A Family of three rushed towards the alleyway in New Texas, it was hell, screams and the sound of death was behind them, the mother is clinging on her child and the father was wounded in his arm, they were running as fast as they can, they fled away from the parade square, where the slaughter took place. It was supposed to be a day where the soldiers held the military parade to showcase the might of the Federation suddenly changed as they immediately opened fire upon the civilians.
And the mechs that show a new generation of warfare opened fire at them. Tens of thousands died in the first volley as hundreds more was trampled by the panic crowd.
"Mommy, I am scared." The child nestled her mother chest as she clung to the teddy bear even tighter as her little hands could.
"Hon, they are catching up and we are no way to get help..." The husband is slowly bleeding from his wounds ..
"There are stragglers over here!"
The Rebels found them and opened fire at them causing them to flee deeper into the vast alleyways.
One corner, they found scores of dead civilian and there was gunshots making the family stumble.
The father found a storm drain and with his strength left in him, he opened it, but there was enough opening to place their beloved daughter.
But in their haste the child teddy bear was dropped, making the child eyes watered... The mother soothes her crying daughter... As the man picked up a metal pipe to defend his family... Beats having nothing in his hands...
"Don't worry... Papa is going to get it back. "
"Will we be together? Will we be in the theme park" The child innocently asked.
The mother hesitantly nodded.
"Of course... We will go to the theme park.. now stay still and be quiet okay? be a Good girl. Do it for Mommy okay? Mommy loves you." The mother kissed the daughter as she closed the storm drain and the child could barely see from the slit that show outside, showing the teddy bear.
She heard her mother scream.
"Why are you doing this to us!?" As she spoke to a unknown entity...
"You are simply unlucky... That is all..."
Sounds of gunfire occur nearby and make the child wanted to scream but stay silent... She heard a thud.. and a trampling of boots...
"Search the area, these folks don't linger around this parts." And a rapid rustling of boots swept by where the child is hidden... She hold her mouth desperately not to scream...
And after a brief moment, she felt a boot inching closer where she was and her teddy bear was lifted up to where she couldn't see...
"Strange... Where is the child." The voice muttered.
A sudden roar of a chainsaw was heard behind the man and he scream as the spine was minced to pieces and only then a humongous foot, trampled on his skull... The child felt fear from the newcomer... She hoped that it would never find her...
A hand so big, picked up teddy bear with care...
For a brief moment the figure spoke, his voice is like a whisper for her to hear...
"Little one... I will help you to come up..." The child eyes suddenly poked out of the storm drain and she saw a huge man that is taller than her daddy, the storm drain was lifted off and she was grabbed by the hand like a kitten. And she felt fear emanating from the giant as he placed her in his arms... She looked up at his face and there was a helmet that have a batwing on the side of it...
"Where's my mommy?" She asked...
The Giant hesitantly spoke...
"She's...in a better place, and your father as well." The Giant spoke softly as to not break the child ears, The child snuggle deep in his chest as He swiftly walked past the corpses of the enemies in the alleyway, and so that the child could not see her parent corpses lain on the floor...
The husband was shot in the head before he could actually do something... And her mother was just a few meters away from the storm drain...
"What's your name mister?"
"Sevatarion... Or you can call me Sevartar" the child laugh at his name...
"What a funny name..."
"It's what I've been given...you remind me of Altani..."
It was weird that the nigh lords is tasked for saving people, it was not in their resumes of saving people... At worse, they are the interrogators, good at skinning, flaying at best to get information and keeping the population compliance through fear but now they are simply Arbites in the dark...
But it was a directive from Konrad himself....
"A New Galaxy, A New Chance to Redeem our cursed Legion Name. Make the enemies understand, they'll could not be safe from the shadows."
And they are from the stock of decent people in Nostromo, not the dregs and murderers that lived in the depths of the hive that have a second life to commit sins...
Every shadows lingers a Nightlord. And they reap the souls that harmed humanity. Every scream that turned whisper is a deed made by the Guardians of the shadows...
A group of civilians screamed as a soldiers attempt to attack them. Only to be repelled a Group of Purple Color Astartes... Their sword skills and their regal Armor is like a art as they diced the soldiers in half. One of them is not wearing helmet like the rest, showing a beautiful face as if it was a master painting made manifest in flesh.
"Thank you for saving us, where are we going?"
"Kindly follow us to the evacuation site, as we would be your escorts." The unmasked Man spoke as he beckon the survivors to follow him.
"Umm thanks?"
As the civilians travel with the Purple men in a journey to a evacuation site, one of the civilians, a child ask them.
"Excuse me... Who are you?... What are you."
"I am Sargent Hascule Bericosian, We are simply the Emperor Children, Sons of the Phoenix Chapter, And your second question is that we are Astartes, Guardian of humanity, To some of the people that listen to church of the Golden light, you may have heard of us?" The purple man kindly told them as much as they could understand.
"So you mean that you are the Angels of Death that the priests keep saying about is real?" Another asked.
"Something like that." He chuckled.
"It is our mission to escort any survivors to the evacuation site." The Another spoke.
As they arrived they found several more like him, and there were men that have different colors compare to the purple Astartes.
Some wore a symbol of a Jaw swallowing a Planet, while others is a Caution sign symbols to signify the difference...
They were led to the inner sanctum of the church and found people there...
Soup kitchen was set up as people was sitting down with blanket wrapped around them...
Many of the survivor here is affected shell shocked or suffering from wounds. While some looking around to see if there is their family that manage to arrive.
Some of the Sororitas Hospitallers and Death Guards Apothecaries tended to the wounded and perform triage at one of the corners of the church as hospitals was one of the target of attack. A Word Bearer stood upon the stage, holding a book engraved in gold, detailing the God Emperor views on humanity as he preached and gave sermons to the weary and lost.
A priest approached the group.
"Greetings, I will take you to a spot that will be safe from harm... Thank you for bringing them here." The priest said those heartfelt words.
And Emperor children started to leave to another district, Ready to save more humans in the battlefield.
A Boy separated from the group and asked the Sargent of the Emperor Children, "Can I be like you?" His eyes is beaming.
The Emperor Children knelt down as if allowing himself to see the boy eye to eye.
"I'm sure you will, and you will make a fine Astartes." He ruffled the boy head lightly as to not use his full force to rip the boy head apart, he stood up and about to leave the Church.
"Will I see you again?" The boy asked.
Hascule Bericosian glance at the boy and smile, saying a simple sentence,"Yes, when you become a Astartes, you will meet me." Leaving the child in awe of being a Astartes.
In another district of new Texas the fighting was the heaviest and the Church that was a Evacuation point was under besieged by Mech and Vehicles.
The Word Bearers took to the defensive lines as they defended the church with the Sisters of Battle, along with the support of the imperial guard.
It was ironic, that the Word Bearers is defending a church that worship the Emperor of Mankind, while joining sides with the Product of their creation, the Echlesiarchy...
Had they been followers of Chaos, Chaos Lorgar would have laughed himself to death for his sons joining forces with the Zealous Women of faith. Had it been before monarchia, it would affirmed Lorgar Faith to the emperor...
"Sisters, Defend this church with your lives!"
"Lorgar Wills it, we defend the flock of the Faithful!"
The enemies that faced them, never met a more zealous foes that is overbearing, and fanatical, their constant chanting of the Reformed book of the Leticio divinatus have unnerved them, there are miracles that constantly occuring across the battlefield... A winged women with burning swords rammed into a mech and burning it inside out, Bullets was suddenly reflected and wounds healed by simply praying.
"Are we the baddies?" One asked as one of the mech pilot is beginning to have doubts of facing them.
"Seems like it to me? Are we going to hell?" Another question himself as moments later a Lascannon breached into the cockpit of his mech killing him. Answering his question instead.
The battle was fierce and when they received news that the Imperial Guard reinforcements is arriving to drive the enemies from the district. Bringing a sigh of relief. Leman Russ tanks, armed with Volkite and Vanquisher cannons and Sentinels now arriving with scores of chimeras that held the soldiers as they flooded the streets, killing of any stragglers.
"Faith in the God Emperor, Sisters, is more stronger than those heathens that believe in false faith!" One of the Sororitas yelled out as she raised her power sword to the ash filled skies. Several Valkyries swept by, giving her a grandeur of hope in this conflict.
The Majority of Iron Warriors stood in a extensive trench lines surrounded the Arachnid zone. A more practical structures is erected to provide a firing solution in the horde that is heading towards them.
Constant artillery is heard, tremors that shook the land causing the bug tunnels to collapse, like clockwork, a single minute disorder would cause the artillery orchestra to not be a melodious as the scream of Bugs is smash into pieces.
A Warsmith oversee his section of the defensive lines.
He growled as a series of Plasma Bug Bolt rained on his part of the defensive lines. Some splashing near his brothers. He barked orders to the Earthshakers and Legio Basilisk that is nearby.
"Aim at 34° degrees, East, load up the HE shell, Open fire salvos in thirteen seconds."
The Legion Basilisk groaned its tracks as the Iron Warriors carefully aimed at the location where the bugs is located and unleashed a crescendo of barrages that rained endlessly into the crowd of bugs.
The Warmaster looked in his comms that is connected to the satellites in mars.
He could see the artillery rained down with precision and cloud of dirt and flesh was blown up to pieces, land razed to the ground, blackening the land they stood on. He growls as he watched the Bugs is swarming towards them like a tide of chitin and carapace.
"Get those Death korps of Krieg at the trenches And have them get ready for the impact!" The Warsmith bellows.
Gas masked men rushed to man the defenses with discipline and stood ready among the ranks of the Iron Warriors, with their Lascarbines aiming at the bugs are soon to be heading. Making some of the Iron Warriors have a sense of respect.
Another salvo rained down upon the enemies, turning the fertile soil into a barren wasteland. And the bugs now in visual range was met by the defenses of the Steel Legion. Artillery became more and more frequent as Medusa and Mortar Teams of both Imperial Guard and Iron Warriors launched endlessly until the first wave of bug is riddled with scorch marks from a lasgun or a bolter shell ripping it apart from the inside. Heavy weapons entrenchments fired as if there was no tomorrow and the skies turned black from all the flak that filled up the skies. Killing scores of bugs that would made anyone in Mobile infantry gain a respectful efforts.
And another salvo occured behind their defensive lines as rockets and Missiles dropped almost endlessly in the distance, their rear ends is like snowflake in a blizzard storm, softening up the bugs attacks.
They received news that is agreeable to them.
[New Texas is Saved, All Surviving Elements of the Imperial Guards, and the Astartes Legion in the city is to assist the Iron Warriors, 4 Titan Legion have been dispatched in your area. And the Airports around New Texas have been cleared out and will be the staging ground for the Marauder Bombers, M.A.Rs command, Over ]
The Warsmith first time he smiled...
"At least we are not having convicts."
The all too familiar warhorn echoes the Battlefield, Some of the Iron Warriors Glance behind them as Imperator Titans that is escorted by Warlord and Warhound titans and among so many more.
Each step they take, have sent shockwaves on the land that bug tunnels collapse before they rise from the ground.
And the skies was bloated with hundreds of Marauder Bombers initiating a Carpet bombing run.
Tons upon tons of High explosive and Flame Canisters is dropped endlessly making a inferno that blazed to the heavens into reality. Making a ocean of flames that hinder the bugs to rushed into the ruined cities.
Many of the surviving civilians watched as the flames seen from the horizon. But on the ocean of flames, the titans pressed on.
The high temperature sizzle on the feet of the army of titans that is miniscule to the wrath of the princeps of the God Engines of Mars.
As the flames subsided the rest of the army joined with the titans. Astartes rushed at 71 miles per hour constantly, as any bug tunnels that would have been popping up in the defensive lines would been destroyed by the tremors of the titans.
Some of the Astartes legion remained behind to safeguard the civilians such as Word Bearers and Night lords.
The Mother bugs that was smuggled in the planet felt fear... Despite their large numbers, they sought to used the Paranoia and Chaos caused by the Human rebels, and hope it was long enough for it for them to breed enough soldiers to take over the planet.
But there is a psychic wave emanating from a single individual in one of the ruined cities, it was like staring at the sun. And it burned their minds of the fact they should have sent out even more.
As there was a telepathic message given by the figure...
"Mars is mine, and I will ensure that your race, not us will face the extinction, call your pathetic fleets that is being slaughtered, amass every bugs that you can gather that would blot out the sun in your home worlds, pray to your gods to deliver you from salvation, the wrath of humanity is here, and I bring a Message from my god, May you burn in eternal damnation. May the world's that you previously cling onto be burned and be reborn from the ashes. It is his words... Now die by my terms and I ensure you freaks of nature die screaming to hell."
They telepathic contacted the bug fleet that breached the Federation borders as they believed that the entire fleet of Federation is already sent to their Territory... They were met by stiff resistance as more unknown fleets now being tossed into the breached lines and cut the Mother bugs any hope of survival.
They see the images of ships that is big as a solar system and more numerous that is sent to the AQZ, now pummeling the bug fleet.
They been lied to by their collaborators, and hissed at the trap that been set by the humans.
Not realizing their collaborators is already been dead and ousted by the Inquisition as they raided their hideouts and the Alpha legion that infiltrated into their ranks that managed to flee deeper in the underbelly of the Federation, only to be shot by them.
The game is already rigged from the start.
And the Bugs played the dead man hand.
Every mountain in mars that they hidden themselves is flatten, one by one the mother bug psychic network is slowly disappearing. Leaving paranoia and fear of the weapons the human now possessed.
To the humans, especially Martians, they could remade the landscape once again, the burnt soil, turn verdant green, cities rebuilt.
But the wounds will never heal this day, that happens this day will never be forgotten. Traitors and bugs have not implicated Alexander but the incompetence of Amy Snapps governance, especially them cracking down on Alexander business... And the outer and middle rims of the Federation control space is not happy about it.
Especially with the outer rim is being besiege by bugs and the Federation fleets was nowhere to be found and only M.a.r.s managed to assist them, Destroying the enemies of Man.
And a shocking news erupted the galaxy once more as the secret record the Spy that Alexander managed to infiltrate to save Carl, have make things worse for Amy as the recording show she about to use Carl Jenkins as a scrapegoat and her words of killing Alexander is spread across the human controlled space. Many of the Censorship was put into action, but it was a act of one of their own allow this to proliferate.
Calls of the succession is beginning to be rampant across the galaxy, and the elites that funded the rebellion is now sweating, sure, if its one thing that would make a profit, but taking over a ruined federation? They reflected in a moment of being blinded by a single chance of greed and not understanding that Alexander influence in the galaxy have far outpaced Amy Snapps reputation and since he is alive, many of the president and CEOs of rival corporations suddenly disappeared, as his companies have already hired 2/3 of the Federation and it made the people that is far from the seat of power have a voice in the issues such as infrastructure, piracy and trade. Even those that was sitting on the fence doing federal service now decided to take a stance. Alexander effectively took over from the shadows, Money, Faith and reputation is already his, and the opposition didn't realize that he was not just a iron wall they kicked, it was a one that laced with thorns that is laced with poison.
"Who is it that make Terraforming harzardous worlds cheap, who was it that kept the cost of inflation low despite the fact, that without his companies, the original inflation is going through the roof, who gave people the opportunity to get a business and be protected until they grow naturally... They asked themselves, if Alexander is gone, what would happen to them? Would they be safe from the mindless, destructive persuit of the elites?" - Federal Choir news
"This just in, the Delegates from the Eldar and Necrons have spoken that they will be withdrawing from the Federation, and the attacks made by the rebel group known as the True Federation have made their faith in the Federation to a freezing halt, all technology and trade is being blocked. Their borders is being blocked. And what startling news is that the Eldar have apprehended the leader of the Assault to the their capital planet and the leader confess that he was hired by xx Corporation and Sky Marshall Amy Snapps... And many more news to come."
"The Galactic Stock Market is entered a Bear Run Folks, Almost all the Companies that is affiliated with the state have lost over 30-58% in value in stocks and continuing downwards to the foreseeable future. And there been a large withdrawal run from the Fed bank and as more and more people losing faith in the system... I can only tell you Frank.. we are screwed."
"Miners on planet 1983-B is undergoing a strike, and they demand the terms of the people be heard. "
After the Mars conflict now known as "Baptism of the Federation", whatever the decision the Federation goes forward, will either break the unified sectors of man into pieces or reforged into a better one.