# Chronicles Of Deimos (4 of 5)



## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

Hey all, if you've been reading my stories, all the way back to _Only in Death_, my first Altair fic, then you'll have some idea where the story's been going. Well, I won't spoil it for you (if you want the entire, long, story, I'll PM or E-mail the entire thing so far to you). 

So, once again, I'm going to ramble for three of four pages about what the 40K universe is all about. Awesome characters, cool battles, huge ships, serious guns, (and maybe some romance). 

And as per my natural ability to kill off everyone's favorite characters, more will die, and cool new characters will appear, so I can kill them off in the next (and last) one.

Well, onto the story!
-Dirge

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VISIONS

_Everto Justica_
27 days after the fleet actions above Deimos

_A tortured black sky trudges to a far horizon. Screams and yells fill the air as two massive armies crash into each other on a brown plain, the ground runs with blood. Harsh cries fill the air as gore-crows dive to pick at the flesh of the dead. A single white light stands among the blackness that sweeps across the field. the newcomer's armor is untainted by the blood and violence surrounding it. A black sword is gripped in one gauntlet. The blackness swirls around the figure's pure, white armor, trying to find a way inside. A black figure rises to oppose the figure. The figure's black sword suddenly explodes into blue fire, cleaving through the darkness. The world dims, then turns to blackness._

Altair sat bolt upright.

He wiped his forehead with one hand, breathing hard. Iridea raised her head groggily next to him.

"What are you doing up?" she said.

Altair shook his head, throwing off the blanket that covered him, and walking into the front room of his quarters aboard _Everto Justica_, the ship given to him by Damias, the Lord of the Daemonicum, and his leader.

Iridea threw her white chirugen's robes over herself and followed him into the room.

"Don't shut me out...what's the matter?"

Altair swallowed. "I was a dream. I saw a battle, somewhere. A man banished everything with one swing, and the world went away. Everything went away.."

Iridea placed her hand on Altair's cheek, turning his head to face her. 

"It was just a dream. You're here."

Altair shook her off. "It seemed so real."

"Dreams often do...it's what we accept as real that defines who we are."

Iridea's words struck him as the same words Marius the Cursed had given him when he had doubts fighting the Space Marines on Threshold. 

Altair found himself calmed by her. Iridea smiled, and clasped her robes together with a brooch. 

"Well, my love, as long as you're not going back to sleep, you might as well go see how Khalis and the others on the bridge are doing, I'll be in the chirgeury if you find yourself in need of me."

Altair nodded. He fastened his armor on and walked down the corridor to the lifts. 

When he reached the bridge, only Vrael and Uraj were there, playing regicide on an overturned crate of Impaler ammunition. Uraj nodded his greetings, a wisp of smoke escaping his nose. Vrael looked over his shoulder at Altair.

"Just a moment, Shipmaster, almost finished here."

He moved his Lord, and knocked over Uraj's Inquisitor. 

"Checkmate." said Vrael. Uraj looked over the board before flicking his Emperor piece onto it's side.

"Very well." said the smith, still looking for places he could move.


When he found none, he stood up, taking his place at the helm.

Altair turned to Vrael, who was packing up the regicide board. 

"Good move. How's things?"

Vrael looked fondly at the regicide board. "My hobby, I'm afraid. As to your other question, things are fine. Damias and the other captains are all still passed out, except for Yurial, but he's a nutcase anyways, so I try not to count him."

Altair looked at the holochart in the middle of the map table. The fleet was in low orbit over Deimos, a world perpetually stuck in a calm area of the Warp known as Tzeentch's Eye. Thousands of small red dots marked wreckage from Imperial vessels from the fleet sent to destroy them. For the twenty-seven days since the battle, Altair had pondered over the attack. Demons or not, the Imperium had been their allies against Azulanthis, the most powerful demonlord since Angron last launched a crusade against Man.

He looked at the table, searching for clues. 

Vrael jerked up from the Comms station, a headset covering one ear.

"Shipmaster! Lord Damias is calling all vessels to move immediately to the southern isles, we're launching the attack at zero-eight-hundred tomorrow!"

Altiar nodded sternly. "Rouse the crew, get everyone to stations!"

Vrael turned back to the vox, and Altair heard his voice a split-second before the intercomms turned on.

[All Crew! Report to stations! Repeat, all crew report to stations! Ready weapons and drop arrays, battle stations!]

Altair recalled his dream with some worry now that Iridea's words seemed far away. He resigned himself to the fact that no matter how easily things went, he never had the entire picture.


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## Master Andael (Jan 18, 2008)

A really good start of ,what i almost know certain, a really good story.


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## Luciferi (Mar 2, 2008)

Amazing start, can't wait for the next part.
I hate the fact that've read through the entire story so far within the last day or so.


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

Yes, it's not very long as a whole story, but the story itself is what makes it good. Short Stories always end before you want them too, and I'm almost done with Altair. Only 1.999 Stories left to go...

Next part up tomorrow, I'm seriously tired right now. Just got back from GW after work.
-Dirge


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

DROP ZONE

_Everto Justica_, high orbit over LZ Alpha
Day 1

Altair strapped himself into the drop-pod next to Vrael, cradling an Impaler rifle. Iridea leaned against the bulkhead, watching them.

"I'll miss you." she said. Iridea and the Healers were staying aboard the ship to help with any wounded brought after the battle.

Ristvak'baen was held tight in Altair's scabbard. 

_Have you thought any more about the inscription sent to us?_

"Yes, I think I'll ask Uraj about it. He knows more about Deimos then anyone now that Reyzak has gone."

After a month, he was still bitter about the death of his mentor.

The sword fell silent, and Vrael turned to the demon manning a console near the pod.

"Punch it." said the sergeant, cocking his rifle.

The demon nodded and hit a large button on the panel.

The world went away as the hatches closed, followed by a massive _Whump_ as _Everto Justica_ shot the drop pod at the planet's surface. Following them in was nearly two hundred other pods, the first wave of Lord Damias' plans to retake Deimos from Azulanthis' fanatical followers. Even with the demonlord banished at the Second Battle for Terra, his followers maintained a large force on the planet itself. 

Altair felt to pod rock as anti-air batteries found their coordinates. He prayed that none of them scored a hit. The pods had no armor.

[Warning. Stabilization failure.]

The squad looked terrified. A trooper across from Vrael yelled through the noise.

"Blow the hatches! We've got to get out!"

Vrael snarled. "Not yet!"

He smashed a panel, and pulled the manuel stabilizer lever. The pod screamed as it deaccelerated, then a _bang_ sounded, and speed returned sickeningly. Altair looked at Vrael, holding the lever with a surprised look.

The squad began a slow lament, one of the prayers Reyzak had taught them.

"In nominae Deimos, justica tu ordunaz, In nominae Deimos, our lord, deliever us,"

Altair looked at the altimeter.

[100 Klicks. 80 Klicks. 60 Klicks. 40 Klicks.]

Vrael's hand hovered over the release button.

[20 Klicks]

"It's gonna be a rough one! Hang on!"

Altair stared out the small viewport as a cloud passed, revealing brown ground mixed with green grass and trees. Laser fire stitched up from positions. Some pods were already down, their occupants firing at the anit-air guns. 

The ground suddenly filled the viewport.

Altair closed his eyes. A massive noise filled his ears, and the world went black.


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## Master Andael (Jan 18, 2008)

Again it is great.k:


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

Thanks! I'll have the next part up tomorrow. IF you read this, be sure to check out _Forsaken_, a completely new story!

-Dirge


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

Ugh. Been a while. Two reasons:

1. I am lazy as _hell_ with most of my stories.

2. My cousin just graduated from Great Lakes Naval base two days ago, so we had a little get-together. USAF and Navy!

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LANDFALL

Altair opened his eyes.

The pod's ceiling stared back at him.

He groaned, rubbing his bruised joints, and got to his feet. The pod had smashed onto the surface, crushing the floor up into the pod. Altair had to stoop to get out of the small ship. Vrael and his squad were taking up positions. One had a distress beacon out, and was fiddling with the knobs.

Dozens more pods were impacting all around them, throwing up dirt and rocks. Altair saw one pod come down blazing, hit by the anti-aircraft fire. It impacted a rumbling tank, causing an massive explosion. The vehicle's ammunition detonated, causing a second tremendous blast that took everyone within a quarter-klick off their feet. Altair shielded his face from the heat.

Vrael pointed to the massive walls that loomed above the gathering Daemonica armies. 

"There! The nest of the enemy!"

An enormous blast shook the earth as _Everto Justica_'s torpedoes joined the fray, creating a four-klick wide breach in the walls. The army's skald blew a bronze horn, and the Daemonica charged.

Altair's armored claws bit deep into the soft earth, then the rock of the wall's rubble. A screaming, dust-covered demon flung himself at Altair. He barely had time to raise Ristvak'baen to impale his enemy, flipping the demon over his shoulder. Vrael raised the Impaler, putting two bolts into the mass of charging demons. Altair noticed a line being formed behind him, and he drew his own Impaler. The demons lined up, and fired.

The results were devastating. The entire front ranks of the charge were obliterated from the relentless Daemonica fire. The survivors tried to run, but were pressed down by their comrades, and trampled. After twenty seconds, only a few, bloody survivors lay wounded among the piles of dead.

_Everto Justica_ fired a second torpedo, this one landing square on the spire in the city's center, causing it to explode outwards, shredding hundreds of demons inside, as well as most of the city's center. 

A slobbering Chaos Spawn lurched into the Daemoinica's firing line, tossing demons aside and ripping at the flesh of any who didn't move fast enough. Vrael turned and put a single bolt between it's many eyes, blasting it's head into jelly. 

Twenty minutes and five klicks later, the Daemonica's command squads had planted their standards in the rubble of the small city, claiming it as the first liberated city of Deimos. 

Altair stood alone on the roof of a half-demolished building, it's destroyed walls allowing him a beautiful view of the blasted city. Smoke curled from pits where bodies were being burned. 

He frowned at something in the center of the city, just in front of the destroyed central spire. A massive black finger of rock, somehow completely untouched in all the madness of the fight, stood like a beacon in defiance of the invasion.

_The Rock of Lost Souls_

"The writings on the wall?"

_Yes. You will meet this "black shade" at the Rock of Lost Souls. That is what it said._


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## Master Andael (Jan 18, 2008)

As always well done. :goodpost:


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## angels of fire (Dec 4, 2007)

Cool!:biggrin:


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## thomas2 (Nov 4, 2007)

Just to let you know Dirge I've been following all your stories! It's not easy but it's easier than writing them, as I know from doing my own stories.
PS Thanks for the reply on my short story a while back! I forgot to thank you. You are still the only one to reply...


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

Thanks. I'll be only writing one more Altair after this one, and I might move on, I think. Been working on ideas for WHFB stories.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

REMEMBRANCE

Altair moved quietly down the street, his Impaler drawn before him. 

The black rock stood silently in the middle of Liberation Square, as they called it, it's smooth surfaces seeming to flow. 

Altair stepped onto the plinth the rock rested on. Nothing moved for a long minute.

He looked at the stone. It seemed to have small engravings in it. He removed his gauntlet, placing one claw against the worn stone.

Immediately a blast of energy threw him from his feet. White metal surged through his veins. A thousand bells exploded in his ears. He tasted blood.

Then suddenly, everything went away.

He lay in an infinate white void. He sat up in confusion.

A stranger dressed in simple brown robes offered him a hand. He gratefully reached up.

Despite Altair's stature, the stranger easily lifted him to his feet. 

"So, you found me." said the man.

Altair nodded warily. "Yes. Who _are_ you?"

The stranger turned his back to Altair. "That, my young friend, is a very difficult question. I have many names. The people of Tarsonis called me God. The people of Sacreus III knew me as The Master of Fate. My legion knew me as Erebus."

"You are the arch-traitor?"

Erebus whipped around, his teeth sharpening to needles for a heartstopping instant. "No. Your mind is clouded by the Corpse-God's dogma. I did what I had to...to stop the end."

Altair blinked slowly. "The end?"

Erebus nodded. "The end of all things."

Altair looked at him, still confused.

Erebus sighed. "Allow me to show you."

The whiteness beneath Altair's feet fell away, followed by everything. The void became black, dotted with stars. A planet exploded into view. Blue oceans dominated small green continents.

"It all began with Terra." said Erebus, "The so-called Emperor's homeworld. Cradle of humanity."

The planet slowly became black with pollution. Altair saw the populace fight bitter wars, over land, plunder, resources, religion.

"Over fifty thousand years ago, humanity became the dominant species on Terra, known then as Earth."

Altair watched, amazed.

He saw the first primitive rockets, taking humans to their close moon. He saw the first plasma cell ships, reaching Mars. The Mechanicus were formed. He saw the horrific civil war amongst the Martians over the ruling caste of tech-adepts.

"Then the invention of Warp Drives changed everything."

Altair saw humans leaving for distant galaxies. Billions and Billions leaving in massive colonization ships. Terra returned to her previous state, pollutants and chemicals no longer soiled her atmosphere. Luna was built into a fortress, massive docks and defense batteries set in place.

He saw the Emperor's first conquests against the techno-barbarians who had taken Earth. He saw the Primarchs in all their glory. 

"Him. The one they call god, ruined it all."

He saw the Emperor working day and night on a mysterious device in the Imperial Palace's interior. A massive gateway of some kind.

"The inventions of the Emperor, the attempt to break into the webway, proved fatal to humanity."

Altair saw the Chaos Gods become aware of the fledgling species. He saw them whisper silently to the Space Marines as they went to conquer to galaxy. 

"The Gods offered me a choice, young Altair. They told me that unless I made war, humanity would perish in blood and death and flames. But this could not be any war, oh no. This had to be THE war. The war that would echo down the millienia. The Long War."

Altair suddenly understood. The world shifted back to white. 

"You betrayed humanity to save it. To save everyone, you had to kill enough to please the Chaos Gods."

Erebus nodded under his now-black cowl.

"Now you understand."

Altair looked at him.

"Then why bring me here? To prove your innocence?"

Erebus gestured at the void. "Why would I? Think about it. Your friend reawakens the Emperor, the one being capable of destroying the universe. He means to complete the portal, Altair. And when he does no one will be able to stop him."

Altair stood in shock.

"We must return to Terra."

Erebus nodded sadly.

"Yes. Bring death to few to ensure the survival of many. But be warned, Lukas Altair. You will suffer the same fate as myself. Live in infamy down the centuries. Be hated by untold billions. But there are two who will never do so."

"Two?"

"I believe you know them both, Lukas. Think, and their names will become known."

Erebus began to fade into the oppressive whiteness. 

"Wait! What if I need you?! What do I do?! Who are the two you said!?"

Erebus continued to fade, but Altair heard one last sentance.

"Beware your black...son?"


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## angels of fire (Dec 4, 2007)

Yay more story I like the way you have twisted Erubus's story to make him innocent but why would the Emperor be doing that much wrong?


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

Perhaps the Emperor does not know his wrongs, and I never said Erebus was unbiased.

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PROGENY

Altair staggered back from the stone, clutching his sides. He gasped for air. His chest heaved under the demonic armor.

He eventually regained his balance, and rose to his full height. 

[Shipmaster, your soul was out of contact with the _Justica_ for some time. Are you injured?]

Altair flicked on his comms.

[No..I'm fine. Is the ship prepared for a warp jump?]

[Uh...no, Shipmaster..why would the ship need to be?]

[We're taking a little detour. Seal the ship for the jump to Terra. Call Vrael and his warriors back to the shuttles. I'll meet them there.]

[And what of Lord Damias...he will not take kindly to this.]

[A far more pressing concern at this point, Daemonica. The word is given. Prepare the _Justica_ for immediate departure.]

[....Aye, Shipmaster]

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Altair made his way through the _Everto Justica_'s innards, working his way to the bridge. He passed demons closing blast doors and sealing gundecks for the jump. Machira grinned at him as he passed the port "A" guns. He passed the forge where Uraj was busy cuffing a lesser demon over the head, holding a half-finished sword in front of him.

Vrael met him at the bridge. The demon's armor was rent in a dozen places, and his Impaler was covered in soot and gore. 

"We had a bit of trouble, nothing the Daemonica couldn't handle." he said.

"Excellent. Get your wounds seen to."

Vrael swallowed.

"Er, it may not be that simple, lord."

Altair turned, surprised. "Why? Isn't Iridea still in the chirugeon?"

Vrael looked at his clawed feet. "Well, sir...she told me not to tell you she's _ingravesco_."

Altair's eyes widened. Vrael obviously knew the dialect of High Gothic the Black Watch had known, hundreds of years ago.

Altair grabbed Vrael by the straps of his armor and dragged him to his quarters a deck below the bridge.

"_Pregnant?!_" asked Altair in a dangerous voice.

"Yes."

The voice came from the doorway. Iridea stood, still clad in her chirugen's robes. 

Altair looked from the mudstained and sodden Vrael to Iridea. 

"Who's?" he asked simply.

Iridea smiled. "Yours. You have a son."

"A...a son?" said Altair.

"Yes. A son."

Vrael sat down on a low altar Altair had in his quarters. His armor dripped mud and multicolored gore onto the floor, but at this point Altair couldn't care less.

"How long have you been...how long?"

Iridea sat next to Altair, her hand on his shoulder.

"About two months. I didn't want to worry you until you came back from Deimos."

Ristvak'baen shook in it's scabbard as he heard it's eldritch voice.

_You have been given what you never could have had as a Space Marine. You have a legacy. You will live on through your son, even if you were mortal still. He will be a legend. Entire shelves in the Hall of Daemons will be devoted to your bloodline, starting with the Liberation of Deimos. The Founding, they're calling it, I believe._

"I...I don't know what to say.." stammered Altair.

"Take your time," said Vrael, "I'll get the ship to Terra."

Iridea's eyes met Altair's, and she smiled.

Altair felt a smile tug at his face. 

"A legacy, then?" she said.

"You weren't a Space Marine!" laughed Altair.

"And I wasn't Machira either..."

Iridea laughed quietly. "This is going to be interesting...Terra, I mean."

Altair looked at the cogitator mounted in the room's wall. "I think this is all going to be interesting."

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The ship's crew never knew what hit it.

Landing on Thassocles had been a mistake to begin with.

Trying to find a monster in the depths, they said. The few citizens left after Azulanthis' horrific crusade had talked about a creature like molten quicksilver. Moved like a ghost, smarter then the tech-adepts. Able to move about at will.

As the _Spirit of Pardua_ sailed away from Thassocles, a single life was aboard. 

The Lictor sat calmly at the helm, adjusting the levers and dials.


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## Luciferi (Mar 2, 2008)

Awesome!
I think I've missread something a while back because I swear the Lictor was dead..?


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## Master Andael (Jan 18, 2008)

Yeah the Lictor is back :yahoo:


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

@Luciferi: No, The Lictor survived the fighting on Thassocles, it escaped into the underground. Azulanthis left, in his anger, to fight on Terra, where Altair killed him.

@ Andael: Yes, I planned everything out this way. Every little strand of story has led to one point. The astute among you might understand where this will lead, but the next bombshell isn't coming until _Unending_, the 5th and last.

-Dirge


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

ADEPTA MECHANICUM
"Can anyone be ready to march into hell?"
-Ignis Dawson, 343rd ODST [KIA]

Altair's claws scratched slightly into the ground. The Martian soil was dryer than Deimos' humid tropics. Vrael and his warriors stepped down the shuttle's ramp after him. The battered utility shuttle lifted off to shuttle down more soldiers. There were 10,000 on the ground already, a little less then five sixths of his army. The Imperial garrison numbered only 6,000, so he fully intended to sweep them aside. 

An hour later, Daemonica forges had been set up, statues to Tzeentch were raised, and several of the scouting parties reported back. The results were good. 5,000 Skitarii and a single Warhound guarded the entrance to the Vaults, where the most venerable technology was kept. The Skitarii were frightened, some of them. Most had never fought demons before. Most would never live to fight demons again.

Altair strode to a small rock protruding from the soil. He wrapped his clawed hand around Ristvak'baen's leather wrapped hilt, and pulled it from it's sheath. The blade burst into blue fire. 

"Sound the charge! Raise the standards! For Demons, and Tzeentch's will!"

A horn echoed over the army. 

Altair took a step foreward.

Vrael cocked his Impaler, waved to his men, and followed.

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The men of the 576th had never even seen combat before the Daemonica punched a hole through the Martian defenses. Most were just out of basic training. There were 4,000 frontline troops, with 1,000 support units. Although in all respect, "support" was probably too good for them. Most of the Skitarii disliked having a motley collection of cooks, vehicle crews, Administratum flunkies, Enginseers, quartermasters, and the regimental band covering them.

"The Machine God protects! The Emperor protects! Without Him, we are nothing! Hold fast!"

Skitarii 0-287E didn't remember his real name.

He didn't remember where his homeworld was, or it's name. He only remembered Basic and Advanced training. He knew the exact range and accuracy of the lasgun. He knew the blast radius of the Frag grenades. He knew how to utilize every weapon and vehicle in the Imperium. 

So, when a single Impaler bolt caught Skitarii 0-287E full in the chest, he knew their cause was lost.

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Altair's wings powered him over the mass of his army. Vrael fired Impaler rounds into the parapets of the walls. 

And with ten thousand voices raised in a scream, the Daemonica hit the Imperial line.


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## Luciferi (Mar 2, 2008)

Fantastic as is to be expected. My only criticism is it's a bit short for my liking but great none-the-less!


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

Eh, I had to run out to dinner. Sorry. The next one will be exorbidently long.

-Dirge


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## Master Andael (Jan 18, 2008)

Dirge you're fantastic and brilliant!


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## angels of fire (Dec 4, 2007)

That old lictor rocks and everything else rocks about this story!


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

LIBER DAEMONICA

"I'm tellin' you. That sprayer didn't have nobody at the controls! It came down in the fields, I'll show ya'!"

Birman led the unwilling provost out into the field where a large crater still smoldered. Half a utility sprayer was smashed into the rear of the crater.

"See!? They crashes and burns, yes, but they don't blow up half the countryside! It's offworld!"

The provost could just make out _Spirit of Pardua_ etched onto the side of the sprayer. 

Large tracks ran far to the east, into the brush and swamps of the Slums, one of the last actually natural forests on Terra. 

"The defenses logged a sprayer being fired upon after failing to submit security codes." he said. "This must be that sprayer."

Birman nodded. "Yeah. What're yer gonna do bout' it? I got to get back ter work, and this shit ain't good for buisness."

The provost sighed. "Well, I'll log it, and get a team to follow those tracks, but I doubt anything will turn up. It's probably another scav from Luna or Mars."

[Provost Mekien, we have a possible security threat. Two hours ago, contact was lost with Mars' forge districts. A little under ten minutes ago, the out ring of remote defenses was shut down by an unknown entity. Please return to the sanctum. We'll need all the officers back.]

"Aye, recieving and executing."

He turned to Birman. "It seems you've just found the start of a war."

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Altair stood on the Warhound's smashed body. It offered a grand view of the forge districts. He had heard from an Observer, a particularly ghostlike and blank demon, that the Lictor had crash-landed on Terra, near the South Pole. The outer defense of Terra had shut down less then twenty minutes after it's landing. 

Everything was proceeding to plan.

Altair thought about his life. He had gone from simple human, to Space Marine, to renegade, to Demon. To look on the mere three hundred years he spent as a Marine, and know he was never going to truely die, was sobering.

A few cracks and bangs echoed out of the Vaults as the last of the Skitarii were rounded up. Most fought to the death. A few Altair let leave, after they had surrendered.

"Lord, we've recovered what we came for. The Liber Daemonica is safely aboard _Everto Justica_. The ship is ready to make sail for Terra."

"Very well. Pull everyone back. The Martians can keep their precious STCs."

Altair rose to his full height, almost fifteen feet tall. Riskvak'baen was secure in his scabbard, and the Daemonica were returning to the landers and portals laid down by the Seers.

_There is only one who can undo what has been done. Only one who ever could hope to destroy what has been set in motion. The blade that was broken shall be reforged. Reforged to bring the galaxy back from men...men, who are so eager to destroy what they do not understand. The demons know...oh, they know. This Imperium that left me to die will be whittled, until only the strong remain._


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## Luciferi (Mar 2, 2008)

One Word.

Moar!


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

Tomorrow. I promise. Just got back from Virginia yesterday. Really tired.

-Dirge


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

THE WAY THE WORLD ENDS
Terra, 801.M42

They said the host of demons came out of the west, from Mars. 

They said the army was vast and terrible, millions of horrific creatures torn from Man's nightmares.

Above all, they spoke of the army's leader.

He was massive, easily twenty feet tall, clad in black armor. It was enlaid with piles of skulls. Chains hung from it's limbs. More skulls were impaled on the blades rising from it's helmet. The demon's skin was black as the night, while green eyes blazed with fire under it's visor.

In one gauntlet it held a black sword, it's surface crackling with evil energies. In the other, it held an eldritch orb. The orb was green-black, and held an aura of palpable despair. Some went mad as the army marched on the Imperial Palace, claiming to hear voices on the wind. They screamed that the sky was hungry. The ones that remained were underminded, over almost a year. At last, after 347 days of constant bombardment from the mile-long black dagger in the sky, the _Everto Justica_, they called it, the Imperial defenders were completely overwhelmed.

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"Forward! For Tzeentch, and Chaos!"

Ristvak'baen slashed through men by the dozen. Altair seemed only to follow the sword into the melee. Vrael's warriors had long given up trying to thin the Imperials with Impaler fire, and had taken up dozens of demon weapons.

The Lictor crashed through an ornate wall, grappling with a golden monster. The Custodian Dreadnought was wreathed in holy fire that crisped the creature's carapace. The dreadnought's assault cannon was gone, the remains of it clenched in the Lictor's fist. It beat the machine with it's own severed arm. 

In response, the machine drew back a crackling power fist, pinning the Lictor under it's weight. It smashed the fist an inch from the Lictor's head. An Immortal jumped atop the Dreadnought and pumped two Impaler rounds into it. The Custodian slumped to the ground, forcing the Lictor to shove the dead machine off of it.

Vrael waded through the hundred Custodians that remained of the defenses. The golden figures were merciless warriors, who had already cost Altair dearly, each of their deaths costing him dozens.

Riskvak'baen sang through another, wisping his body to ash before he even knew he had been hit. His helm fell to the ground, smoking.

The rest of the Custodians screamed a wordless cry and charged. The Daemonica formed into a line. The very few Imperial Guard left were crushed under the Custodian's boots as they charged. 

Altair met the first on the point of Ristvak'baen. The second he swung around, cleaving his head from his body. Two dozen Immortals shredded a squad next to him. The mass of his army, the lesser demons that had left with him from Deimos, were badly mauled by the Custodians, dying in their hundreds. 

A blazing Praetorian Guard leapt from a dead Bloodthirster to smash into Altair, swinging a massive hammer. The face crashed into Altair's breastplate, deflecting in a shower of sparks. Altair laughed insanely, his clawed hand glowing green with energies. The Praetorian had a moment to look confused before the Bolt of Change blasted him a hundred feet back, his armor shredding. The man got to his feet unsteadily. He hefted the hammer and charged again. Altair turned to the side just as his charge hit, swinging Ristvak'baen around his back to cut into the man's chest. 

The Praetorian grunted, and swung the hammer again. This time, it hit home, crushing Altair's shoulderpad into a concave shape. Altair hoisted the man into the air by his hammer, and crushed the head. The Praetorian fell to the ground with his ruined weapon. Altair stepped on his chest, and plunged Ristvak'baen into his neck. 

The Lictor reared up with a second Praetorian impaled on it's claws. It pulled it's claws apart, tearing the man in half.

A huge blast echoed around the combatants as the doors to the Sanctum Imperialis were finally breached. The Custodians let out a cry of despair as one by one they died. The last ten fought back-to-back against the hordes. They began to sing a slow lament. Altair recognized the song. It was the funeral chant the Space Marines used to burn their dead. They knew they were going to die.

A single noise caught him as strange.

_Click._

"Damn it! Fall back! Fall back!" screamed Altair over the din of the last Custodian's death.

The demons scrambled back to the cover of the wreckage as a massive golden figure punched a hole through the gate's corpse.

The God-Emperor shouldered his way through the door. He raised his sword. Corax, Janghati Khan, Leman Russ, Vulkan, and Lion El'Johnson stood behind him, clutching huge weapons.

The Emperor pointed the blade of his weapon directly at Altair. 

"You." he said.

Altair stepped forward. His warriors formed a ring around the Emperor and Altair. The Primarchs stepped back, letting their father fight.

"You are the betrayer. The one they call Altair. The one that has led the enemy to my very doorstep, just as Horus did so long ago."

"And you know not what you do, human!" barked Altair.

"So you no longer consider yourself as human, then. Very well. I shall have no qualms about killing you then." said the Emperor.

And with that, the golden giant charged, his sword bursting into incandescent flames. Altair stood, simply watching.

The Emperor broke into a full charge, screaming.

Altair stood motionless.

The Emperor leapt toward Altair, his face contorted with rage and indignation that this..._creature_ could live without fear of a god.

Altair held out the orb he had taken from Mars.

For a split-second, the God-Emperor knew fear. His sword struck the Liber Daemonica, and the Emperor disintigrated, his armor turning to ash, and his body sucked into the orb. A golden spark suddenly burst into radiance inside the glass sphere.

The Primarchs howled in dispair and retreated into the palace. Altair let them go. An hour later, the _Justica_ reported a battleship leaving the system.

Altair stood on a pile of dead, watching the sun set.

Vrael walked up behind him, with Uraj in tow.

"What is it, Lord?" asked Vrael. The demon was stained red with human blood. He had two ugly wounds stitching up his torso. 

Altair looked over the fields of dead.

"This is the way the world ends." he said.


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

That's it, guys! Look for _Unending_ on Monday.

-Dirge


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## Luciferi (Mar 2, 2008)

WTFFFF!!! D=!!!

I concider your story to be fucking amazing but that's THE GOD-EMPEROR! 

How could that happen ¬_¬


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

Never said he was dead >_>

-Dirge


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## Luciferi (Mar 2, 2008)

Niether did I ^^.

Just you know. He's like the msot brutal being to ever walk the universe and he got raped by some daemon witha green orb thing xD?


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## Dirge Eterna (Apr 30, 2007)

The Orb is actually very importent. Everything will become clear in _Unending_..

Must...resist...saying..."Padawan"....

-Dirge


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