Warhammer The End

"Get 'em moving! NOW! NOW!"

Sergeant Belius of the fourth regiment of the Noavus Planetary Defense Force was starting to feel the panic creep into his system like the cancerous worm that doubt spawns. He and the soldiers under his command were only 'crowd control' after all. Up until this assignment, the heaviest action he and his regiment had seen in the past 15-years was quelling a death-cult uprising after the Imperial tithes had all but depleted the governmental coffers, eliminating the food banks and subsidized housing for three entire hives of the northern hemisphere. This caused mass-suicides and insurrection, with the local governments being blamed for everything from withholding food rations to angering the Emperor, bless His eternal soul, with their –imagined- heresy and causing His displeasure.

Belius' force was mobilized with the orders to hold the cult at bay until re-enforcements could arrive. These re-enforcements arrived in the form of a blessed Inquisitor of the Ordos Xenos -not normally information a lowly Sergeant would be privy to, but Colonel Strake owed him a favor, not to mention a bottle of Tepes Brandy and a re-match at Regicide- and a contingent of his 'followers,' an unlikely group of muscle and machines. After the initial briefings, Belius made it a point to stay out of the Inquisitor's way. The man was frighteningly _nice_ for an agent of the Emperor's Holy Inquisition.

Inquisitor Craftos came and went all within three solar weeks. In his wake, he left the cult dead and the insurrectionists quiet as rondle-cows. It was said that his team hypothetically, and truly, cut the head off the trouble-maker's organization. Peace was once again established, and it was back to polishing guns and marching in parades for the PDF.

Shortly after the Inquisitor left, a new church was established in Hive Methos, rumored to have been started by the Inquisitor himself. The preaching's of the clergy were of the more forgiving and inspirational kind, not what had been expected of holy doctrines in the past. The people took to this new and refreshing beam of the Emperor's light like wildfire. The Church of the Holy Father spread throughout the afflicted hives, and soon became a world-wide belief.

In its vigilant watch for heresy of any kind, the Eccliarchy sent investigators and their own clergy to investigate this new 'faith.' Not surprisingly, the investigating officials left with a new inner-piece, and deemed the Church of the Holy Father to be of the utmost purity and truly blessed by the Emperor. It was a new dawn in the future of Noavus, far south of the galactic core, and Sergeant Belius would enjoy every second of it.

But now, something was wrong. Horribly wrong.

The first signs of unusual activity appeared about ten years ago, but at the time, just a handful of officers and a few enlisted men noticed anything. Of those, only Belius, Corporal Zanos and Corporal Cashpaen remained. Three souls on a planet of billions. As a gambler, Belius wasn't too thrilled about the odds.

It started with a slow change in the religious doctrine of the Church of the Holy Father. Once teaching forgiveness and peace, its' teachings started swaying in the direction of the radical. The church started offering sanctuary to the outcasts of society, those that would normally be chastised and executed in the name of the Emperor. Mutations were looked upon with forgiveness, going so far as to employ mutants within the chapels and monasteries established by the order in the early years. These facilities became fortresses, open only to members of the clergy and their sycophants.

In their newfound acceptance of mutation, their iconography representing the Holy Father took on a sinister appearance, going so far as to have a figure with four arms 'embracing' the populace. Naturally, this was accepted without question by the now fanatical worshippers.

During this time, the reports of missing persons increased at an alarming rate. The PDF, which had been relegated to a policing force, investigated what they could, but could never find solid evidence of misdoings. The only linking factors between any of the 'victims' were that most weren't members of the Church, and that they were themselves in the PDF in some regard. In several of the investigations that Belius himself lead, nothing concrete could be discovered and the cases had to be suspended. Frustrated, Belius contacted a long time friend and fellow officer, Colonel Orn Finious of the Seventh.

After a few snifters, Finious confided in Belius that he had suspicions about the nature of the Church. In his mind, their radical teachings and lax vigilance against the impure were bordering on heresy. Belius always considered Orn to be a bit overzealous, especially in their games of Regicide, which is why he liked him. Orn was planning on contacting the Ministorum and asking their guidance in this matter. He also mentioned that several others within the PDF felt as he did, and that Belius was to be watchful of heresy.

That was five months ago. Colonel Orn Finious took his own life the week after he met with his old friend. Belius insisted on investigating the death himself. He didn't want his friend to be dishonored, and felt that Finious was incapable of suicide. He had to know.

His investigation turned up nothing, and the Colonel was looked upon as a coward and a feeble-minded military pawn, both ideas 'offered' up by church officials. Shortly after the investigation was complete, a defeated and depressed Belius was contacted by several low-ranking members of the PDF directly under Colonel Finious. Corporal Zanos, Corporal Cashpaen and three other members of Finious's former staff met with Belius to give him classified information that the colonel had been gathering over the last four years. This information included church requisition forms for off-world transport, purchase orders for military transport vehicles and secret weapon agreements between regional bishops and supply-chain officers in the PDF. Also, and most alarmingly, there was an unusual amount of psychic activity recorded by the local astropaths, all of whom have claimed difficulty in focusing off-world communication.

The soldiers reported that the last communication any of them had with the Colonel was when he contacted them to give each one a piece of his investigation, stating that this way it was safe if something should happen to him. He was planning the next day to utilize the planetary astropath to get a message to the Ministorum.

Approximately three hours after this meeting, where each one toasted the others in a now final salute, Orn Finious put a bolter round through his temple. Interestingly enough, not a drop of blood or gore managed to land on his name plate, making it easy for all to see that it was indeed the Colonel lying in a pool of blood and filth.

Belius had no where to turn. The entire planet was becoming home to mutants and degenerates, all drawn to the Holy Father of Forgiveness and the church's teachings of a better life tomorrow. Travelers from across the sector made the pilgrimage to Noavus just to step on the holy ground where the church was founded fifteen years ago. Millions of citizens, from the lowly farmer to the highest ranking generals and judges made their way to Hive Methos to celebrate the anniversary. Mutants walked beside upper-class socialites. Celebrations sprang up on every level of the hive. The ministrations of the church were broadcast throughout the planetary com web. Peace and revelry were the words of the day, and the masses listened. At least, most did.

Word came through that the founding member of the church, Inquisitor Craftos, was going to make planetfall for the celebration so that he could give his blessing and offer praises to the faithful. That was all it took for the masses to go from humble and devout pilgrims to chaotic and wild fanatics.

Belius and the PDF were dispatched with the orders to 'control' the flow of pilgrims, but this was a hopeless and impossible task. The loyal members of the military that didn't wander off into the streaming masses were hard-pressed just to hold the revelers at bay let alone assert any control. Belius gathered to him the members of Finious' staff he shared the Colonel's secrets with in the assumption that they might be able to make it to the Imperial envoys and convey the information that cost their friend and comrade his life.

As they were making their slow trek to Hive Methos' main chapel in their modified Chimera command vehicles, the Inquisitor's modified Vulture landing craft was spotted making it's final approach to the massive landing platforms at the top of the Hive complex. This information was broadcast over the mounted vox speakers throughout the hive, and was all the crowds needed to start a massive push toward the citadel's walls. Hundreds were killed in the crush, trampled and pinned by their fellow worshippers, just to see a glimmer of light off the canopy of the ship. The procession of Chimeras came to a screeching halt to avoid pedestrians making their mad-dash to their own deaths.

Belius watched with his fellows in utter fascination and disgust as the Inquisitor appeared on the vast broadcast monitors which floated on suspensors above the roadways. His inhuman smile and oozing charm seeped into the minds of all that saw him, instantly calming the masses into a pliable thing to be manipulated by expert hands. Belius, having suspicions of mutation, had taken it upon himself to obtain psychic blockers at the start of his investigations and wasn't fooled by what he saw. An alien aberration, a huge and gnarled beast with great dagger teeth and yellow eyes stood behind the Inquisitor. The people of the Church of the Holy Father had found their god, and they accepted it as they would have once accepted the Emperor.

Of the six members of Belius' inner circle, only the Sergeant and Corporal Zanos in the first vehicle and Corporal Cashpaen of the second survived those first few minutes. The other three members of their team that were caught unprepared fell immediately under the spell of the Inquisitor and turned on their fellows. The Sergeant and Corporals were forced to kill their comrades, thus shortening the length of rope that was the lifeline of their plan.

This plan, which started out as nothing more than an attempt to report to Imperial envoys, changed, to what some within the military might be considered high treason. Belius planned to obtain an interplanetary transport, hopefully one of the faster ships berthed at the upper bays of the hive's elite class. They were then to make their way to the nearest Imperial outpost and report on the degenerating condition of Noavus. Hopefully, and this was the tricky part, they wouldn't be executed as deserters before they could explain their story. Belius didn't see any other way to save his planet. He had to succeed.

Now that plan was slipping away as the light of the Emperor was being cast off by this newly discovered savior of the Church of the Holy Father, and with half his team dead, Belius was losing hope.

The firefight within the command vehicles drew the attention of more than a few of the spectators. They didn't understand who would dare interrupt their god in his moment of glory. Some of the braver fanatics started hammering on the sides of the vehicles, demanding explanations. Belius and the three corporals were trapped.

Suddenly, without warning the pounding stopped, the wailing and cheering that had been near riotous were replaced by the buzz of wonderment and awe as the Inquisitor and his 'god' began to glow with a 'holy' light. The thrum of psychic energy permeated the very air, causing the revelers to fall to their knees, some bleeding from their eyes and ears, all in the name of their saviour. Shortly after, near the opening to the hive's ground level, chaos erupted. The groans and sobs of a penitent multitude turned to screams of terror and anguish. Bodies could be seen thrown into the air, sundered and broken. Blood sprayed in fountains as the crowd looked on in disbelief. Their god was displeased and sent his angels among the flock to reap their impure souls.

The image of large four-armed, chitin-plated purple and blue beasts tearing through the crowd brought memories exploding into Belius' mind of the times he and Colonel Strake reviewed interstellar reports of vile Xenos threats over Regicide and brandy, making jokes about the 'stupid-looking orkoids, the willowy Eldar, the cowardly Tau empire, the freakishly…terrifying…murderous…'

"Genestealers. Oh, God Emperor preserve us."

"Sir?" Corporal Zanos turned to Belius when she heard him speak, thinking he was offering direction. She had been staring out the view ports watching the monitors and didn't see the monsters in the crowd.

"Uh, Sergeant? What's going on? My long range spotters were damaged when Valkas and Simons checked out." Corporal Cashpaen was in the rear tank, and the only one on board left alive. This brought Belius out of his moment of indecision.

"Get 'em moving! NOW! NOW!" Belius grabbed the controls and spun the vehicle ninety degrees, putting him facing the direction they came from. Cashpaen, seeing the Sergeant's vehicle spin, did the same and gunned the engines. No need to repeat that order, not while the Inquisitor and that "thing" were in the screens. Pedestrians were either crushed or jumped free as the two tanks sped off, their supercharged engines whining at full throttle. Pity the living, Belius thought as he said a prayer to the Emperor for the souls of the civilians that didn't move in time.

They had to make it to the military compound thirteen clicks from Hive Methos. There, they would find a few military-class short distance fliers. Anything would be better than staying where they were. Looking back through his vehicles long range viewers, he shuddered as he saw images of wholesale slaughter and madness. The masses were divided into those that were running in terror, only to be cut down from behind and those that kneeled and accepted the judgment of their god. All the while, on the giant monitors the Inquisitor and the alien watched it all with inhuman callousness.

Genestealers. One of the Imperium's most hated enemies, yet not common knowledge to all but a few. According to the reports he and Strake had casually skimmed over (casually in this case meant drunkenly), Genestealers were linked to another species of aliens, one more vile and ghastly than even the 'stealers themselves. They were considered vanguard organisms for this other lifeform, known as the Tyranids. A Tyranid invasion, according to the reports, generally meant the end of a planet. Belius couldn't remember specifics of what he read, but he knew the chaos they had just witnessed was just the beginning.

Three miles from the Hive, there were no souls to be seen, either walking or in vehicles. The local populace had made the voyage to Methos to take part in the celebrations. This made re-fueling at an abandoned outpost easy. Belius, Zanos and Cashpaen gathered what supplies they might need for the trip to the military compound. It wasn't going to be a long trip, but they all suspected it wouldn't be uneventful. Already, clouds were gathering and a storm was threatening. Great, just what they needed, Belius thought. Aliens behind us, and a boomer in front. What else can…never mind.

They continued on a short time after the tanks were re-fueled. The decision was made to keep both vehicles, in case one broke down (or was attacked, they all silently added). Already, the storm was darkening, and the first few drops of rain began pattering down on the hulls of the vehicles. As evening approached, they could see a glow coming from behind the hills to their right. It was faint and distant, but the flickering light against the cloud cover gave a tell-tale sign of fire.

"Sir, PDF channel Alpha Seven Delta. What the hell, sir?" Cashpaen had been monitoring the open channels from his Chimera. His voice was shaky with exhaustion and fright. Belius found the channel and thumbed the switch for the cabin vox speakers. The soldiers listened in silence to the commander of the PDF force in the Arkas region. The fear in his voice was palpable, as was the desperation of the situation.

"…back! Fall back, dammit! I repeat, this is Lieutenant Domas of the Arkas Division. We need immediate assistance. We're under attack by, some, sort of creatures. I've never seen them before. They came out from the church keep. We have to assume all inside are dead. There's so many of them, we're being driven back to the command station. We'll try to hold them there, but…oh god…." The voice was replaced by the echoing sounds of small weapons fire and screams. Some of the screams were primal, animalistic. Arkas was lost, of that they could be sure. Belius dialed through the channels and found more of the same, the most chilling were the channels that were quiet.

"Keep driving. We'll make it to Beta Central, we just have to keep going." He didn't want to tell Zanos that one of the channels he had checked that had been quiet was the Beta Central main broadcast signal.

"The rain's picking up, sir. Never seen a boomer like this before," Zanos said over her shoulder to Belius, who was taking the time to check their weapon supply.

"What's so different about it," he asked without looking up from the bolt pistol he was re-assembling. He had heard the change in the sound of the rain hitting the hull go from a downpour to what sounded like wet slush.

"Well, for one thing, the raindrops are black. Secondly, it's like driving on ice. Whatever this is, it's getting worse, sir." The 'rain' that was hitting the view screen had the consistency of oil. They could barely see the rear lights of Cashpaen's vehicle in front of them. Belius stared out the window and studied the rain. He took a step back when he noticed what looked like seeds in the drops. This wasn't good.

"Keep driving. Slow down if you have to, but keep going. We'll make it if we push ahead. We'll make it."

They had lost sight of the transport in front of them, but had been keeping radio contact with Cashpaen to monitor his view of the road ahead. Also, they needed to hear the sound of their voices. Anything to break the silence of the road. Lightning flashed, showing them that the highway was in disrepair, that foliage had pushed its way onto the road and made driving that much more difficult. The spot lamps from the first vehicle barely cut through the dark, but what it did illuminate was an unpleasant sight. There were other vehicles off the roadway, both civilian and military, smashed into trees and in ditches. Vegetation had already encompassed most of the vehicles, and seemed to be getting thicker as they watched. The local plant life was mixing with whatever was in the rain to create an alien jungle out of the region's forest areas.

They continued at a crawl until the rain was blocked out by the trees and grasses that hung over the roadway. Without the rain, they were able to see more of their surroundings, which in some ways was worse than the precipitation itself. Any semblance of human settlement had been overrun by the alien plant life. They could see dark shapes, probably the local fauna flitting between trees and bushes. They could hear through the outward amplifiers roars and hissing squeals, along with far-off gunfire and the rush of low-flying aircraft. Every so often, an explosion would sound nearby, but no visual sign of struggle could be seen. Only the jungle, and whatever it concealed.

Belius decided to check the voxponder again. What came through was a cacophony of noise: static, yelling and gunfire mixed with screams and squeals and thunderous roars. He wanted to find something, anything that would tell them the situation outside the jungle. Finally, he got a signal, garbled though it was.

"…fliers at bay…batteries! No, not…ones, those giant…first! …the infantry…storage tanks, try to hold off…damn fast…What was…Sergeant, full retreat! Full retr… can't let those big…the walls… Where are my tanks, corporal! …No, this can't…the Emperor protects, the Emperor protects…" Static again.

"Sir, we aren't going to make it, are we?"

"Just keep driving, Marta. Keep driving."

The Chimera driven by Cashpaen, which had been leading by one hundred yards bucked sideways and slid from the road, careening into a large tree. Instantly, it was engulfed in a steel-like vine, which tightened and cracked the outer hull casing. A cascade of small, man-sized creatures descended on the roadway from the nearby hillside, directly across from the stopped vehicle. They fanned-out and surrounded the vehicle, the wicked blades on their arms shining in the forward light arrays.

Zanos stopped their tank and armed the forward heavy bolter. Belius took the control, and opened up against the small creatures. These weren't Genestealers, of that he was sure. This was a full-fledged invasion, and it was Belius' duty to take as many of the invaders down as he could. Several exploded in fountains of purple ichor, their black and red bodies shattered by the heavy munitions. The surviving beasts turned and leapt in the direction of their attackers.

"Run them down!" Belius chose his shots well as Zanos gunned the supercharged engine. They saw in their run that Cashpaen had somehow managed to exit his vehicle and was heading for the road, firing a las pistol at any of the creatures that were near. Zanos kept him in sight, hoping to be able to rescue him in time, while Belius continued to pick off the aliens coming at them. They were almost there, running over those creatures that didn't fall to the gun, and missing those that were able to avoid it, when they saw Cashpaen firing into the forest where the aliens had come from and yelling toward the oncoming Chimera. He turned to run and meet them, but when he did, he was hit in the side by a blast from an alien weapon, instantly devouring his torso and leaving nothing but steaming biomass. The wielder of the weapon stepped from the forest and turned it's gun on the oncoming tank. It was a monster from a nightmare. Fangs in a crested head, bladed arms, a glistening weapon in it's second set of limbs, hooved feet and a long, swishing tail. The creature was easily twelve or fifteen feet tall. More than the tank could just run down. The weight of the vehicle along with the gun could probably take care of this one, but it's four twins that stepped out from the forest behind it were more than they could handle. They were running out of options and space.

As one, the creatures looked at the oncoming vehicle and raised their weapons. Zanos let out a short yell and turned the tank off the road to the left, down an embankment. They crushed saprolings and larger vegetation in their wild ride, finally coming to rest with a great splash in a river. In the dark, the river was fast moving and huge. Water began to pour into the cabin from an open vent, which Belius fought desperately to close. It took Zanos and the Sergeant a moment of panic to realize that the Chimera was airtight, and capable of limited underwater travel. They felt safe from the monsters while they were in the river, but they couldn't stay there for long.

Through the Chimera's periscope, they viewed the utter devastation of their world. The river was in a relatively flat area below the forested hills, and allowed for longer range viewing of the eastern plains. What they saw made their blood run cold, and whatever hope they had for leaving this planet was wiped away.

A losing war was being waged, with units of the planetary defense force and what appeared to be Space Marines (Belius had no idea any chapters were in this quadrant, but praised the Emperor nonetheless) fighting for their lives against an army of alien creatures, as small as a human to as large as drop-ships. Teeth and blades and talons tore at the defenders, who were forced into a losing position. Even the stalwart Astartes, with their heavy weapons and super-human fighting prowess were no match for this living tide. Fighters flew overhead, dropping ordnance into the swarm, but making relatively no impact in the ferociousness of the creatures. Tanks and weapons platforms cut great swathes from the oncoming forces, but for every creature that fell, three took its place.

For the aliens' part, theirs was a force that surpassed all that Belius had ever seen. The small, blade-arm and gun wielding creatures charged side-by-side with Genestealers, while the crest-headed monsters like the ones from the roadway waded through the throng to fire their deadly weapons at the defenders. Huge beasts, with blades on their arms larger than a man smashed into tanks and units alike, shredding both with ease before moving on to their next victims. Ghastly creatures, with bloaded heads and long, willowy tails floated above the horde, firing incandescent bursts of energy at their adversaries, disintegrating them in an instant. Flying creatures with leathery wings spat glowing balls of energy into the troops, causing disarray.

Worst of all was a giant creature in the center of the swarm perched on an outcropping of rock surrounded by a group of hulking monstrosities like living shields. It raised it's head in a primordial roar, lashing the air with a sinewy whip and aiming what appeared to be a sword at the foe as if in challenge.

What could stand against such a threat as this, thought Belius. Already, the Space Marines were being overwhelmed, selling their lives as dearly as they could. The PDF was being wiped out to a man, their tanks and armored support in flames.

As they watched what followed, tears of fear and sorrow were streaming down Zanos' face and Belius repeated the Imperial litanies he had learned as a recruit. The brave and noble surviving Space Marines rallied together and made a push toward the center of the swarm, their goal apparently the 'general' atop his ridge. The creatures all took note of the charge, and on a silent signal from the beast, parted before the aggressors, only to fall in behind them, as if urging them on towards their deaths. A glimmer of hope arose in the unseen spectators, only to be quashed as the hulks surrounding the tyrant lashed out at the Marines with their huge front arms and scythe-like smaller limbs. Within moments, the Emperor's finest were nearly decimated by the unexpected attack, with only three surviving to face the monsterous leader. The fight was furious, but the outcome was decided the moment the Tyranids made planet fall. The two flanking Marines were slaughtered by the beasts giant scythe-blades, and the third, apparently the commander of the force was alone in facing the monster. He fought with a bravery that is written of in ballads, but in the end, the monster's sword took his head. The creature kicked the body to its swarm, where it was rendered to scrap in moments. A great howl arose as the last defender of humanity on Noavus was killed.

As they drove downriver, the war on the fields was the last time they saw any fellow humans. Everywhere they looked, they saw ruins and destruction. Giant alien towers began taking shape, reaching toward the heavens from the remains of Noavus. The only hive they could see in the far distance was a vast funeral pyre, it's once proud spires and minarets in ruin. They could see titanic creatures clinging to it's surface as fire and smoke bellowed from it's upper levels.

The two survivors drove on in silence, as if waiting for that which would never come.

They finally came into sight of Beta Central. They knew it was the right place because the coordinates matched, not because of any sign posts or alarm systems. There were none. The military post, which sported a landing field and a compound holding a contingent of nine-thousand troops was decimated. Nothing was left standing, and no aircraft or military vehicles were intact. It was deserted.

"I guess that's it then, sir." Zanos had brought the vehicle to a halt and was staring out the view port.

"No, Corporal, it isn't. Head toward the base. There might yet be hope."

"But sir, the creatures.."

"Are nowhere in sight. Now, head in. We have a duty to at least check our options. That's an order, Corporal." Belius had to keep Zanos thinking like a soldier and not give her too much time to think about the loss. They may not be able to save their planet, but they had to at least try to escape, if for anything to take with them the tales of horror and courage they witnessed. Someone needed to know.

"All clear, sir. Not a living thing around. What are we looking for anyway, sir?"

The trek to the installation was nerve-wracking, yet in the end, uneventful. No monsters jumped out from behind any debris and they weren't attacked by anything greater than paranoia. The compound was utterly destroyed. Nothing taller than a man was left standing. Blast marks and bullet casings were the only sign that humans had been here recently. There were also no bodies, human or otherwise. That, above the devastation was the most unnerving detail.

"We're looking for a door, Corporal. Somewhere near the hanger, which I'm guessing was over there," he said, pointing at a large, crumpled section of sheet metal and plasticrete. "Most compounds like this have an underground hanger, totally sealed off until needed, for emergency evacuation. Like when an Inquisitor brings his pet alien with him." Zanos just nodded and headed for the hanger. Brevity, no matter how well intended it may be, couldn't be appreciated. Not now, and maybe not ever.

After some searching and moving of debris they could handle, Belius and Zanos found the door, untouched and still sealed.

"Great. Now how do we get in?" Zanos was studying the portal, which had no apparent handle or hinge.

"I guess your being privy to a few more secrets won't hurt anything," Belius replied, pulling forth from his uniform jacket a brooch inscribed with the Imperial Aquila. He held this above the door and twisted the clasp mechanism clockwise. A beep sounded from somewhere below. The door cycled open with a hiss, exposing a set of steps leading into a brightening hallway. Belius and Zanos drew their pistols and advanced downward, beneath the skin of Nuovas.

The door closed with a pop as the vacuum reasserted itself, while a set of unseen eyes noted the passage of the two humans.

"So, you can fly this thing," Marta Zanos asked as she looked the flier over. It was an unremarkable vehicle, but sturdy in construction. It had the general shape of a land speeder, with the added bulk of two large jet engines mounted below each of the stabilizer wings. It carried an autocannon under the nose, but besides that, no other visible weaponry.

"It's preprogrammed to head for the nearest off-world Imperial signal it picks up. Manual piloting isn't necessary. Most facilities this far from the galactic core have these hidden below ground, in case of warp storms and the like."

"Bet they didn't count on gigantic aliens," Zanos said under her breath. They were just about to board the flier when a crash sounded from somewhere above. They could hear the faint snarls and squeals of the aliens as they breached the outer door and headed for the hanger.

"Looks like we have some company, Corporal. I believe it's time to depart."

The two survivors closed the hatch and seated themselves at the controls to the flier. Belius thumbed a switch on an overhead panel and the small ship came to life. Its machine spirit cycled through it's startup processes, and within moments the gravitational boot clamps were released and the craft nosed forward down the exit tunnel, gaining momentum with each passing second.

"I forgot to ask, but where does this come out, sir," Zanos asked through clenched teeth as the ship flew at breakneck speed down the cramped corridor.

"Well, it should be somewhere about a click from the compound." Belius said a prayer to the God Emperor that the exit wasn't destroyed, or that the aliens hadn't already found it. This would be a short trip indeed if either of those possibilities became reality.

They could see the exit, a set of double sliding doors looming ahead. Closed.

"Uh, sir?"

"Have faith, Corporal," Belius advised. He watched the doors getting closer by the second and started to become concerned that something may be wrong, that it would take more than faith to help them.

The doors cycled open almost instantly as the ship was at the one-hundred yard point. Standing in the entranceway, silhouetted by the cancerous light of the dying sky was one of the tall warriors, the kind that killed Cashpaen.

"Sir!?"

"Hold on!"

Belius had found the controls for the autocannon earlier, and pressed the firing stud. The gun roared to life, sending small kicks through the ship as the suppressors recoiled from the sustained fire. The alien exploded in a spray of gore, a mist of purple and green ichor covered the wind screen as the ship exited the tunnel with a boom. Instantly, warning lights lit up across the board and alarms went off within the cabin. The alien blood was eating into the hull like an acid. A noxious vapor permeated the interior of the craft, causing Belius and Zanos to gag and their eyes to water. The ship continued on its course, flying over the devastation and the ruins of Nouvas. Its machine spirit had found a faint signal beyond the orbit of the small planet, and set course for a rendezvous.

"Sir, we have positively identified the crew as Sergeant Johan Belius of the Fourth Regiment, Nuovas PDF and Corporal Marta Zanos of the Sixth. Cause of death is listed as suffocation due to exposure to vacuum. We assume that the exposure was caused by fractures in the hull. They had apparently collided with something between here and Nuovas that contained some sort of caustic substance, sir. Of the ship, it is a variant of the holy Land's Speeder chassis with heavy…"

"That'll be enough, Deck Master Hughs. Well, done. I'll read your report as I review the ship's recorders. Dismissed."

"Sir, yes sir!" Hughs left the bridge of _The Golden Eagle_, leaving Captain Antal to ponder the small craft that drifted into their sensor range several hours ago, a distress beacon signaling for assistance. It had run out of fuel, and was drifting aimlessly for months, maybe years before being retrieved. Two lovers deserting their posts? The captain doubted it. Two soldiers escaping catastrophe? Maybe. His crew would investigate and commend the bodies to the void. But for now, he had a ship to command.


End file.
