Harvest of Martyrs

[Okuto]

indeed, may add a few more details, I really liked how the last part came out

edit: Just did it, much better imo

[Okuto]

Chapter VIII
“Unexpected Visitors”
Governor’s Palace, Inner Shahn

“I take it your armor’s machine spirit will require more repair before this is over”
-Iron Father Paulium of the Iron Hands, Deathwatch


“Hold still” barked Iron Father Paulium as he scanned his armor.
“Always the hero” Brother Rjan joined as he injected some liquids.

Codifer Ingrim sat uncomfortably as sparks flew in front of his face as the iron father began repairs. In front of him, Inquisitor Lupin was scanning over various papers and data slates as fighting still raged just outside the room, he could hear the thousands of marching tallarns making their way below them and their fellow marines of the Dark Angels and Raven Guard pushing the enemy above them. His own squad were sweeping nearby rooms for any intel of use.

“Do we have anything Inquisitor?”
“Oh very much so”

The Inquisitor put one of the data slates down and sat down in a jewel encrusted chair.

“There is a tresure chest of information just on this room but not what we are looking for”
“I thought the Tau were our objective”

The Inquisitor smiled and leaned back into his chair.
“Yes but I suspect something else here is afoot”
“Why do you say that?”
“There’s encrypted orders giving out instructions to the Imperial Navy, only problem is those orders come from here”
“Traitor?”
“Perhaps but the encryption is of the highest authority which means-”
“The Imperial Navy are being fed false orders?!”
“Yes”

Ingrim’s eyes widened as his expression turned to horror.

“And we are not to do anything?!” he shouted

The Inquisitor sighed and stood up brushing the chair off.
“We have 2 hours before the orders go into effect, it’s source is here”
“Do we warn the fleet?”
“No, false orders are still being fed as we speak so whoever is sending them is still here”.
“Then we must waste no time!”

[Okuto]

“Stop wasting our time! Don’t you hear the fighting getting closer!”
“Please remain clam, the quicker there is order the quicker you will get to leave!”

The crowd moved back and forth like a raging rapid pushing every so closely to the few tau who formed a dam of flesh and armor. Behind them dozens of civilian and tau craft took off nonestop, Shas’ui El’ro did his best to watch over his uneasy warriors.

“Shas’ui there are no more transports” whispered one of his fire warriors.
“Truly?”
“Only Por’el’s remains it should be enough for the rest of our number to escape per-”
“No we can’t do that”

“Problem Shas’ui?” said Lithus as he walked up to them.
“We don’t have any more transports embassador”
Lithus paled.
“Then….what are you going to do about the crowds? You know that-”
“Yes I know, the imperials are only a few blocks from here, we need to reassure the people here till further notice”
Not waiting for a reply he walked over to a comms drone and synched himself in.

Static quickly greeted him.

“Sir, what are we to do?” whispered a shaken fire warrior.
“I….I don’t know” he thought to himself.

“Are you certain it is here inquisitor?” barked Ingrim as they ran up the massive spiral steps, debris falling all around them from the heavy fighting in the upper levels, outside they could see the tops of the lower levels of the hive city and for once they could see the grey blue skies.

“Yes, comms traffic is getting heavier as we ascend” replied the Inquisitor as he bolted into a nearby hall weapon un holstered.

“It’s right here I am sure-”
Ingrim pushed the Inquisitor to the ground as stray rounds punched into the wall behind them. As they lay there he could see the dark angels were actually being held up in front of them, their dreadnought stood in front of them laying down a fullisade of assault cannon fire into the defenders. The sergeant he encountered earlier noticed him and nodded in acknowledgement.

“What is the problem?” Ingrim yelled over the firefight
“This is the only way up to the spire, they’ve fortified it tight”
“What about the dreadnought?”
“It’s too heavy to cross”
“The raven guard?”

The sergeant pointed above, Ingrim could spot them engaging the tau sleath suits over control of the skies, bolter shells rained on the roof and broke the glass above the two engaging sides.

“Gavilus on me”
Behind him a deathwatch marine stepped forward, his red should plate distinguishing him as a blood angel. He had only recently joined the deathwatch and was the youngest to boot, only serving briefly as a devastator prior to him joining the team. His skills from his extensive days as a scout proved too useful to leave him with the chapter.

“Yes Brother” he replied as he cocked his bolter.
“See if you can’t get our brethen of the raven guard to assist us in this matter”
“Understood but brother”
"Yes?"
"I've not trained long enough with-"
"You will be fine!" snapped Brother Alexander over the roar of his heavy bolter
"Al...Alright Understood"
With a simple nod and a brief reassurance from Iron Father Paulium who handed him a jump pack, Brother Gavilius took for the skies.

[Okuto]

“Inquisitor?”
Ingrim looked dumbfounded as the inquisitor walked calmly forward towards the enemy gunfire. As he ran forwards towards the inquisitor he simply raised his hand gesturing him to stop.

“I have this” the inquisitor said confidently
“What?!”

Before he could think a hooded figure darted past him to the inquisitor’s side, the same one he had seen before they had left.

“My lord?” the figure whispered
“Go, do the emperor’s work”
“His will be done”

With that the assassin mumbled a silent prayer and paused for a few seconds, his body spasmed a bit before jolting forward at breakneck speed towards the enemy firebase.

Wasting no time Ingrim hopped over the barricade.
“Forward brothers!” Igrim cried as the deathwatch and dark angels surged forward.


“I am death”
A arcadian life guard screamed as the assassin ran his talons into his mouth splitting skull in half into a gory explosion.

“I am retribution”
A heavy weapon operator found a bullet lodged into his eye.

“I am the end”
He mumbled to himself as he cut through a group of terrified rebels.

Looking back at the advancing marines and his lord, O-66 grunted in awknowledgment to himself as he advanced towards a group of arcadians flooding down towards his position firing off shots of their las carbines.

“Death to those who would deny the god-emperor”

The first las round flew past his head, the next few skimmed the sides of his robes as he darted forward, his combat drugs slowing things down dramatically as he rushed the group of rebels.

The first man tried to rifle butt him but was caught in the eye with his talon, with a quick turn the blade went up through the man’s skull spraying the men next to him in bone fragments. Before the bone even touched the ground the next man was slashed across the throat and collapsed clutching his neck which was painting the marble ground red. The other men wavered and backed off snaping off a few las rounds.

“I am your judgement”

Three las rounds punched him in the chest but his drug fueled body showed no sign as he lunged toward with his talon and cut the first two shooters down, the third man was unfazed by the site and calmly raised his carbine and shot him point blank in the face. To the rebel’s horror the assassin lunged his head forward revealing his unhooded face, a grim skull mask of the eversor temple.

“The emperor protects!”

With that said the man stared in disbelief as he was lifted up by the assasin’s talon and spilt in half with a flick of the wrist. The others had enough and fled up to the spire as the assasin walked forward, shredding his robes revealing his black armored suit and glaring skull mask. The wounds he had taken earlier, including the las scarring on his mask were fully visible and still smoking.

[Okuto]

Gazing over the lower floor the marines had begun to make progress reaching the base of the great spire overhead, content with the progress he disappeared into the darkness.

“Come, we cannot waste anymore time!” yelled the Inquisitor as he advanced confidently, the deathwatch and dark angels behind snapping shots off as they advanced forward, the sound was defeaning, all one could hear was the bolt shells hitting the floor and the raining from the battle in the sky.


“Shas’el! We‘re running out of time and troops!” barked the Arcadian Commander.
“Hold on general, we must hold out as long as possible, we must be stubborn today” replied Shas’el Li’sun’yi
“Damn it, we won’t survive another wave Shas’el!”
“We have to!” she snapped

Looking around her, the dread of the Arcadian lines were apparent. They had only been fighting for a few hours but the sheer mass of the Imperial attack had taken it’s toll. Ammo was low and many of the Arcadian tanks had been knocked out or running low on fuel. Even though the Imperial side was covered in burning wrecks, fresh reserves kept pouring into the fight. It would only be a matter of time till the Imperials broke through, the prepared kill zones she had made were already cluttered with Imperial dead and swept aside by new troops.

“The Enemy comes!” yelled one of the Arcadians as men and fire warriors began to man their positions.

Focusing on the horizon behind the tank graveyard, she could see a new wave of Imperial armor lumbering across the plains, behind them were red and gold clad infantrymen dismounting transports and advancing forward. A large smoke screen rolling over to cover their advance.

“Brace yourselves!” she yelled as she braced her weapons.


“Stay sharp my brave lads” barked Colonel Chuikov as he hopped off the back of one of the Brimlock chimeras, before he joined his men one of the Brimlock officers opened the hatch and wished him luck as they sped off into the smoke screen.

“Emperor Protects” he thought to himself

As he joined his men, the Salvar Chem Dogs and Frateris Militia were being herded in front of them to begin the first assualt, Salvar Wardens and Commissars were barking insults beside firebrand Missionaries who drove their flock into a frenzy.

“Let us pray Colonel”
He looked behind him as a priest in the Inquisitor’s staff walked forward followed by the Inquisitor herself and a group of officers. The priest was a bulky man, no doubt he had seen action in the guard before answering the call of the Imperial Creed and Inquisition.

“Emperor watch over us”
Everyone took their headgear off except the inquisitor and quickly went on their knees, even the Salvar officers stopped barking insults and joined the mass of kneeing troops. Chuikov could smell the strong scent of incense mixing with the white smoke screen giving off a golden glow.

“Oh merciful emperor watch over your humble servants”

“For we are about to do your will”

“Let us be strong of spirit and full of zeal”

“Let us smite our enemies and their xenos masters with an iron fist”

“Oh emperor, please watch over us”

“His Will be done” they all said in unison.

“Go now, walk in the light my children”

Then to everyone’s surprise the familiar hum of a chainsword rumbled, even Chuikov stared blankly at the scene in front of him.

“Gain your salvation! Follow me!” the priest barked as he raised his massive chainsword and advanced, the Frateris Militia could hold back no more and rushed forward in a howling mob. The dumbfounded officers stared at one another and hopped back onto their chimeras as they moved pushed on from behind the 1st Sturm's tanks into the thick smoke screen.

[Okuto]

“Clear!” yelled the dark angels as they fanned into the new room, it was a dimly lit area littered with ruffled sheet music and broken instruments, it’s walls were covered in ivory and lined in gold, flickering diamond crusted lights swayed back and forth as the spire shook with the fighting happening outside.

“Fan out and gather any intelligence” whispered Ingrim as the rest of the Deathwatch formed up behind him.

The Dark Angels had already pushed on into the next room and the inquisitor pushed through the deathwatch marines and started to scan the ivory walls.

“It’s here” he whispered to himself as he patted the walls looking for any sort of variable.
“Are you sure?” replied Ingrim
“Yes it’s-”
“We don’t have time for this Inquisitor” barked Iron Father Paulium as he smashed through the wall with his servo arms, as the dust cleared the Iron Father was engulfed by enemy rounds.

“The flesh is weak!” he spat undaunted as he rose up and rushed into the hidden room.

Much to his surprise the enemies in front of him were unlike those they had periously encountered. Directly in front of him were two hulking abominations, each a fusion of machine and flesh, wires and weapons dangling from it’s many arms, their faces a distorted façade of pain and agony, behind them is what disturbed the Iron Father most and drove him into a rage.

“Dark Mechanicus!” he yelled as he rushed two abominations.

The herecital techpriest was literally plugged into a console in front of him, the many cords coming out from his hands were glowing various different colors. He didn’t seem to notice or care about the Deathwatch marines and kept working, the only sound that came from him was a screech of machine gibbish. The various wires that wraped around it’s tattered red robes pulsed with daemonic energies.

“This just got more complicated” Ingrim mumbled under his breath as charged in.

“Die abomination!” yelled the Iron Father as he swung his servo axe overhead, the creature blocked with one of it’s many arms and tried to stab him with another, a drill spinning furiously on it‘s tip. Swiftly his servo arm grabbed it and with a mere gesture tore it clean off, the creature backed off but he pushed on, his other servo arm firing it’s built in plasma gun as he closed the distance, creating gapping holes in the creature‘s chest.

It fired back splattering off one of his servo arms he used as a shield. Just as he reared his servo axe the creature’s mouth opened spliting out a collection of wires engulfing him in a web. As he struggled free the creature resumed it’s assualt, it’s many weapon arms shooting and dueling with his servo arms.

“Brother Paulium!” yelled Ingrim as scorthed the web off as the others laid out suppressing fire knocking the creature on it’s backside.

“Together Iron Father” Ingrim whispered as he reached out with his hand.
“Indeed, together” he mumbled as his servo arms helped him up.