror, fear, and courage bellowed through the city streets and proved to be most disturbing for the men and women that stood guard. It was enough to consume the senses with disgust, pride, and an odd understanding of the horror of it all. Some had never fought in a true battle before, with some barely able to keep a calm composure. Others more experienced remained as steady as the holy cathedral they defended. But they all grew nervous when the firing stopped and all sounds were sniffed out like a flame on a dying candle. Silence proved to be a greater adversary on the nerves then the loudest gun, causing one to wonder what would come next after days of unending warfare. One of soldiers, wearing a rugged and heavily decorated trench coat over his armored uniform with a glowing power sword in one hand and a smoking barreled Las Pistol in the other, gestured for his troops to hold fast while cautiously approaching the large armored guardian of blue metal plating that dwelled near the holy cathedral's entrance, two steaming pipes located on its back housed subtle flame from which it sent mild puffs of black vapor into the cloaked sky above them all. "My Lord, communications with our outward forces have been cut off. We must assume that they are either hold up somewhere else or have fallen in battle. Nonetheless, we have a large enough field of view in this courtyard around the glory of the Cathedral that any attack can be easily repelled with tolerable losses." The man, scruffy and unshaven in appearance and a bit young for someone in command, had a look of weariness but spoke with a voice of bitter confidence. But the armored figure seemed to disapprove of this train of thought as it responded with a voice that was cold and heavy. It echoed with an eternity of experience behind it, a weight that provided its listener with an overwhelming sense of enlightenment and the burden of age. "A single human life is precious. The first one to have fallen against the xenos in this Emperor forsaken war had already gone beyond the realm of tolerable. Do not devalue your men just because you were trained to fight and die. You are to guard the Emperor's lands just as much as we, his sons. Never forget that. Now, I want a status report of the situation. How are the men holding up?" The commander faltered, losing some of the youthful courage and instead it was replaced with reinforced determination. Clearing his throat and adjusting the collar of his uniform, he made to glance over to what little remained of the PDF forces and Imperial Guard as they sluggishly hurried across the battlements on the field. They were constantly checking their guns in order to keep track of ammunition reserves while some were satisfying their thirst with what little moisture remained from their near empty canteens. But they all continued their watch on the wasteland of a perimeter, ever seeking out their foes in the rubble. "We have around a hundred or less still standing, with many low or out of ammunition. Supplies are scare and being saved for the civilians inside. Morale is low and many have gone without sleep or food for some time now. I’d like to say that you shall not find them wanting, but fatigue can bring down even the greatest of Guardsmen. Why the enemy doesn't push the attack now when we are most vulnerable is beyond me." "Such are the ways of the enemies of man. Tricksters and cowards, they are likely regrouping to attempt to finish us. They will not do so, for I still stand." The large armored machine turned its single auto cannon attached to its robotic arm towards the horizon, scanning it through the air with his tactical HUD inside his tomb of a suit as he evaluated the battlefield. The cannon began to spin with a growing intensity, eagerly readying itself to free its ammunition into his adversaries. Flashing red icons reported back to his forward senses, giving him a tactical readout of the perimeter. *Analyzing... Analyzing... *No Xenos Life Detected... Rereading Perimeter... *Activating Enhanced Sensors... Scanning... The area around the armored titan was highlighted with red static, making the thickness of the dust and smoke irrelevant for this guardian of the Imperium. *Scanning... No Xenos Life Has Been Detected... Scanning Complete. Slowly, the auto cannon ceased its spinning and were steadily lowered to a more stable position in the area in front of him. The commander, uneasy at seeing the weapon near him so readily prepared to unleash a haze of destruction, made to take a step back to keep a safe distance from him and the cannon. The guardian spoke again almost instantly after this event, what little humanistic traits of his voice hinting towards a great amount of frustrations. "Prepare your men for a full on attack. It would not be of surprise to see Battlesuits employed onto the field to devastate our forces and damage what little cover we have. But remember, the protection of the citizens is our top priority. Our lives are second to theirs." The commander simply nodded and without another word, and turned to speak with one of his men with whom he gestured to follow. The armored titan could hear him whisper about the status of any spare meltaguns with what seemed to be a supply sergeant just as they left out of sight towards the right of the cathedral's entrance from where he remained immobile. His vigilant watch was on the field and the bleak sky, hoping that his scattered battle brothers were still alive and reconvening on his position. The thought of losing all his brothers and many innocents of this world was hard to comprehend, and he sent a silent prayer to the Emperor that reinforcements would come with the utmost haste. But he would do his best with whatever task was put before him. Yet through the silence, a voice began to speak in flawed Low Gothic. Not from himself, the soldiers, or the innocents inside. This was a voice that was tainted, impure. This was a voice from the xenos filth that besieged this world. "I am Commander Shas'O T'au Elan Mont Yr. For the Greater Good, stand down and summit to our authority and I promise you shall be spared. You shall be taken care of within our empire, and you shall see that we only seek what is best for you. Let use cease this needless fighting and be as one." Almost immediately, the guardian's extensive voice echoed into the night sky in answer. "I am Vae Victis, Dreadnaught of the Ultramarines. Know that we shall never yield, never summit to the heresy you would have us suffer. For we carry the Emperor's will as our torch always and forever. With it, we bring light to the darkness. Everything you say falters in comparison." "Why?" The words were spoken aloud and disgusted the Dreadnaught as it continued its pathatic speech from far beyond his targeting sensors. "Why would you not see the truth of the Great Good? We only seek what is best for you, not to damn you. You must see the reasoning of your folly!" "I see more clearly then you can even comprehend, xenos scum. And I shall not suffer your lies and deceitful nature any longer. Come, face us in combat and be put to the torch. We shall welcome you to oblivion!" His bellowing sang into the wind, being challenged by nothing but quietude that lasted for what seemed like eternity. It would seem that the xenos had given up its attempts to mislead them, amusingly so. If he could have smiled at that moment, he would have. The silence ended quickly after, however, and soon the world around them became a war in itself...
