Chapter 2

The Righteous Endeavor was a tense place to be at the moment. Cordasco and Laelianus has chosen the wide steppes of the former Techno-Barbarian state known as Ursh (Author's note: It's Mongolia and the likes. Trying to be as lore-accurate as possible here) to be the place of landing. Since the very flat land would allow them to utilize the range of their weaponry much more effectively. Cordasco and Laelianus watched from the bridge as the ship broke through the thick cloud cover that had begun to obscure their landing zone shortly after beginning final descent. Then as if on perfect cue dozens of Valkyrie dropships launched from the ship and began spreading out to their predetermined landing zones that were in a five kilometer radius from the ship's landing zone, when they reached them the quickly set down and disgorged their cargo of twenty guardsmen who immediately fanned out and started fortifying their position. . As the massive ship lowered slowly to the ground it deployed the landing struts along the bottom. Laelianus gave quick orders to guide the craft along. Finally the massive ship touched down, raising a  cloud of dust from the impact.

"Not my best landing job but the main ramp will open." Laelianus said with a sigh. Cordasco nodded and rushed to the elevator. He didn't necessarily have to be there for the regiment to operate but he was itching to get some fresh air after being on a ship for the past two months. As he entered the main hangar he saw the regiment in the process of offloading and maneuvering into their positions. The enginseers were seeing to the offloading of Aegis Defense Lines and the parts for bunkers and bastions. They were definitely going to be a tough nut to crack, that was for sure. As he made his way to the nearest Valkyrie he was approached by a courier. The courier saluted before catching his breath.

"Sir, outpost 15 reports contact with equine scouts. They appeared to be an exact match to the pegasus of legend. Four were shot down from their patrol, the rest escaped." He shakily replied.

"Good work guardsman, get some rest and get back out there." Cordasco said before going to to his command squad, whom he had ordered to stay in the main hangar. He called over the vox operator and got on the regimental channel.

"All outposts be advised, expect xenos scouting patrol, shoot on sight and be prepared for attacks, over." He quickly said before heading to the nearest Valkyrie along with his command squad. He walked up the cockpit and tapped the pilot on the shoulder.

"Get me to outpost 15, on the double pilot."

"Yes sir." The pilot said before finishing pre-flight checks. Cordasco went back and sat down in one of the chairs. Quickly checking over his bolt pistol and power sword. The transport lurched as the pilot took it off the hull and eased it's way out of the hangar. They were silent for the trip. All were too busy going over things in their heads for small talk. five minutes later the transport touched down and the main ramp opened. Cordasco and his squad exited to find the outpost on a ridge overlooking extremely flat plains. Cordasco could barely make out other outposts along the ridgeline. They walked to the shallow trench lines along the ridge that were still under construction.

"May I see the commanding officer here?" Cordasco shouted. A tall, relatively well-built guardsman ran up to him and saluted.

"Sir, Corporal Gallienus Orosky reporting "

"At ease, what's the situation here?"

"Well sir we were constructing the outpost when several of us noticed a group of those pegasus creatures up in the clouds. It appeared they were moving clouds around. We opened fire and shot four down before the rest escaped." Cordasco paced around, deep in thought.

"Moving clouds... That could explain how that cloud cover appeared so quickly when we began the final descent. If they can control weather... That's not good at all." Then, as if on cue the sky opened up into a very powerful thunderstorm. But in the few very small holes in the cloud cover Cordasco could just barely make out.... Pegasus snickering at him? He growled and loosed a few shots from his bolt pistol at him. The holes were almost immediately sealed back up after that.

"Good work Corporal. Please continue  doing what you were before." Cordasco said before heading back to the Valkyrie.

A few hours later Cordasco was going over meteorology reports along with Laelianus.

"It doesn't make sense Cordasco, how could the cloud cover materialize so quickly?" Laelianus asked

"When I went to Outpost 15 the corporal there said they saw many of the pegasus creatures manipulating the clouds, and later I too saw them manipulating them after I took a few shots at them with my bolt pistol. Do you think that could be the cause?" Cordasco replied

"Hmmm, perhaps. But if they can control weather then... Only the Emperor knows what sorts of plots they could have brewing." Laelianus said, worried. Suddenly the voxman yelled over to them

"Commissar Cordasco sir, you need to hear this!" Cordasco ran over to him

"What is it guardsman?" He asked, the guardsman raised the earpiece for him to hear. He could barely hear the sounds of screams and lasgun fire coming from it as he took it.

"What's going on?" He said into it.

"Sir! We're under attack from a large equestrian force! Estimated enemy numbers are one thousand! We're barely holding them off as is!" The man on the other end yelled into the vox.

"Affirmative guardsman, we'll send reinforcements ASAP. I'll be coming along too, just hold tight until we get there." Cordasco said into it. He gave the earpiece back and said to Laelianus

"Sorry friend but I'll have to cut this short, I'll see you later." Laelianus gave a sharp nod in return.

"Looks like this won't be a joyride after all."