In the 41st millennium, there is only war. And in my reckoning, that has been true. So far in my short life it has been tumultuous to say the least. How I got here, I do not know. All I know is that the world around me burns, and reality along with it.
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"Pay attention, you damn fool! We are in the middle of a war!" My brother, Dereos roars over the vox.
I snap back to reality as shots ring against my armor and lasers flash through the air targeting aircraft flying low overhead. My brother, with his Questoris knight is taking fire from enemy armor. His Avenger Gatling cannon, while doing minimal damage to the traitorous armor is suppressing them enough for me to get my wits about me.
I shook my head internally and focused back on the battlefield. After that arch traitor Horus betrayed the imperium, my family retreated to their holdings, Knowing that choosing a side prematurely could cost our family everything. And yet traitors came.
I pulled my battle cannon around and began shooting through buildings, aiming for the sides of the enemy armor. 5 Shots later, two explosions and one turret came over the side of the building.
As our engines look around, I could feel its hatred. It rankled at the betrayal of our people. I still don't get how my knight works, but being as close as we were, it's 'emotions' did bleed through. And it's rage was great.
I shook my head. Our world burned around us. Traitors landed in numbers and the world was lost, no matter what I do. If we don't get off world, we will go down with it.
"Come Dereos, we wast time killing the small fry. There's still heavy fighting at the spaceport. Father is there waiting for us." I call over the vox.
He doesn't even bother answering, but I can tell he follows me forward towards the spaceport. Our knights ever vigilant, us along with them, as we advance.
While killing the traitor's forces around us would be pleasing, we literally had less than five minutes by my reckoning. No time whatsoever. "Stop for nothing brother. You must get to the port at all costs. Remember to trust your armor and your armor will pull you through anything. Remember your training." I call out. Dereos wants to complain about being treated like a child, I can tell. But it's his first true battle, and as eldest, my job is to drag him to safety if I must.
As we move fast across the broken ruins of our once magnificent city, I weep for the lives and home I oh so recently gained, and now have lost. The splendor, now burning, filled with screams and cannon fire. Far distant, I can hear other knights clashing with traitor forces. I refocus on my task and try to push that much harder.
As we approach our goal, I see a sight that makes my heart grow colder than the void itself. While the buildings were once higher then we, they were now nothing more than rubble as war machines battled in its remains. And as I look, I see a traitor titan. While only a warhound, it is still more than enough to kill us all, weather we fight or not.
We continue to run forward desperately, I can see father in the ruins with his few remaining retainers trying to take down the god machine. Rockets blazing from him, streaking out towards the void shield of the enemy engine. Assault cannon rounds flying towards the mighty hull. I know for a fact it is not enough.
I turn towards my brother. " Listen well dear brother, for we are about to meet our fate. There is only one true option we have and ultimately, I see very little hope for us. Do not fear death, my brother, fear dishonoring our house. Fire from range, it is your only hope. I will distract it for as long as I can until the ships arrive. NOW, GO! FOR THE EMPEROR! FOR HOUSE JAHARO!" I call to my brother as I charge.
As I rush again, I see a Turbo laser shot run father through. As a last act out of spite, he launches the last of his missiles, detonating straight on the void shields of the titan. Fighting with knight weaponry at this range would be worse than knife fighting. Fighting with titan Weaponry at this range is even worse. I power my thunder strike gauntlet as I charge forward. The Beast is too busy finishing off the retainers, it has its side turned towards me. This is my one and only chance for survival. If only I had a god to pray to.
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As I close in, I fire my assault cannon, scoring hit, after hit, after hit. Soon after, I hear the rumbling fire of my brother's chain cannon, and see purple flares of the void shield taking shots. Soon after, the void shield flares, then winks out of existence.
As I close in on my quarry, I see my assault cannon shells detonating on the gigantic war machine, and do nothing. My brothers shots do even less. After a moment, I soon see missiles streaking overhead, indicating my brother has fired off a volley of missiles into the titan, rocking it as it turns toward us. Only it is too late. Fifty meters out I rear back my thunderstrike gauntlet. Just before it can turn its laser to bear, My fist rockets into the laser's arm, and through to the chest plate beneath.
My engine roars it's hate.
I don't stop to appreciate my work and instantly back off. As it reels away, I fire my cannon as I go. Not even one second after, I charge back in and go for another strike. I aim for the head this time, looking for kill, only for it to quickly swing its body around, striking me with its other Turbo laser.
My eyes go wide in panic and horror as I see the turbo laser charge. I quickly turn my chassie to the side and flare my ion shield as hard astI could, hoping for the shot to slide across my armor. It wasn't nearly enough. The shot digs through my chest plate and straight to my assault cannon, barely missing it by a foot. I can hear my engine howling in a pain and anger.
In pure desperation and fear, I strike from my poor position into the chest plate of the titan, staggering it a bit, long enough not to die, and for another volley of missiles to come rocketing in. Without the void shields, it takes more and more damage even as I stagger.
I can hear my brother yelling something. Too bad I can't hear through the ringing in my ears, and the rage bubbling in my soul. I shake my head knowing what I was about to do was sure to bring my doom. "Live long brother! Avenge us, avenge our world!" I call through the vox.
Even with my relatively minor talent in the mystic arts compaired to others, I didn't need to be a seer to know my fate. I knew being a psyker was worth more then beinga mutant. Only father knew, blessedly. With a scream of agony, rage, and fear, I unleash a wall of searing warp fire. I my only be Zeta class, but it was enough. It had to be. I charged again, this time stopping for nothing. Even if I didn't manage to get the sensors, if i didnt kill it, what little remained of my family would die today along with me.
I charged until I rammed into the beast, striking with my fist and body, knocking it over. Even as I fell at top it my engine, I screamed in fury. Fury for what we lost, and fury at this foe, who took it from us.
I swing my fist again, and again, and again into its head. My cannon fires point blank into its pelvis as it tries to right itself. Finally, after the fifth strike it crumples like a can. It's last howling vocalization over the vox sound like the screeching of a dying beast. And as I lay there, atop my fallen foe, I hear the roar of engines in the sky and the thundering footfalls of my brother.
"-se, please answer! Vernin, damn you, please get up! I can't lose you too! Please!" After the ringing subsides, I can hear my brother begging me to stand. I attempted only to fall flat upon the corpse of the Titan. It seems in my last desperate act to save my brother. My legs for somehow damaged. Damn.
Stealing myself to my fate, I call over the vox. "Dereos, dear brother of mine. As the eldest remaining jaharo apon this battlefield, I order you thus. Be away from this hell, escape and live to fight another day. Regroup with what it's left of our family in the void and make it to loyalist forces in the neighboring sectors. Leave me Dereos. I'm done for." And I was. I could feel the fabric of this world tearing apart, slowly at first, but now speeding forward to its conclusion. I wouldn't make it out in time.
"No I will absolutely not leave you." He states with vigor. It makes me smile sadly.
"When I said it was too late, I meant it quite literally. You cannot get me aboard in time. You know this and I do as well." I state with finality. The ship's rumbling came to a crescendo as it landed in the ruins. It's large blocky frame opening into a large hanger section.
I could see him preparing another argument but I cut him off. " Reality is tearing on this planet. You have no time to retrieve me. I know it. I can see it. I can feel it! NOW GO, AND REMEMBER THIS! VENGEANCE IS SWEETER THEN ANY WARP DAMNED THING IN THIS GALAXY!" I roar.
As he finally listens, turning his back on me, I finally have the strength to cry in earnest. " Farewell, my brother. May you avenge us. And may you kill that bastard arch traitor too." I whisper.
As I weep, I reflect on my life, as short as it was. I, baron Vernin of house Jaharo. I served loyally in the crusade for 20 years. I knew what was to come, but I could do nothing. The fall of Horus, Angron, and the rest, the burning of countless worlds...
What was I, a baron of a back water house to do? The emperor is uncaring, the primarchs inhuman. I know I'm a pawn, and I played my role. But oh, it hurts.
As i contemplate, I push myself to lay on my back, staring upwards. I saw the retreating in the flare of the ship burning vertical into the void. And soon after, I could feel reality's will beginning to break in earnest. Soon after, everything went to a shade of purple, then red, then white, then apples, then trees.
Nothing made sense. Everything was madness. All I can do with scream.