# Necropolytic Nightmare



## gothik (May 29, 2010)

Necropolytic Nightmare



The _Barranian 213th Regiment_ moved closer to their goal. More fearful of the words coming from their Commissars mouth and his harsh penalties for perceived cowardice and weakness then anything the rebels of _Skelton Prime_ could throw at them.

Trooper Gar Saneck sighted the commander of this particular group of rebels in his las-rifles sights and fired, he smiled as he saw the head explode in a puff of blood and matter. 

The body swayed for a moment then in a comical way still moved a few steps, like the proverbial headless chicken then fall forward into the muck and slime that weeks of battle had turned the battlefield into.

The _Skelton_ rebellion had been going on for over three years now. The ruling elite not only breaking their loyalties to the _Imperium_ and the Emperor which, in itself demanded a high price to pay but they then proceeded to execute all the Imperial Staff and representatives in what was now called the week of a thousand kills.
_
The Arbites _had responded to a citywide riot in the capital of _Rufforth_, which, as was expected by these fierce upholders of the Emperors laws and justice, they quelled ruthlessly and effectively.

What the _Emperors Justice_ did not expect was the outlying towns and villages to rise up in rebellion. Even as the head of the senates’ speaker fell to the ground, the second wave swarmed in. 

Despite their harsh training and their famed discipline, even the _Arbites _could not hope to stand against such vast numbers of baying men and women. The worst crime that Saneck had heard of and one that had made him feel sick to his stomach was a group of female _Arbites_ had tried to herd the children out of harms way.

The children, all twelve of them detonated explosives hidden on them that not only killed them but also destroyed the section house. _Skelton Prime_ had fallen spectacually from grace. 

_The Astropathic Choir_ had sent out an emergency SOS and by the time the Imperial forces had responded all out rebellion was in force. The renegades had killed the priests and any who had sought to stop what they saw as a righteous war against the tyranny of the Emperor.

This had also made them ripe for other less savoury elements to take notice of their struggle and renegade forces of traitor guard began to arrive to bolster the forces of the rebels.

That was three years ago and a war of attrition had now set in. _The Barranian 213th _alongside the _Voxala 29th Armoured Corps_ and the _Yusial Airborne division_ had warred alongside each other, their goal the same, to retake a world of the Emperor no matter what the cost.

All of them were the _Emperors Hammers_ and they would teach these heretics a lesson they would never forget, no matter how long they had to fight to do it.

Saneck got up as his Sergeant told them to hold; his once pristine dark green uniform was now the colour of thick undrinkable caffeine. His face didn’t look much better, mud, blood, sweat had made his twenty-nine years look more like thirty-nine.

“Ok Lads” he chomped on the end of his half smoked and very soggy cigar “Set up camp here” The Sergeant moved to where Saneck was lowering his rifle “”Good Shot _Dead-eye_, the Commissar was impressed with that one”

Saneck inclined his head a little in acknowledgement “Thanks Sarge”

His Sergeant cast an eye over him “Gar, when we have the camp set up for the love of the Emperor get a shower”

Saneck smirked and went to join his comrades. 

Sergeant Osara Nelsen chuckled a little. He was the man that the men and women in his squad looked too in all matters. He left the tending of their souls to the priest and the Commissar, the breaking down and rebuilding of his squad, their lives, morale training and everything else that came with it was in his hands.

Unlike other regiments they had fought along the _Barranian_ did not clean their uniforms. The Green was pristine when first worn, but by the end of their first combat zone it was never as pristine and it was superstious thing.

Commissar Ahab Jakera, himself an expert on ancient battles had remarked that they reminded him of some old Britanni regiment from the old Terra who, in battle left the muck and dust on their uniforms as it was considered a sign of bad luck to clean it off.

Osara turned and regarded the battlefield, the bodies of the dead rebels mingling with the dead of his own regiment. This was what his forty years as a soldier had brought him. A cold detachment and inevitability that this was all he and his troops would ever be.

They would never see the twin sun sunrises of their home world again, when you took the Emperors coin you knew you were kissing your home goodbye forever. He had never lied to his troop, it never did any good for they would learn the inevitability of this long endless war soon enough.

All he could do was be as honest with them as he could and told them to thank the Emperor each night for living through the day and pray each morning that they would see the next night’s prayers.

He was a realist and pragmatic man but there was something distasteful in the air of this blighted world. He did not know what it was or even where it came from but he knew that it was coming.

All he could do was boost his troops morale, praise them for a job well done today, and get them rested and ready for the next day.


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## Mindlessness (Dec 22, 2009)

Good story! :victory:

If your looking for some CnC, a little more punctuation in some of the speech, but other then that, nothing majorly wrong with it.

I enjoyed it a fair bit, it looks like the work of somthingn great to come :grin:


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## Ambush Beast (Oct 31, 2010)

*one of your best to date!*

Great job. I do hope it continues. Self editing is always hard to do and a long learning curve to get around. I am still and most likely will for a long time be learning the editing process. 

Keep up the great job, LOVE it!


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

thankyou very much and thanks for the rep adrian


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

Chapter 2

Deep behind the mud drenched moor that was H_untendon_ the rebels of_ Skelton Prime_ were preparing for another attack on the Imperial forces. However when three giants entered the campsite they shrank back in fear and loathing.

Their Armour was the colour of brass but it was brass that appeared to have gone rusty with age. Parts of it were decayed and the once fine examples of honed superhuman bodies wrought in the image of their Primarch and Emperor had become large bloated bodies that spewed decay wherever they walked.

The symbol they wore was stark against such walking fetid creatures, whereas their armour was corrosion the symbol was a crimson carrion-fly and where they trod clouds of flies swarmed round their feet.

They stopped before the Commander and every head turned wondering why these – creatures had arrived here. It soon became apparent when their commander, General Hagarth bowed before them and ushered them inside his command tent.

“Whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?” Hagarth asked with a broad smile.

The three Astartes looked to each other and all the human heard was the click of their vox. 

*+++ Does this human know who we are? +++* One of the Astartes voxed to his companions

*+++ He thinks we are his saviours I suspect. +++* The one to the right answered.

*+++ Silence let me deal with this. +++* The one in the middle who was obviously their leader silenced his brothers.

They bowed their heads and stepped back from him, their bolters tight against their chests. 

With a hiss the helm came from their leaders face and Hagarth stepped back, his hand coming up to cover his nose and mouth as the smell of death and decay became overpowering.

The creature before him might have been handsome once but not anymore. His face was almost skeletal, sunken eyes and cheeks with sores erupting across his face at given intervals.

His neck was a mass of bubbles continuously bursting and disgorging green puss down his almost rotted skin. Hagarth stepped back against the wall to his command post and whatever had been in his stomach suddenly erupted in a violent explosion leaving a searing pain in his throat and mouth.

The Astartes watched non-chantley as the human continued to vomit profusely for three or four minutes then could do nothing but dry heave. 

He turned to his brothers “I do believe the poor man is ill” 

The other two Astartes chuckled at their leaders words and to the now pale and sweaty Hagarth it sounded like rasping phlegm.

“Allow me to introduce myself, I am Lord Necrosius and I am here to bring victory to this world in the name of my master”

The General was about to ask when the former _Death Guard _ran his blade through the wide-eyed general.

“Bring our forces down…and kill everyone here, man, woman and child I will take this war and turn it into my own theatre”

The two Astartes bowed and left their master _Necrosius the Undying_ to his own plans for a plague world in the service of the grandfather himself.


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

The fog covered the battlefield and now it was so dense that no one could see their hands in front of their faces. The Apostles of Contagion had carried out their masters’ instructions and had ordered their own human guard to maintain their distance and keep watch on the imperials.

The former Apothecary began his rites of re-animation. 

“Avus Nurgle take his corporibus et animus amorus et verum preconum in service avus. Welcome in arma imperetor facere et sint mihi in fide est”

“Grandfather Nurgle take the souls of these corpses and usher them into the service of their loving and true Grandfather. Welcome them into your arms and let them do your bidding through me your loyal hand.” 

The Lieutenant of the Joachim Traitor Guard translated for his troop who had kept their heads bowed least they witness the rebirth and loose their sight or what was left of their sanity.

Already he had lost several men and women over the years to the ravages of the disease gods’ favour. He envied them for they were truly blessed to be one with the great grandfather.

But they were not Astartes and they would die eventfully still, if it were killing the lackeys of the corpse god so be it. 

“Surge surge belligeratorum et vindicabit in eis, qui misit vos ad die. In nomen tuum Nugleth carne eorum bibant sanguinem eorum sicut vinum tuum munda mundis et inducam malum munditiam terram magnum alter im ... surgere iam domini tui et facies biddng” 

Necrosius’s voice carried across the wind and to the dead around him and below him. 

“Rise, rise warriors and take revenge on those who sent you to die. In the name of Nugleth take their flesh as yours, drink their blood like your wine and bring this evil clean pure land to the pureness of the great unclean one...now rise and do the bidding of your master” Lieutenant Karsa finished his translation and turned to see an Astartes beckon him over.

He walked over and moved to one knee “My lord?”

“Take your men and leave for the Hand of Nurgle, once the dead walk we will want you out of the way.”

“Yes lord”

“And Karsa, keep praising the grandfather and good things will come your way”

Karsa beamed with pride and went to do his lords bidding. 

Brother Festinus watched with awe as the green glow that sprang from his lords’ hand and reach out to the dead. He allowed himself a wry smile The Imperials would not know what hit them.


The dead lay still, then as the green tinged fog touched their bodies with the caress of a loving parent they began to twitch. Their brains dead for hours began to spark more. They had no memories left all that had gone when they died, yet the touch of the Hand of Nurgle triggered their base instincts.

They began to move to their feet and each warrior was in a different stage of death and decomposition. Some were more or less preserved by the mud they had been laying in others, the fresh kills by the Apostles earlier whilst fresh in that they had their bodies more or less in tact, had gaping bolter wounds in their stomachs, gauging knife wounds across faces and bodies.

Some had limbs messing but they still obeyed the call of their unholy master and they no longer attacked the imperial dead they all turned to face the camp. All with one need and one need only…the need to feed.

Necrosius smiled thinly behind his helm.


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

Chapter 3


Ahab Jakera walked amongst his men and women, his eyes dark and stern, unflinching in his belief in the tenants taught to him at the Scholariam when he was a youth.

He believed fully in the power of the God-Emperor, bravery had its rewards; heroism made you live-forever, cowardice made you burn eternally, and that lead to death. He gave every man and woman a chance to prove him or herself in battle but over the last few months he had only shot three people and that had been mercy killings.

He paused as he heard hushed whispers coming from the guard post near him. The fog was unsettling them and despite his own reservations about such a unearthly light, he was not about to let them damage moral with such talk.

“Something bothering you men?” he asked coming up behind them as quietly as a cat and making them jump at the sound of his approach.

“Yes Commissar” One of the men pointed “That fog sir…it’s just not right”

“It is fog is it not? We are on an renegade world are we not? Their atmosphere is as different to the atmosphere of your world as your world is to blessed holy Terra is it not?”

“Yes Commissar” The same trooper muttered 

“Any more talk of shades and spirits and I will personally chop your head off and hang it so that you will look upon that fog for the rest of eternity are we clear?”

“Yes Sir” They all answered, knowing he would do it too.

“The only power we need fear is the power of the God-Emperor who will not find us wanting is that understood?” 

“Yes Sir”

He nodded in satisfaction and was about to move away when he saw figures make their way through the fog. There was something not quite right about the way they moved.

They were moving too slowly and whilst he could put that down to trying to find their way through the cloud that had descended quite suddenly on the battlefield they still moved slow.

Or at least they did at first. The three troopers he had just spoken to vaulted the sandbags eager to help their comrades who seemed to be coming home. 

“Its Kerdas and Jarrok” One of the men yelled “Come on boys lets get you back into the warmth eh? Get the doc to take a long look…. what the AHHHHH!”

The Commissar swore as Kerdas and Jarrok suddenly took chunks out of the troopers’ neck and shoulder. He was stunned unable to move as the things that had once been loyal and brave warriors of the Emperor tore into the screaming man like animals.

Great chunks of meat were pulled from the victim and swallowed in great bites leaving a gory swamp of blood on their lower faces. He yelled at the others to come back but there were more of them coming out of the fog and attacking the other two troopers.

Bearing them to the ground and scrabbling at their tunics in an effort to get to the meat underneath, the warm blood, and the tasty meat that they so hungered for.
The mean cried and screamed as their stomachs were suddenly ripped apart and great trails of intestines were taken out and chewed on like they were nothing more then sandwich meat.

The Commissar began to fire and got some of them only to watch in horror as they got up from their wounds. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Corporal Lena. 

He paused for a moment but it was the wrong time to pause and the woman snaked to his neck and tore his throat out before he could even bellow a warning. She caught him in her arms and bore him down to the ground like a mother with a child.

There was no gentleness in what she did next. She ripped his throat muscle out and gorged until she was full. Then, like her cannibalistic kin her eyes focused on the barracks.

_That’s it my children_ the voice of their master came unbidden into their minds_ for our beloved grandfather…. Feed my children feed._


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## Ambush Beast (Oct 31, 2010)

*OOOOOOooooOOOOooooOOOoo!*

Zombie stuff??? You know how I like zombie stuff? Wahoo! Zombie stuff!!!:wacko::wacko::wacko::wacko:


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

looked up about Lord Necrosis and apparently its his speciality


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

General Socosa chomped on the end of his cigar as he studied the battlefield plans. With any luck this rain would let up and finally they might be able to push onwards. It was strange thought that the enemies’ guns had gone silent. 

He doubted they would sue for peace, their betrayal of the Emperor meant that the only peace they would get would be the end of a las-pistol or under the heel of the Inquisition.

Normally he pitied worlds like that after all it wouldn’t be very nice to have your every move watched and observed, looking for the slightest taint or action that would betray your world once more. 

But this world he did not pity, the sooner he and his boys and girls were away from here and either bombed out of existence or brought under the iron grip of the Inquisition or the Administratum the better. 

He took a sip of caffeine and pulled a face as the bitter cold taste made its way down his throat. He could have had a better cup made for him but he was one of these men that had risen through the ranks. 

If those under his command had to eat rations and drink the foulest caffeine in the universe then so would he. He rubbed his eyes and stared into the weak light wishing that he were onto the next theatre of war and away from this place.

It was nothing but trouble.

He heard the flap open and without turning round he knew whom it would. The Commissar was most punctual when it came to his rounds reports. 

“Well Commissar how is the men and women tonight?” He did not get an answer and what was that smell?

He dropped his pen and turned round. The Commissar was standing just to the side of the door. His head was bowed.

“Ahab?” He used the Commissars Christian name and then realised the smell was coming from him. “What have you been doing? Bathing in the stuff”

The smell was atrocious it was the metallic tang of blood and the smell of the dead. The Commissar was always such a clean man. His uniform was always pressed and cleaned and as the General strained his eyes into the very dim light.

A slight noise that sounded like a rasping wind came from the Commissar and the General got to his feet. His hand strayed against his las pistol as a very real feeling of fear began to crawl up his spine.

“Ahab answer me!” he ordered although he could not keep the tremour from his voice. 

The Commissar raised his head and the General stepped back, feeling his bowels loosen and a warm wet patch cover the front of his trousers. He raised his pistol but before he could let a shot go the former Commissar of the Barranian 213th pounced him like a tiger with another couple shuffling in.

He screamed and roared in terror trying to shot at them but his hand was ripped from the wrist. He felt teeth rip into his stomach and tried to think of a prayer to commend his soul to the God-Emperor but someone or something ripped his skull open and began eating the soft meat inside.

As soon as the undead warriors started on the General the rest of the camp was under attack and the screams of those being eaten alive were drowned out by the sound of feeding.


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

Chapter 4.


Saneck made every shot count, one moment he was completing his patrol the next he was fending off former battle brothers and sisters whom he had been eating and drinking with a few scant hours ago.

He made his way to where the Sarge, Lt, and a few survivors were taking pot shots at the undead. He looked up as a fighter suddenly nosedives into the Yusial Airborne Divisions camp and muttered a quick prayer to the Emperor as secondary explosions filled the night sky, fighter fuel, and ammunition cooking off.

No one could have survived that. The Lieutenant pointed to the hills behind them and without another word being said the group of twelve moved off towards the hills and hopefully him-on-the-throne willing a place to regroup.

The screams and pleas for a mercy that would not come started to dwindle as the survivors finally came to relative safe place, where they could look down on the feeding frenzy that was their command site.

Kelsa and Nelson ran hands down their faces, the Lieutenant was visibly shaking, she had walked into the command tent to find the Commissar eating great handfuls of the Generals intestines, she had turned and ran to find her men and women. 

She had her regiment ready and firing at the abominations, by the time Saneck had found them there were only 12 left. 

They span round as fourteen members of the Voxala 29th met up with them, when the Sarge asked about the Airborne the Captain of the Voxala survivors shook her head. They had tried to reach the flyers camp but the kamikaze pilot had crashed into the main fuel dump.

The brave warrior had put their life in the hands of the Emperor and set off a cataclysm that had destroyed the living and the undead. Lance Corporal Milano saluted quickly and pointed back to the command base.

“With all due respect Lt we need to get moving soon, they are gonna start spreading out”

“You mean we are not safe?” Trooper Caras of the Voxala 29th stammered. 

Harriet shook her head; she had seen the zombie plague before they could smell fresh meat miles away. They needed to get to higher ground and plan although she knew there would be no escaping this world.

The flotilla above would not pick any survivors up for fear of contamination, as soon as it became apparent what had happened then the Inquisition would order the world bombed out of existence.

Sergeant Nelson glanced at his commanders’ face their eyes met and with a sinking feeling the veteran warrior knew this would be his graveyard.

They started to move upwards looking for ever higher ground, Saneck found himself walking alongside Trooper Zoop, “Do me a favour Saneck” The sour trooper snarled, the enmity between the two was well known although the reasons why were not.

Something to do with their past and a girl, it was always a girl “If one of them things gets me you have my permission to blow my head off”

Saneck glanced sideways “You can be certain of that Zoop, trust me” There was no warmth in his words and he moved to the side and kept watch as the weary troopers moved on up, his scope and his eyes scanning the edges of the forest they were now walking into.


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

Necrosius stood with his arms folded watching the carnage unfold beneath him. This had worked better then even he could have hoped for. He was like a proud father and raised his arms as his creations stopped their feeding and got to their feet. Heads bowed in the direction of their master.

“My lord, the Imperials will bomb this place out of existence”

Necrosius had already thought of that and turned to his brother Astartes “Bring me Brother Vilan”

Brother Kraken was a little surprised by his lords’ words. Vilan had been more and more vocal against the plague lord and now he was being summoned. Necrosius turned with an approximation of a smile on his face.

“Trust me brother the Apostles of Contagion deal with their own – problems.”

“By your command” Brother Kraken bowed and walked away.

Necrosius had no intentions of remaining here; there were other worlds that needed the attention of the plague lord. Vilan had made the mistake of vocally expressing that The Herald of Nurgle himself was the true embodiment of their sacred grandfather. 

Perhaps they would do well to remember that. Necrosius had kept him at arm length his words sickened the former Apothecary. It was Typhon who had made the indestructible Death Guard a legion of walking plague and destruction. He had steered their beloved father and manipulated him to Nurgle, all for the sake of revenge against his bloodline and power.

The Apothecary hated Typhus with a passion and Vilan had sealed his fate the moment he had even suggested that the Host of the Destroyer Hive was correct in all that he had done.

Vilan bowed his head as he stood before his lord. “Vilan, it seems I have underestimated your skills”
“Lord?” Vilan stood straighter his chest stood out with pride that his lord had deigned to notice him. “Whatever you command”

“You are to take your men and with my creations dedicate this world entirely to Nurgle”

“My honour lord” 

Necrosius waved him away waited until Kraken joined his side once more. “Have our men leave this world”

“So he is to die here?”

“He is doing as his lord instructed” 

Kraken snorted and with his master they began to leave this world.


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## Durant (Aug 24, 2011)

Too much good stuff to read in one go, especially when sat at desk at work 

+rep for a great start and I will be reading the rest on my break.


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

thanks very much


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

Chapter 5.


There had been 26 survivors who had escaped the carnage of the Command Base but by the time they had escaped the area that had been whittled down to 16. Attacked by the undead from a small unit they had all forgotten about all they could do was run. 

The ten that had died had screamed for mercy and to the Emperor for a quick death but that was not to be and as Saneck had glanced round he had seen the young Trooper Caras reach with a hand until his skull had been literally torn open and the creatures began feasting on everything that was inside.

He had thrown up only when they were clear even then he could hear the Lt cursing and arguing with Captain Hannard about the best place to go now. Seeing as Hannard had suggested the route they had just taken she was not prepared to follow those trails again.

She posted sentries where they were and then studied a map taking a marker she crossed off every settlement she could see for about ten Kilometres. Judging by the way this was spreading and the danger they were encountering at every given opportunity this was affecting every area,

She sat on her haunches as she realised that it really did not matter whether they found safety or not. They would be marooned here, but she was not going to let their deaths be wasted and she certainly was not going to die an undead soulless thing.

They were running low on supplies, food, water, and more importantly ammunition. She studied the map once more and put her finger further north and nodded to herself. 

It was a township that they had originally come through some weeks ago. With any luck she might be able to get them re-supplied and then decide what would be the best course of action to deal with this.

She glanced up to see Dead Eye looking at her intently “Problem Corporal?” 

He made his way over and crouched down “Lt, you know what we are up against here” He kept his voice low not wanting anyone else to hear his observation.

“Oh I know alright, what I want to know is how they slipped through without anyone seeing them” She rubbed her brow “then again with their fell magic’s I am not sure I want to know”

“Lt” He muttered “The Death Guard are not easy to fight against, history says they weren’t when they were the warriors of Him-on-Earth and they aren’t now”

“So we try and avoid them as well as the undead” She folded her map up “Gather round people” The weary group stood up and gathered round their Lieutenant “Right we are going to head for the settlement of Hemsworth. With any luck this contagion has not spread there and we might be able to gather some supplies and rest for a bit.

Now we stick to high ground and try and avoid populated areas so we move through that forest and circumnavigate the Hornsea Mountains” 

Nelsen nodded a little he could see the value in his commanders words, trouble was unlike some myths. These fekkers could move not only that, they could climb, as long as they had something to hold they could climb.

He checked his las-pistol “Preserve ammo people” He added “make every shot count and go to knives if you have to” He ordered.

He motioned the two snipers over “Cover us till we get to the top and then I want one in front and one behind”

“Sarge” He turned at the quiet voice of Trooper Narina and walked over to where she stood “I am not going anywhere Sarge” She rolled her sleeve up and he felt his stomach tighten.

Her arm had a large chunk taken out of it and no matter what she had done to stop the bleeding he could see that it was not healing. 

“Come as far as you can….” He began and she shook her head cutting him off. She handed him her ammunition and kept the grenades. “You know I won’t get far and I will be able to tell you where they are going”

Nelsen swallowed and nodded “Elisa” he whispered “I never told you how much I love you and how proud I am off you”

She smirked a little “Proudest day of my life was when I found out you were my dad” She whispered “Go on, get them outta here,” She held her hand held Vox up.

Nelsen brought her close to him and kissed her forehead. He was angry that he could do no more for her. When he had discovered that she was his daughter five years ago he had made sure that she was not kept out of the fighting but that had not stopped him worrying.

He ran a hand across his eyes and got the others to move out. Saneck knew who Narina was and walked over to her “When did you get bitten?” he asked.

“When I was trying to haul Norri up,” She heaved a heavy sigh “Fekker took a chunk from my arm”

He reached into his pocked and handed her a pure white I-Ho stick and winked “Special one,”

“Gar”

“Yeah?”

“Look after my dad for me”

He kissed her cheek and went to join the others. The Sarge remained at the back until the others were out of sight and waved once. Narina flipped him a salute and moved to seat where she could get a clear view.

He watched her for a moment or two more then muttered something under his breath and finally moved away.


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

Narina sat looking at the bite mark on her arm. She had tried to reach her friend Trooper Norisca or Nellie to his friends. He was helping some of the others up the slope when one of them abominations whom she had recognised as one of the Commissars men grabbed his leg.

She had grabbed his arm and tried to haul him up. She thought she had him but then one of the Voxalan bastards had grabbed hold of her arm and bitten in to it. She had shot them in the head but her friend was gone and all she could do was end her friends suffering.

She now sat looking at the bite. It had started out bloody and yellow and now it was going a necros brown and green. She had not slept since she was bitten and she had developed a thirst that was not always quenched by water. 

She did not want to even think about what would quench it, she picked her binoculars up and looked down the path they had not long since come up. The Zombies were there but they were waiting and she was not sure what they were waiting for,

She winced as the pain in her arm grew worse and sweat coated her forehead but it was not sweat generated from warmth, she was cold. She was shivering and she was freezing. 

She checked her las-pistol, there was enough to take herself out when it came to it, she pulled her gloves on and returned to looking back at the hoards that were waiting and that’s when she saw them.

She swallowed quickly and made warding signs to the Emperor least her sanity flee her. There were six of them, armoured behemoths. Brass coloured power armour that looked like it had been left out to rust.

What made her want to vomit more was when she saw their faces. All rotted to varying decrees like sunken skulls, boils bubbled and burst continuously and with great rents in their armour green tendrils of vapour escaping from them.

Their pauldrons bore a carrion fly, crimson in colour and as she continued to observe she saw all the zombies fall into line, almost like they were worshipping these monsters from a time gone by.

Her stepfather had told her the old stories, about how sons of the Emperor fell from grace and fell into the path of the ruined powers. One of them had been warriors who were immune to whatever pestilence could be thrown at them.

He had called them the Death Guard and judging by what she saw now then they were here. She lit the special I-Ho that Saneck had given her and let the narcotic worm through her system.

Anger forged through her and despite the growing weakness within she managed to fix some trip wires around the clearing she was in. She shifted herself into a better position and covered her mouth as a hacking cough threatened to give her away.

She put the vox to her mouth “Sarge” 

“I hear you Narina,” His voice was soft, gentle, and just how as a child she had expected her father to sound. 

“There are six members of the Death Guard and the afflicted are moving into lines. Dad they are heading off in your general…oh SHIT!”

“Elisa, ELISA!”

All he could hear was shots and then an explosion that could be seen for miles as the trees she had rigged exploded. All of them stopped to listen as the Sarge called his daughters name again. 

They watched as the smoke rose into the sky then they heard Elisa roar an affirmation to the Emperor.

“Father of Mankind…to thee I commend my soul in the days of ending I would hope to be by your side fighting the enemies of man once more.” There was a long silence and then they heard a las shot and one final explosion. 

Zoop climbed down he had watched it all through his scope “She was attacked and took them out with the tree line. She just blew her own brains out and dead man triggered the grenade. She took a few of them with her Sarge”

Nelsen said nothing and stood watching the smoke, his hands bunched into clenched rage, there was going to be a reckoning, and he was going to be the one to deliver it, this he was certain off.


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

Chapter 6.


They managed through sheer luck to avoid any major herd of walkers but the odd couple they came across were despatched by the now silent Sergeant with his trusted hunting knife.

The worst bit knew that the herd was moving out to the outlying towns and villages, just as the Lt had said they would be. Still with the luck of Him-On-Terra they managed to make it through to the settlement of Hemsworth.

It was ideally built, the inhabitants had fled weeks ago, but they had left everything behind. Without a word Saneck and Zoop both climbed the towers that stood at the entrance to the town, the Lt sent others to cover other high points and then sorted out the re-supply.

She was with Nelsen as they rooted through the armoury. He had been quiet ever since Narina had died and it had not taken her long to work it out. He was opening crates and checking the weapons that were within for wear and tear when he felt her hand on his shoulder.

“Rest Osara” She whispered.

“Need to get this ready ma’am” he retorted, “We won’t have a lot of time for anything else soon enough”

“I said rest and that’s an order” 

The big man closed his eyes and turned as she handed him caffeine. He gratefully took it and sipped it, he savoured the taste of decent caff and perched himself on one of the crates. 

Weariness washing over him and for a little while he let it, he sipped some more caff and followed the Lt as she picked her own mug up and sat across from him. She was doing well to keep everyone going since the Captain was now probably walking out there with the rest of them and the Voxalan Captain was loosing her marbles the Lt was having to do it all.

“Did you know Elisha was your little girl?” Harriet asked quietly. 

“I found out five years ago” He muttered, “I remember her mother, a dancer in one of the bars on Jared’s Island. A young man like me fresh out of the mines looking to spend his Emperor-given wages on a good night and a good drink”

“They start them young on our world” She smirked.

“I was put to work when I was 12, what about you?”

She ran a hand through her dust caked hair and scratched her nose “My dad was a fisherman, my mother was a fairer they kept me out of school to learn the family business. Being the eldest of 7 girls it was a logical choice but when the call to muster came, well I could hardly ignore it could I?”

“None of us could Harri” Osara whispered, “When he calls you heed.”

She made a rueful noise of agreement and took a long look around her. Something caught her eye and setting her mug down she got up and made her way over to the crate in question.

“Osara these are Mechanicum issue” She began ripping at the crates and opening one stared as she saw the melta charges and the explosives sat there. 

The Sergeant swallowed as he saw the contents and licked his lips. “The Mechanicum left here in a hurry and forgot these?”

“You remember when we first came through here and the old man said that everything was gone and both Zoop and Dead-Eye found swinging bodies?” He nodded “What if those that were assigned to guard this cache were hung but before the locals could do anything we rolled into town”

Nelsen nodded a little “They won’t leave this place though so something went wrong”

The Lt told the Sergeant to look at the floor and both of them started looking around. They were looking for a hatch or something and after maybe half an hour they found a dust covered hatch. Nelsen grabbed the ring, grunted, and heaved, it took a couple of pulls, but he finally managed to lift it.

Kelsa grabbed a torch from the side and jumped down, the stench that hit her nose made her reel back and pulling a rag from her pocket she covered her mouth. She did not need to look any further; the priests of the Mechanicum were here as were the human guards that had been assigned to their possessions.

Around them lay the decomposing corpses of the townsfolk; madness had afflicted them as much as it had everyone else here. Only the mad would go against Mechanicum trained guards.

“This was recent” Nelsen commented.

“Well I am guessing that news has reached them of what has happened in other towns” Harriet sighed and the two of them pulled themselves out of the hole and slammed the hatch shut “It’s one thing leading a so called glorious revolution against the Emperor, quite another when you find out your neighbours in the other towns are eating each other.”

Harriet looked at the crate of explosives and hardware. She met her Sergeants gaze her eyes spoke more then words would.

“This is where we make our last stand. Get everyone to rest up and rotate the watch. We start at first light.”

“Yes ma’am”


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

Chapter 7




“Brother Sergeant” 

Vilan turned at the voice of one of his squad and waited as the warrior stood before him.

“Sir, Lord Necrosius has left the planet, there is no sign of him we have been left here, I have tried to contact our brothers and there is no reply, have we angered our lord?”

Vilan swallowed a little as the Brother awaited his orders. He realised what his lord had done and he only had himself to blame for it. He had thought that Necrosius has forgiven him for speaking out against his rule.

He thought that he had been raised back into the masters’ esteem but obviously not. He had forgotten how deep the hatred his lord had for Typhus, he had not been forgiven, and he and his squad were to suffer whatever fate awaited them.

He looked at the slavering hoard before him and felt a tinge of pride in how fast the ranks had swollen, there were barely any place left on this rock that was human now all he had to do was find the surviving imperials.

He knew they were not far away for he could smell them and he could smell their fear. The fear was quite a strange sensation for it was not the fear of facing traitor marines but the fear of becoming something like their comrades.

Walking dead, soulless creatures that only lived to feed off the living. He would show his former master that he could control the undead and turn it into a mighty army for the ever-loving grandfather.

Necrosius might have thought that he was punishing him for his past but in fact he had only stirred the Sergeant into a more direct course, he would take this world and rule it.

“Find those Imperials,” he ordered, “Then we take this world and make them all servants of the Grandfather!”


The survivors worked in strict shift rotation although the Lt had one duty to perform that she did not much care for. The Voxalan Captain had run screaming from the make shift Medicare facilities, she had beaten off three of her people in her madness and shot two of them.

Kelsa had shot her dead and crouched down by her body, just to be sure she put a bullet through her head. There was no telling how the disease spread and if it was not just contained to bites. 

She did the same to the other two dead soldiers. She closed their eyes and having no company priest or Commissar did the best she could to send their souls to the Emperor.

The burials were quick and carried out with as much dignity as they could do, with no priest they could only read from their memories.

They continued laying charges as the Lt directed; every building was rigged to explode, as was the fuel depot. The amount of fuel that was in there would be enough to send those things back to hell.

It was getting easier to think of them as things and not former battle brothers and sisters. In truth to think of them as anything else would drive them mad and it was probably what had driven the Captain insane, 

Kelsa wondered if they weren’t all living in a world of insanity, if they had indeed not been in it all along and someone had just forgotten to remind them of the fact. She wiped her forehead as she finished her work and almost jumped out of her skin as Saneck tapped her shoulder.

He handed her a bottle of water. She nodded her thanks and took a long gulp then put some over her face and wiped her hand down her face and shook her head a little to clear the water from her face.

“Not that I want to worry you Lt, but the watchers spotted a large dust cloud about ten kilometres north.”

Kelsa nodded wearily and took some more water “They have found us then. Get everyone into position”


Verin smiled thinly as he saw the township ahead, the last obstacle to his plans for revenge. He might have been handsome once but as the mid afternoon sun struck his face it showed a cadaverous face.

Eyes that were once so full of fire for the Emperor and his father now sunk in the sockets and sought nothing but revenge for the Emperors betrayal of the Legions. Lesions opened up on his face and spilt green putrid puss made its way down his face.

His armour once pristine and white was now rusted and bloated with the plagues that his body contained. Yet despite his bloated disease ridden body he was still sharp in his mind and he was still a Death Guard.

“Death will fall on you and soon you will join them!” he gloated.


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## gothik (May 29, 2010)

Chapter 8 

The only lights that could be seen were the meagre lights of the township and as the remaining warriors readied themselves for the final battle the sounds not just off hungry undead but the orders of the corrupt Death Guard ringing out un-nerved the already strung out Imperial Guard.

They readied themselves and were about to fire when a noise behind them made them turn and Kelsa groaned in disbelief as the hordes led by other Death Guard stormed through the back entrance. 

She heard the war cries of her men and women as they fired then heard their screams, as they were taken down, flesh being torn but instead of being eaten alive, the Death Guard with them unleashed the plagues that they carried on the torn bodies. 

“Fuck this” Kelsa roared, “Fire! Dead Eye you know what to do! Nelsen teach those bastards who we are”

Saneck sprinted across to the detonation point as more and more of the undead began swarming in and overwhelming positions held by the rag tag survivors. He ducked as the watchtower was brought crashing down the bodies within set upon before they were even cold, he spared a thought that at least they were dead before they were eaten.

He was attacked by something that wore the uniform of the Yusial Airborne. He pushed under her chin and tried to keep those sharpened rotting teeth away from him when a shot rang out causing her head to snap back and put her to the ground, a neat hole in her forehead.

He turned to see Zoop lower his pistol “Gonna need some cover Saneck”

He nodded his thanks and both of them skidded into the ammunition hold. Zoop quickly climbed to the highest part, found a snipers hole and un-slinging his rifle began to take carefully aimed shots.

He peered through his scope to see the Lt brought down by the horde, her defiant cry drowned out by the sound of feeding. “The Lt’s gone,” He muttered 

Saneck paused for a moment letting Zoops words sink in then continued setting the detonators praying to the Emperor each time.

“You need to hurry this up!” Zoop warned, “The walls gone and the fraggers are bleeding everywhere!”

“Where’s Nelsen?” Saneck shouted in urgency.

Zoop peered through his scope to see the corpse of his sergeant get up one arm ripped off and his stomach spilling its contents everywhere. 

“Well he’s not alive if that’s what you are wanting to know” Zoop sighed. 

He saw the Death Guard retreat back confident that their work was done and as he carried on observing them he saw all manners of pestilence leave their bodies. “What the….”

“What!” Saneck barked coming up behind him.

Zoop pointed and Saneck could only watch as the corrupted Astartes began turning the world into a plague world. 

He looked down at the detonator and both men gripped it then said a prayer to the Emperor as the Zombies made their way into the building. 


The explosion cooked off every piece of ammunition and emitted fires so high they could be seen from orbit. The Astartes ducked as debris and flying barrels roared overhead. Bodies incinerated in an instant and all their work was for nothing.

Verin roared his anger as his men were cut down one by one by exploding ammunition and as a bullet ripped through his helm he heard the laughter of a thirsting Plague God.


Necrosius ordered his vessel away. He would return here eventually and he would set a base here, but for now he had got rid of one problem in the troublesome squad, his war against Typhus was more important but if there were another Imperial World in his way then he would corrupt that too.






For Adrian…. the Zombie king.


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