Among the vast, rolling hills that separated Canterlot from Ponyville a lone traveller marched. Her hooves grew tired and sore from the hours of hiking she had taken upon herself, yet her resolve remained unbroken. She silently cursed that the train route to the city had been under maintenance, she could have really used the rest.

Fluttershy hefted her backpack higher up her shoulders once again as she gathered her thoughts once again upon her mission.

Get to Canterlot, find Mr blue giant and make sure his stay in Equestria is as comfy as she can make it.

She braved another self-smile in her justification of her ludicrous actions and marched on. A sharp whining rose in the air around her, which soon became a painful scream, forcing Fluttershy to squeak and go to ground. A large shadow shot over her location and took off in the direction she had come from. Looking up and beyond Fluttershy could see a craft, bulky and trailing a line of vapour behind it, soaring off towards the edge of the Everfree forest. Off to where her quest had begun.

It didn’t take long for the Pegasus to do the math. She picked herself up with teeth clenched, positively seething with frustration and marched back. As she walked she clenched her eyes shut and let out all her fury.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh-“

“You are reckless and cruel. Not only have you caused panic and pain, but you directly attacked one of this worlds’ royalty, a creature you could have easily overlooked. Ajax Urien, your fate shall be simple. I sentence you to intense psych-probation and mind scrubbing. After that, you shall attend to chaplain Arphemus’ teaching sessions every day for a year, as long as situations demand it. I also take from you your assigned power armour, and all the accompanying rights it allows you.”

Captain Titus didn’t blink all the while as he stared down at Ajaxs’ knelt frame. The court was being held in the outposts chapel. Attending along with Titus were Ajaxs’ former squad as well as two others who had also arrived prior to the rag-tag fleet. Ajax remained still as a statue, but all could taste his shame.

“However,”

Ajax couldn’t help but raise his head at this and look to the captain.

“Your actions in the town. Our bravery, selflessness and conviction lead to the banishment of two powerful daemons and the safety of many lives. So I hereby grant you honorary right of armament, may the tools you now have access to lead you to slay ever greater foes.”

Ajax couldn’t help but notice how Titus’ expression had softened, how he seemed genuinely proud of him. Ajax bowed his head once again.

“Rise brother,” Titus said.

Ajax stood immediately as Titus gestured that the court was over, and the squads headed their separate ways. Ajax walked to the altar, were Titus was sending transmissions to the fleet via a console mounted in the chest of a servitor.

“Captain, if I could request my session be enact-,”

“Your punishment will be carried out in but a few minutes Ajax, don’t you worry. You’ll be free for duty in under four hours. I must warn you these treatments are far from pleasant,” The captain warned.

“I just wish to return to the village where I made initial contact,”

“And why would that be?” Titus asked with a furrowed brow.

“A mortal, in the settlement, her and a group of more had lead the first of the daemons into their village. I want to know why, and where they found the creature. I know it is no longer my place to concern myself, but I started all of this, and I wish to see it finished.”

Titus pondered a minute and turned back to his console, hitting the ‘send’ rune and finishing his task.

“I understand. Although you are right, it is no longer your place to decide your own fate. The way of the scout demands you are assigned missions once again, missions you must follow no matter what other duties call to you.”

Ajax could feel his case slipping, and there was little he could do about it.

“Which brings me to give you your first assignment upon returning to the 10th company. You shall rendezvous with squad ‘pureborn’ once they have made planet fall. Then you shall proceed directly to the village and seek out this....mortal. Your sergeant will make the necessary decisions from there onward.”

Ajaxs’ spirits had been lifted, and his please heard. He gave a quick salute of the imperial Aquila and turned to march to the medical bay.

The psyche treatment was very unpleasant, and still haunted Ajax even as he suited up in the armoury. He had adorned himself with his old set of carapace armour and scouting equipment. His mind still itched and jolted from the psychic scrubbing that one of the chapters librarians had performed on him. It was as if someone had poured boiling oil into his ears and some of it was still stuck inside. The discomfort would have to wait for another time as he finished securing the last ammo pouch and headed out the main door.

Not a couple hundred yards away a storm raven lay in wait with a squad of four scouts standing close by. Ajax took a quick jog and headed over. Once he could make them out Ajax could see that two of the scouts were fresh faced, bearing no scars or even as much as a scuff on their armour. The sergeant also looked relatively young, perhaps only a decade or so older than Ajax. The fourth was a face Ajax was glad, yet utterly shocked to see.

“Dornus?!”

Dornus turned with a warm grin painted on his wide face.

“Did you honestly think you’d escape my witty clutches that easily brother?” Dornus called as Ajax approached.

“But you have been granted the rights of power armour.........you are part of the brotherhood,” Ajax said as he stopped just in front of the squad.

“No longer. I wasn’t going to let my best friend to fend for himself in a new squad. It always helps to have a familiar face nearby. Power armour will have to wait.”

“Brother.......there was really no need t-,”

“But there was. Come now, I hear you have quite the field trek for us?”

Ajax turned to look at the sergeant and gave a quick nod.

“We shall be entering a moderately populated area. There will be many natives, and many families, and much property on which we will be trespassing.” The sergeant began, turning to lead the squad into the hull of the gunship.

The inside of the storm raven vibrated slightly as its engines tirelessly worked on. Its hull was painted a mixture of pale blues and blacks as the internal lights gave the scouts what little illumination they needed to carry out their last minute weapon checks. Ajax held his new ‘Kraken’ pattern bolter proudly on his lap, and what a weapon it was. With a dual line iron sight, ‘forge-grip’ loading mechanism and box magazine it was deadlier than the standard bolter any day. This model also boasted an ever so slight decrease in its firing rate, making its recoil a lesser chore to deal with and making each bolt that bit more accurate when in full auto. Ajax had also taken its recommended kraken pattern bolts, having greater penetrating power and detonating strength than standard rounds, as well as ‘Hellfire’ rounds, bolts that pumped a terrible mutagenic acid into its foes turning all but the largest enemies into puddles of green paste.

Dornus cycled the first of his .100 calibre bolt rounds into his heavy bolter. The weapon had carved a bloody history through the ages, being able to turn an army into a graveyard with but a squeeze of a trigger, sending the devastating rounds at a far range and withering rate of fire. The two new initiates, who Ajax knew as Teriun and Zanal, both packed standard bolters while the sergeant, Arphestus, wielded a ‘Stalker’ pattern bolter. The stalker, with its assigned pattern rounds, was far ranged, silent and accurate enough to put a hole through an enemies skull at a kilometre.

Ajax looked up to study the new astarte novices. Teriun was boy faced with blonde hair and held an almost constant expression of concern. His gloved fingers clutched his weapon tight, but not so much to resonate fear. Zanal was a dark skinned man with the eyes of an adventurer, eyes that scanned and searched out every detail of every object in the gunships troop compartment. His bald scalp bore tribal tattoos that were made of imperial scripture and holy text. The sergeant was young, but had obviously shown promise enough to lead a squad, the frame of his jaw line had a neatly shaven beard and his posture utterly solid and unshaken by the tremor of the ship around him.

Ajax lowered his gaze once again. He gave thanks to the Emperor. He gave thanks for his punishment, for it was no more than he deserved. He gave thanks for the presence of a friend, for he would need a face of trust to look to in this uncertain world. He gave thanks for his new weapon, let it vanquish the foe and smite the oppressor. And he gave thanks for another day in service of his holy name, for it gave him purpose. The engines begin to wind down in their howling and son after the floor shook as they touched down.

The rear ramp whined open and the scouts headed out. The two novices had to have a word of attention thrown their way to get them to regain focus and jog out the ships confines. Ajaxs’ hyper reactive eyesight compensated the glare of the suns presence as he came to a halt after a seconds jog from the ship. Unlike the bulk of his confiscated power armour the carapace armour barely made a sound in motion. The suit was made of a vest, combat trousers, armoured boots, vembraces, breast plate with environmental compensators, pauldrons, gloves and a multitude of ammo pockets and other equipment. Every member of the squad also was equipped a bolt pistol and combat knife; just in case.

The storm raven took flight once more and thundered off back to the outpost.

“Affirmative, we’ll keep in touch,” Arphestus replied to a message unheard by the others.

“So, Ajax, we are here for just one mortal?” Dornus inquired, his heavy bolter held to his chest.

“One of six I believe. Any of the company that lead the demon into this settlement.”

“Are we dealing with cultists brother?” Teriun asked, his voice droning yet soft in tone.

“I don’t think so,” Ajax began as he turned and made for the town, “it’s just that they must know where the incursion point is located.”

The gunship had delivered the scouts a few hundred metres away from the town, but close enough to announce the astartes arrival. Ajax shook his head and clenched his jaw as another wave of nausea hit his throat; the mind scrubbing hadn’t been kind to him at all. He soon regained focus and continued his march to the town.

The scouts were the least armoured unit in all the space marines troops, but still they towered over the natives like the matriarchs they were ruled by, and had enough bulk to make them look like children. Their sleeveless arms made them all the more menacing, thick muscle wrapped around iron hard bone holding weapons that would take two of these lesser creatures to operate. Dornus looked particularly colossal wielding a gun the size of one of the townsfolk with all the effort of lifting a bowl of soup.

The mortals did not flee or fright as they had done in the city. Though they kept their distance, they stood and watched the five scouts stroll through their town. Adults whispered to one another, merchants halted in their dealings and children pointed and blurted excited questions at their parents. The five had reached the town hall once again, Ajax noticing how the puddles of daemon filth and bone had been quarantined with security tape, a handful of locals gathered around them studying the remains.

“Sergeant,” Ajax said.

“I’ll deal with it. Try to get us the information we need.”

The sergeant marched over to the demonic rot, the mortals gasping and scurrying away at his approach. Arphestus reached into his back left pocket and pulled out three bolt shells with orange painted casing. He loaded the incendiary round manually into the bolters ejection system and one by one shot at the remains. The locals jumped and yelled in fright at the weapons deep thunderclaps which painted the remains with a bright orange flame. The remains quickly blackened, shrivelled and wafted into ash as the angry flame ate away at its blasphemous presence. Meanwhile, Ajax was finding his mission a slight more difficult.

“Purple mortal!?”

He waited a few seconds for a reply that did not come.

“Female, purple mortal!?”

He turned to Dornus who gave him the ‘well what do you expect me to do?’ look. Ajax scanned the several collections of creatures to find none of them bearing the colour of the one he sought out. Suddenly Ajax felt a sharp tug at his back ammo pocket. Ajax turned quickly, bolter semi-raised, to find his vision assaulted by the most violent amount of pink he had ever witnessed.

The creature was no taller that his sternum, it was obviously female, had wide eyes the colour of the sky and a mane that looked like a mess of curling and entangled pink spider web. It looked up at Ajax with not fear or nerves as most things did, but a expression of confusion and curiosity. She wore a white skirt with red polka dots and a bright blue T-shirt that seemed one size too big yet one size too short for her, exposing a few inches of her very pink mid-section.

“Ok ‘Mr.Big’n’blue’, first off, if you guys have come expecting my party to be finished and ready-to-roll already then I have some bad news. I don’t know how long it takes you to make parties on your planet, but cooooome oooooooonn! You must have some super-dee-duper party making factory to expect a party finished by now! I mean, can’t you give a girl a break?”

I took Ajax an insulting amount of time to process the barrage of words and accusations flung at him. He could honestly recall being put under less pressure while taking fire.

“...............I, uh. Miss, we are in need of the assistance from a purple female resident in this settlement,” Ajax managed to stutter out.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand your super-high-tech robot talk,” The pink local stated giggling slightly.

“The one who...........wait. You are part of her company. Where you not one from the group who led the daemon beast here?”

“Oh come on! How where we meant to know that ‘two-week-old-toffee’ looking bat-guy was going to stir up some wacko-doodle-voodoo? He actually seemed quite pleasant when we first met,” The local said the last part of her sentence like some upper class noble, and from seemingly out of nowhere pulled out a wooden pipe from which she blew soap bubbles from.

“.....................I am not implying that you deliberately lured the creature here, but I need you, or one from your group to lead us to where you found the daemon,” Ajax said after collecting himself a little.

“Oh that’s easy, you just gotta follow the path up to dragon mountain and go round it until you see some very strange stuff,” She said beaming with perfect white teeth.

“I would feel much more at ease if we had a guide. If we do not find the cause of why this creature was able to enter this reality, it could mean that cause goes unattended, and that could mean more of his kind arrive on this world.”

At this the pink girl rubbed her chin and pursed her lips, her eyes deep in concentration.

“Okey dokey lokey, Mr. Blue! Pinkie’ll round up the gang and we’ll take you to where we found the bat-guy!” She announced in hyperactive enthusiasm, instantly turning to skip off towards a large tree a few hundred yards away from the town centre.

Ajax was honestly lost in confusion, his judgement finding no grounds on which to base further action. He did not feel comfortable trusting this girl, not only was she young but also slightly ‘off’. She skipped and bounced with every step, her eyes wide with intrigue and mouth curved into a neat smile. Ajax didn’t smile all too often, but even he knew that this was strange even for the average mortal. But still, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this one might actually know where to lead them, or at least take them to someone who could.

“Sergeant, I think I have us a lead.”

The jog to the tree was very short, so short the squad actually were able to catch up with the bouncy, pink mortal girl. The girl was very strange indeed, like a spiritual aberration from the far reaches of a childs’ imagination. Her mane and tail seemed to utterly defy gravity as they floated even after she had touched to the ground again, and her spirit seemed ever cheery and bright.

“Why do I have the feeling this might just be a waste of time?” Zanal huffed.

“Because it probably is. But what great achievements has our glorious Imperium made without just a little faith in the hopeless?” Arphestus replied as if readied for someone to ask what they were all thinking.

Dornus took up a jog as the approached the tree, that now appeared to serve as a house as well, and came to the side of the mortal.

“Begging your pardon miss, but what course of action are we taking?”

The group came to a stop just outside the trees front door, the girl turning to address them all.

“Ok gang! Pinkie’s gonna go get Twilight, then we’ll all go get everyone else. You just wait here and do your whole ‘look big’n’scary thing’, ok?”

The squad shared a handful of confused glances and half-hearted nods. The pink girl shot through the front door and left the scouts to themselves for a moment. They simply stood for a while, scanning the surrounding houses while Dornus took a knee to check over his heavy bolter. Ajax lazily ran his sight over a collection of houses that held the man watchful eyes of the townsfolk in their windows, until he noticed a flash of movement coming from a cloud that seemed to float unnaturally low to the ground. With his enhanced vision he could just make out a couple wisps of hair protruding over the top of its fluffy edge. Ajax held his unblinking stare at it until the hair rose along with a forehead and a pair of widened magenta eyes.

Their eyes locked stares for little over a second before the mortal ducked away again. Ajax had seen this mortal before. It was the female who had assailed him on his arrival into the settlement, the one with the multicoloured mane and tail. She continued to childishly poke her vision out from the edge of the cloud, seemingly analysing all the members of the squad below.

“A friend of yours?” Dornus asked as he walked up beside Ajax.

Ajax barely took notice and took a few steps forward.

“I trust you’re healing well then?!” He called up, the girl now maintaining her gaze at Ajax alone.

“Uh.......well, yeah! I mean, heh, it’s gonna take more than an overweight mole-man to keep Rainbow Dash outta business!” She called back, attempting to sound as tough as possible.

“Shall I cancel the request to fetch your mother then!?” Ajax replied with a smirk.

Ajax was forced a step back as the girl flew down up to his face with incredible speed, anger written on her expression.

“Hey! Let’s not forget who stood up to that elephant thing while it was crushing your head!” She shot at him, her nose almost touching Ajaxs’.

“Do my ears deceive me? You were saved by a mortal? Whilst in power armour?” Dornus said with a chortle.

“Oh dude, you should have seen it. He was all, ‘Oh no, I can’t breathe’, and I was all, ‘I show you how we fight ponyville style’!” This one calling herself ‘Rainbow Dash’ boasted, floating on her wings to keep eye level with Dornus while leaning a elbow into his pauldron.

“Oh ho! Brother! Tell me it not to be true!” Dornus laughed through a wide smile.

Ajax could hardly argue, but wasn’t about to yield to a mortal teenage girl. He rolled his eyes and turned to head back to the damned tree. Dornus soon followed, laughing in his deep tone along with the sharp chirping laugh of the girl who seemed attached to his side. As he approached the door creaked open to reveal half the frightened face of the purple female they had been searching for. Arphestus took a step forward.

“Miss, we require your aid. My squad and I require guidance to the location where you found the creatures that assailed this town.”

“Y-y-you’re not coming to arrest me?” She sheepishly inquired.

“Should I?” The sergeant replied, shuffling his weapon in his grip slightly.

“NO! Nononono, absolutely not! Whatever you need, I’m your girl.” She blurted out while swinging the door open, only to be pushed out of it by the pink girl.

“Yay! More adventures!” The pink one yelled in excitement.

“Wait, Pinkie! I need to get my travelling bag, plus I’ll need to write to Celestia and let her know what is happening.”

“A sound idea. It will be best to alert the matriarch to our actions,” Ajax added, knowing their leaders discomfort of surprises.

With that the purple girl circled around the pink one and headed back inside. The whole while Dornus had been chatting to Rainbow, both seemingly sharing the unquenchable need to talk. Something had caught Teriuns’ attention as he suddenly turned and ran off. Ajax turned to see him sprint towards a fallen mortal, laying in the middle of the road, a few others gathered around fanning them. Ajax considered calling him back, but was content with his distance and shrugged the urge off. Shortly after Rainbow flew off to join him, both kneeling down beside the fallen before Teriun picked them up and started to carry them back to the squads position.

Teriun carried a female native with a yellow coat and light pink mane and tail. Her pink hair was very long compared to that of the other natives he had seen. She also wore a set of, what looked like, trekking gear and backpack causing Ajax to assume that she had already been somewhere.

“She had succumbed to exhaustion, collapsing in the street.” Teriun announced as he drew near, the girl in his arms seemingly weightless.

The girl was, however, wide awake and almost seemed to be in a stable condition.

“I’m fine, really. I just walked a very long way.......I’m sorry if I, um, made anyone worry.”

The females’ voice was hushed so much Ajax was certain he would not have heard it if not for his augmetics. Her whole self was held very weakly and shied away, as if she wished only to dissipate into the air and not be noticed by anyone. Teriun set her on her hoofed feet which seemed to hold up strong enough.

“What in the hay were you thinking Fluttershy? You should know better than to walk non-stop for so long. Where were you even going?” Rainbow inquired.

“Well, I thought I’d go to Canterlot, to make sure the blue giant was going to be ok. I mean, he was taken away from his home so quickly after arriving and did so much to help us. Oh look, there he is now.” The girl now known as Fluttershy said. Ajax swore that their names got more and more perplexing .

“Sorry to waste our time with a fruitless journey miss Fluttershy. I appreciate your desire to see me safe though.” Ajax assured, even though he knew such a small creature was unnecessary in any event that would threaten his life.

Twilight finally stepped out her home with her backpack and walking attire, followed closely by an ever excited Pinkie. After a short explanation of Fluttershys’ condition, followed by her absolute refusal to stay home and rest, the group head off to collect the other two members of the original company.

“Wow! I mean, that’s incredible! So the city is held up by what used to be cities thousands of years ago?” Twilight asked in utter amazement, like she had done for the past hours’ travel.

“Aye, the whole planet is now just one giant cityscape. Chapels, monasteries, department headquarters and countless weapon emplacements make up the whole of holy Terras’ artificial surface.” Arphestus continued to patiently sate the girls’ thirst for knowledge, and was doing a damn good job of it.

The group had arrived at the base of the mountain and begun to circle around to its furthest side. The mortals where a vast spectrum of personalities (as well as colours), something astartes where not used to. While Zanal and Ajax mainly kept to themselves, the sergeant was playing the part of the imperial reference guide, Teriun was keeping close to the yellow pegasus and Dornus was making feverish small talk with Rainbow. To be honest with himself, Ajax was far more concerned about what they were all going to find whenever they arrived to wherever they were headed.

“-so then....then I leap from the speeder, and onto the warlords’ back. The orc thrashes like a thing possessed, but I stay gripped to his shoulders as hard as I can. I prime a grenade, force it into its wretched maw.............and the next thing is me and Ajax are covered head to boot in the beasts brain matter!” Dornus laughed with thunder in his throat, Rainbow looking slightly uncomfortable.

“B-b-but do you really have to, uh, y’know. I mean, after a good thrashing wouldn’t they just learn their lesson and leave you alone?”

“Haha! Miss, an orc can have all its heart punches clean through its chest and still not ‘learn its lesson’. These beasts think of little else than the need to slaughter.”

“Damn. I mean, we’ve run into our fair share of nasties in our adventures. But you’re saying these ‘awks’ just live to, well...............hurt other things?” Rainbow asked with a gulp.

“Maim, kill and pillage. They make the perfect justification for our existence!” Dornus replied with a toothy grin.

Rainbow Dashs’ further banter was cut off by a low humming that soon filled the air, swiftly developing into an earth trembling growl. A vast shadow blanketed the group as something the size of a city soared overhead. Ajax looked up to see the strike cruiser ‘Icurnus’ fly above them, headed for what he assumed was the outpost. Soon after the frigates ‘Veranus’ and ‘Retribution’ soon follow like a pair of hounds heeding to their master, their smaller size making them slightly less impressive than the initial craft. Ajax turned his attention on a whim to find his instincts rewarded. Off in the distance he spotted the other four ships hovering lazily near the native city called ‘Canterlot’. Among them was the battle barge ‘Heracles’, its bulk putting the city in an enormous shadow, the sunlight shining brilliantly of a cluster of golden towers held on its deck.

“Holy moley! You guys came here on THAT!?” Pinkie asked wide eyed, having spotted the Heracles herself.

The others turned to look, each of them dropping their jaws as they laid their sights on the monstrous star ship.

“Aye, and quite the engine she is. In service not two hundred years, and already spearheaded eleven campaigns and has a kill count of over seventy.” Dornus said with but a glance at the mighty craft.

“Come, we must not delay.” Arphestus called to the others from the front before turning to continue on.

The others regained their focus and followed. Another hours journey, perhaps longer, passed until Ajax began to spot the tell tale signs of where a fire had taken place in the woods surrounding the mountain base. The scouts didn’t bother with stealth as they trekked through the forest, vaulting over fallen trees, using their combat knives to cut away the odd patch of foliage, until the smoke and grey of burned wood grew to just a few steps away.

Ajax gave Fluttershy and Rarity a generous hand over a large root and joined his brothers inside the area of burnt down woodland. It was as if someone had driven a ‘Redeemer’ land raider straight through and decided the whole area had insulted the Emperors name. Not a single patch of earth wasn’t charred or dead, plus, the air still had traced of a sulphuric scent.

“You say there where symbols?” Asked Dornus to Twilight.

“Yes. I swear, they were right here when we found them.” She replied, anxious that they would believe her.

“Easy, we understand. The treacherous powers have a keen way of fading given time.” Arphestus replied before activating the long range transmitter attached to his back.

“Captain Titus...................Aye sire, but there doesn’t seem to be any further incursion..............................A sound move my lord........................Confirmed, we’re heading back now, I’ll leave a beacon.” Arphestus said over his throat linked vox.

“Ok, this is a job for our chapters’ librarians. We’d best head back,” Arphestus gave a short pause to think, “......Zanal, make a quick auspex sweep, just in case we missed anything.”

Zanal gave a nod and unhooked the hand held radar device from his belt.

“What about the cave? Don’t you want to see where we found hi-......uh, it?” Twilight asked.

“No, this is most certainly the point of entry. Since there is no longer any threat we’ll just let the ‘professionals’ take it from here.” Arphestus replied.

“Sir, I-“ Zanal began.

“What is it?”

“..................Nothing sir. Auspex must have picked up an animal or something.” Zanal replied, his shoulders relaxing slightly.

“So, uh, you fellas think maybe we’ll be able to take a look at that there ship o’ yours from the inside?” Applejack asked aloud semi-serious.

“Well, can’t say that there hasn’t been the odd tour around the Heracles for the few privileged civilians. Perhaps an audience with our captain would fair you better at knowing for sure.” Ajax replied, remembering on multiple occasions a group of frilly dressed mortals being shown about the halls of the battle barge; nobles, lords, celebrities and others society beyond the space marines interest deemed favourable.

“Aw I won’t worry none. I just always wanted to take a ride on one o’ them airships like they have in Canterlot-“

“The captain won’t bite your head off just for asking. Besides, it’ll make a change from the usual company of half-brained servitor-“

“Sir, sorry to hesitate, but I’m getter multiple readings!” Zanal called over as he had moved closer to the edge of the burnt out area and closer to the forest.

“Report!” Arphestus barked.

“Reading advancing towards us...........in what appears to be a criss-crossing pattern. I think we’re being watched sir!”

“Rally to me,” called the sergeant, “Girls, stay behind us!”

The squad formed up in a 3 metre spread, Ajax and Teriun taking a knee and taking aim at the edge of the forest. Dornus held his heavy bolter up to aim whilst Arphestus joined Zanal to read the auspex.

“Do you have a thermal reading?” Arphestus asked is a gruff tone.

“Aye sir, but the tree line is making is impossible to lock onto the signature match.”

“Girls, anyone in this forest we should know about?!” Dornus called over to the group of mortals all crouched behind a large collection of boulders.

“Just lots of wild animals! And a few monsters, big ones!” a scared twilight replied.

“Zanal, how big are these readings?” Arphestus asked again while taking aim with his stalker bolter.

“No larger than the civilians, a fair bit smaller, but their numbers just doubled! I’m reading over fifty contacts!”

Ajax could now hear the faint sound of leaves being rustled and braches snapping. He focussed his sights beyond the tree line and could barely make out multiple creatures flitting around in the shadows of the forest. Ajaxs’ eyes widened as he and his squad heard the approaching sound of a hacking, coughing noise which was soon accompanied b the all too familiar screeching and howling of an old foe.

“Orcoid life forms detected!” Zanal shouted to the others.

“We know! We know! OPEN FIRE!”