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Every planet in the imperium worth its weight has a spaceport or a Star- fort, and this world is no different! Though it is green and full of life… it is a world close to Terra…. A world that has little importance other than its greenery, and because of its abundant life… war was inevitable….
For as the imperium soldiers looked out the windows of Star-fort Legacy, their nerves betrayed them… as the warning sirens came to life, and the hallowed halls of chapels and servitors ran to their station! While battle sisters and guardsmen took up their arms… to see a scouting fleet of Tyranids! For hive fleet, Tiamet has come!
Though expected and prepared, the Legacy housed the Lion's Daughter and many more ships like it! In formation, they now guard a world deemed absolute! With its absolution, a call went out… but those who answered the call were still days away!
[Canoness Danicia! What we have fear has come! Hive fleet Tiamet has made it here sooner than expected!]
[Dammit all! We really needed those extra days! What of Terra! Any news on our reinforcements!]
[Yes Canoness! They are three days out! They told us to hold out until they arrived with Terra's second fleet!]
[hold out! They expect us to hold out for three days, with only a handful of ships! Against the bugs!]
[My Canoness! Fear not! Though the ships under our command may be limited. But so, is the advanced fleet of the Tyranids! They're only a scouting fleet after all! I'm sure our one Apocalypse class cruiser can handle them alone!]
[you fool!] screamed Danicia
[do you really think the Tyranids are that weak or that stupid? We're talking about a fleet that has been around since our emperor first challenged the stars! Already I can see an ancient among their fleet! You think one apocalypse class is enough!]
[no Canoness! That is why we will send the emperor class and the Oberon battle class cruiser with it while keeping the retribution class and our two Dauntless class at the rear!]
[and what of the Defense monitors! If we lose all our main ships just to hold off one ancient, what of them? Those ships aren't designed to last long in a space fight… the Tyranids will tear them apart! No! We will not be sending our ships on some fool's errand! This is a defensive game now!]
But while Danicia argued strategy with her men, the gilded guardian received a call through his vox! Understanding what it meant, through his emperor's dreams, the golden knight left for his Valkyrie! Watching him leave through the corner of her eye, put a bitter smile on Danicia's face…
Though she was glad to know her new recruit would be protected, it still left a bitter taste in her mouth, as she knew that his absence would hurt the men's morale, but more importantly than that, his absence meant that her recruit must be in a dire situation! But being unable to help, she could only trust him to bring her back alive…
[dammit! If only I could have left this planet with her… but no… those golden bastards insist that this must play out…]
But while Danicia played curse words in her mind, the Tyranid Queen wasted no time….
Sending her advance fleet forward without a care… sent mixed signals to the human defends of the planet, but their insignificant thoughts mattered little to the queen! For her beautiful eyes never left her desires! Staring at a world she cared little to devour, only in it for one gene! And to that end, she devoted all her ships to speed!
As the planet star gave it homage with its light, the Queen gave a grin as she gave out her orders! A fleet in-lined with flesh and bone, in weak armor plates and organs set to spill fast fire, they tore forward!
While the human sent out their mines, their canon fortress, and their little buzzing ships, she had her force go at full speed! A collective force at one point, too drilling into the human defenders! Forgoing defense and flesh, only one ship made it through! As their ancient class cries from absorbing all the blows… and as it burns the Queen smiles at her victory!
With the creaking and the busting of the ship lights, while two of the weak defense monitor ships exploded at her rear, the Lion Daughter crew held their meeting:
[Ha! While you look at that, madam Canoness! It looks like I was right… they're just dumb bugs after all! As if they could stand a chance against the might of the imperium!] said a random military advisor
[Canoness! This doesn't make any sense! The fight ended way sooner than predicted!] said another advisor
[Shut up! Damage report!] yelled Danicia through her crew's nonsense
[mam! We lost the defense ship Imperial and Chronos!]
[what of the others!] demanded the Danicia
[all other ships are reporting hull damages at various degrees, but are otherwise still fully operational, as for the Legacy, she has sustained little damage to no damage!]
[well at least that's some good news…] replied Danicia with deep thoughts.
[My Canoness this…. This is…not what I had expected… I thought…] said a more observant advisor
[I know… and I would also like to know why they would ignore the fresh meat in front of them….] replied Danicia with her sharp eyes, while she looked past her other advisor's rude remarks.
[...]
[sigh, I don't know what they're planning, but I might be mistaken to think that the bugs are in a hurry… nothing else makes sense... But a hurry to what is the question… they didn't even bother to put up a fight at all… so much wasted biomass…. This is not the Tyranid way…]
[in any case, how is the surface doing? Is their Anit-orbital defense force still operational?]
[Hmm…. yes mam! They are currently engaging the one bug that slipped the net!]
[that is strange…] replied Danicia with both relief and confusion
[how is that strange?]
[what is strange is that normally when the Tyranids attack a world it has its sleeper cells or cultist try something… but yet… there haven't been any reports of cult activity…]
[maybe they don't inhabit this world… this world is close to Terra after all…] replied another advisor
[no... no! I don't think that's the case... I believe and this is just a theory but... I think the bugs might have gotten here a little too soon…] replied Danicia
But while Danicia was trying to figure out the enemy's plans, the man in gold touched his hardened feet onto the planet's surface! And with a deep breath, he soaked in the fresh air that smelled of Xenos and humans alike…
With spear and shield in hand, the man walked to see a train under fire by Xenos scum! With a sprint faster than human understanding, the golden man arrived to see two young battle sisters fighting side by side with beastmen! Surrounded by Xenos bugs, the golden knight threw his spear!
With a golden flash, all Molly saw was a beautiful arc that crushed a Xenos skull! With a shield as bright as the sun covered her from Xenos gunfire, a man as bright as light recovered his spear and shot through its tip's bullets of sapphire! While bug head exploded and deafening noises came from a train's turret, Mary stared awestruck through her visor at a man she remembered…
For she could never mistake that battle prowess of that man… For even as lictors surrounded him, he stood his ground in a similar stance…. As blood spilled, Mary was taken back to that day… the day Khorne cultist desired her flesh!
[but what was such a man doing here? Of all places!] thought Mary to herself, as she stared at her hero.
No matter which way they disappeared and reappeared, the lictors died all the same! Like a man straight out of a spartan novel, a shield bash would knock one on its back, and a slash of any kind rendered flesh! A Xenos bug type that required Layla to use her psychic energy and another shield to kill even one! This man... This golden knight…. Was killing five alone!
As the last lictor fell, the Xenos bugs hid back in their holes, and when all was silent… a knight dressed in gold turned to them, he said in a deep voice…
[where is Layla?]
Though knowing the answer, he talked to break the ice… as the surviving beastmen were nervous as they knew this man was scarier than the bugs! Except for one! A Squat type beastmen, who jumped from his sniping post from on top of the train, and said:
[IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS HERE LASS BATTLE SISTER FRIEND…THEN…SHE IS NOT HERE!]
With a facepalm, Mary wanted to strangle the Squat! Quickly apologizing for his rude behavior, the golden knight said:
[It's alright sister… I'm accustomed to the ways of how the Squats communicate… their loudness is part of their charm….]
[in any case, I take it your sister is in that fortress…]
With a head nod, Mary said:
[she is… but she's been gone too long! She should have returned by now! The train is good to go and thanks to these beastmen we already have the necessary supplies but…]
[but?]
[I'm sorry my graces but… why are you looking for Layla… I know it's not my place to ask but…]
With an understanding hand gesture, the golden knight said:
[she not in any trouble with the imperium.]
[not with the imperium… then what is she in trouble with?]
[that I cannot say, as our emperor deemed me to silence on the matter… but what I can say is that I must go.]
[I understand, but can you at least tell me if you have met with our Canoness…]
[I have…] replied the golden knight with a head nod
[then perhaps you could tell us if this is still all part of training? Because I'm starting to feel like this is beyond what we were called to do here...]
Hearing Mary's heartful question, the golden knight placed his huge metal hand on his chin, while debating in his mind how he should handle this. When he felt something staring at him, but where he didn't know… he simply looked in that direction causing everyone else to as well.
But when nothing significant happened after a few moments, he turned back to Mary and said:
[do not worry sister… this is… in a way… still part of your training…Now I must leave you… and do not worry… I will bring back your sister.]
Watching her hero leave gave her mixed feelings, but now was not the time to sort them all out, so, Mary made an internal promise to confront Layla about this later. But seeing her so down, the Squat of the group came up to her and in an attempt to cheer her up said:
[NOW… NOW LASS… ITS OKAY! EVERYTHING WILL BE OKAY… DON'T BE JEALOUS HE WASN'T HERE TO SEE YOU… JUST BE HAPPY HE SAVED US! CUS, I KNOW I AM!]
Seeing his cheeky smirk, Molly quickly smacked him across his head before Mary even got the chance!
[HEY! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!] cried the Squat as Mary just shook her head in annoyance.
With the feeling of longing faded, Mary and the others got back to work on the train, as the battle earlier used up quite a few resources and added more holes to patch up. And while they went back to work, A man dressed like a hunter peeled back his hat from within his cavern home, and smiled as his head shone in bumps of white! With ridges and a faintly discolored skin…
And with a bow to an effigy, the hunter said that he had seen, and while waiting patiently a voice was heard in his mind….
[the queen has sent us her gift! Come back and rejoin the hive in the city of Absadon!]