The Multiverse Project: Warhammer 40,000

The bombing started at four in the morning. The heretics had been prepared for the standard Imperial aerial bombardment routine, with fleets of bomber escorted by fighter jets flying into enemy airspace, weathering opposing planes and anti-aircraft batteries, and dropping their ordnances across a wide area, hoping that the wind was favorable and they actually managed to hit something, you know, World War II shtick. What the heretics got instead were computer guided bombs dropped from the stratosphere by the Stratovarius bombers, newly minted from the STCs, the jet propelled flying fortresses looked like a wider, longer, sharper looking B-1 Lancer with two pairs of foldable wings, and a missile barrage from the Garuda batteries, carrying payloads that would put the MOAB to shame. They don't miss, and because of the high altitude the PDF's jets proved ineffective in stopping the bombers and their Nightshade Interceptors escort. The sortie was woefully one sided. For the hour that followed death rained with impunity and false dawn broke across Gothicipolis's nocturnal vista, with fortified positions and heavy gun emplacements around the Chaos Altars on the east, north and western front simultaneously obliterated off the map.

When the sky burned a furious red and the air forces flew back to the Immortal Spirit, the artilleries unleashed their firepower on the southern Chaos Altar, with the Charon mobile platform pounding every major fortification in the area and the Destoroyah super guns turning the entire landscape into interconnecting rings of craters. The bombardment lasted for thirty minutes before a ceasefire was called, followed by another thirty minutes where the battlegroup waited for the dust to clear before the attack officially began. With the King Ghidorah Stormhammer leading the assault, the fight lasted a paltry ten minutes, clearing a path for Father Joseph and sister Joan to exorcise the ruin. Tangmo didn't see it happened, since he was busy clearing out pillboxes, but he heard the churchly singing in the distant and damn, did it sounded nice.

"Alright, we kill all the evil shits and got the Pylon up," Damien announced to the battlegroup. "Tangmo, Erik, Raine, Cain, get your forces ready and prepare to move out."

"Roger that. Form up my dudes, it's go time!" Tangmo yelled into his earbud and turned to Hildebrandt, fist extended to the Krieg colonel. "Good luck dude."

"May the Emperor watches over us all," Hildebrandt said solemnly and touched fist with Tangmo, the movement more fluid now after many practices. Tangmo reloaded his Zetton lasgun and jogged toward a four lane road where Cadian, Jigurean and Antebellan guardsmen were assembling into pristine columns, blocks of infantries interposed by armored vehicles.

"You guys ready to kick some ass?" Tangmo approached Krillen, Min Jae and Joanna, the three colonels broke off their conversation and snapped him a sharp salute. He returned the gesture with equal crispness.

"As ready as we can be," Krillen took one last look at his data-pad before stuffing it into his belt. "The aerial bombardment might have knocked out the anti-air guns and the more obvious dugouts, but most of the buildings in the western sector are still intact. All of them need to be clear."

"Leave that to us," Min Jae nodded firmly. "We'll make short work of them."

"The heretics are well fortified," Krillen pressed. "It's going to be bloody and slow."

"We work really fast," Min Jae reassured him.

"Or we could work a lot faster by blowing them to kingdom come with our tanks," Joanna grinned brightly, Min Jae shot her a startled look but Krillen was stroking his chin thoughtfully.

"But weren't we supposed to minimize collateral damage?" Min Jae inquired.

"Well, the governor gave that order, and we set him on fire," Joanna shrugged, still smiling. "So I reckon his earlier directive ain't worth shit anymore, what with him being burnt to crisp and going full heretics and all that."

"She has a point, demolishing buildings will be faster and more efficient for us," Krillen rejoined the conversation. "But it could deprive us of cover if we're bogged down or, Emperor forbid, need to withdraw."

"We'll see which one works when the time comes," Tangmo said. "Better to be flexible and keep the heretics on their toes."

"I like that idea," Min Jae nodded as Erik approached them.

"We all set?" Erik braced his eldar sniper rifle on his shoulder like a badass.

"Just about ready, right guys?" The colonels were tapping their earbuds and nodding when sister Joan and her congregation of nuns and choirboys marched passed them, prompting Tangmo to intercept the procession. "Woah, hey, sister, where do you think you're going?"

"To the front, lord commissar," sister Joan was actually surprised by his question, "where we can inspire the guardsmen to greater feat of courage."

"I thought you're here to purify the Chaos Altars?" Tangmo continued.

"We can do more than one job, lord commissar," Joan went on politely.

"I'm sorry, but no, you're too valuable to be out in the open with us," Tangmo waved over a squad of Cadian troopers, ignoring the affronted look Joan was giving him. "Escort sister Joan and her charges to a Chimera please."

"But…"

"Please sister, we can't lose you. Not only because of the mission, but because if anything happens to you we'll be devastated," Tangmo clasped his hands together in a pleading wai, his naked honesty softening Joan's countenance into one of warm understanding.

"As you command lord commissar, come along now little ones, stay close," sister Joan bowed at Tangmo and led her flock after the Cadian squad, the guardsmen giving the congregation a wide, respectable berth.

"Good call dude," Erik nodded.

"Damn right it's a good call, that woman's a saint. She's not getting kill on my watch, that's for damn sure," Tangmo spun on the three colonels. "Are we set?"

"We are," Krillen took off, nudging his head for the others to follow. "Come on, we all know how much you like to lead from the front."

"Oh Krillen, you know me so well," Tangmo smiled sunnily and pitched his voice so that it was sickeningly cute, earning raucous laughter from the group.

"Careful sir, wouldn't want to get on major Emily's bad side now, would we?" Min Jae grinned and now it was Tangmo's turn to laugh.

"What in the hell are you talking about?" Krillen glared at the smirking Min Jae.

"Haven't you notice how the posh filly was fawning over y'all?" Joanna's mouth dropped opened when Krillen answered her with pure confusion. "Oh God Emperor have mercy, he's as blind as a bat, poor Emily."

"Are you shitting me right now? Dude, seriously, what the fuck?" Tangmo can only shook his head in absolute disbelief as they joined the hundred or so vanguard, locked, loaded and ready, standing behind a rumbling Leman Russ and flanked by two pairs of Myrmidon jeeps.

"Sir!" The Leman Russ commander popped up above the hatch and saluted. "What are your orders regarding civilian structures?"

"Plow through them," Tangmo, Erik and the colonels took their places at the head of the column. "No more mister nice guy, the stake is too fucking high for that now."

"Affirmative sir," the commander ducked out of view, locked the hatch and gunned the tank forward at an easy pace, spewing black exhaust plumes into the grey dawning sky as his voice blared in Tangmo's earbuds. "We'll give you a shout out if we see something."

"Thank you. Safeties off and fix bayonets people, we're in the danger zone now!" Tangmo braced his Zetton lasgun and strode after the tank, Erik and the colonels at his side with the rest of the Imperial Guards trudging behind him, barrels sweeping the area. For the minutes that followed they moved deeper into enemy territory at a sedate pace, meeting no resistance. No way that's gonna last.

"Major Emily likes me?" Krillen spoke up, stupefied.

"Why did you phrase that as a question?" Captain Luva shot him a narrowing look.

"Because he doesn't know Emily has a crush on him," captain Krix barked loudly and gossipy murmurs echoed down the line, "told you he's an idiot."

"How in the hell was I supposed to know?!" Krillen hissed through gritted teeth as he scanned the road around him, probably wishing that something would pop up so that this awkward conversation could end.

"Know what exactly?" Lady commissar Leilatha jogged up from the rear and joined them, bolt pistol held at the ready.

"Oh hey, I was wondering where you'd gone off to," Tangmo grinned and Erik politely made room for Leilatha, to which she nodded her thanks.

"I was seeing to sister Joan's security details," Leilatha told him then glanced sternly at the fuming Krillen and his snorting Cadian cohorts, the sharpness of her gaze killed the rising hilarity. "Have I missed some important information you lots refuse to share?"

"We were just laughing at Krillen for being oblivious to Emily very obvious interest in him," Erik answered Leilatha when no one dared to speak up.

"Truly? This is indeed very surprising," Leilatha's brow shot up into her awesome commissar cap and red bloomed across Krillen's face. "The poor dear would be devastated. Do you not notice how she spend every little free time she have in your company?"

"Or the many dinners and pub crawls she invites you to, and you ended up rejecting all of them," Krix added with a venomous smirk.

"Not to mention all the teas and candies she shares with you every time our two regiments mingle," Luva held her nose snottily high.

"Will all of you fuck off about my love life?!" Krillen bellowed but quickly went meek when Leilatha shot him a disapproving look. "Beg your pardon lady commissar."

"For someone who have a reputation of being a playboy, how in the hell did you miss all the hints?" Tangmo asked incredulously. "I mean, even a dumbass like me freaking noticed."

"My brother's prowess with the ladies is greatly exaggerated," and it was Korri who delivered the coup de grace on Krillen.

"Contact! Enemy's holdout straight ahead, fifty yard!"

In a startling display of military professionalism, all teasing and jokes ceased as the Imperial Guards spread out to take cover amongst the deserted lanes and empty houses, all guns trained toward where the Leman Russ had indicated. Not a second after the tank commander made his announcement three RPG rockets slammed into the Leman Russ, sparks, fires and shrapnel flying. Everyone in the vanguard hit the deck and the tank returned fire, the thunderous report was followed by plumes of dust that send bricks and gravels raining on their heads. To Tangmo's left and right the Myrmidon jeeps sped forward and positioned themselves beside the Leman Russ, the mounted gunners spraying the area beyond with heavy bolts and multilasers.

"Spread the fuck out! Go! Get inside the houses and clear the place!" Tangmo waved the hundreds or so vanguards into the picturesque suburban neighborhood around them, every home lovely and quaint with nice looking front lawns. He stopped the main characters and their homies from sprinting away and waved them after him. "You guys are with me, let's go!"

Tangmo led them toward a wide single storey house to their immediate left, rammed his body through the door, rolled across the floor, got up on one knee and swept the barrel left and right. Thank God the place was empty, because it would be super embarrassing if he got ganged up by a bunch of heretics after pulling off a Kool Aid Man move.

"Looking good sugar," Joanna was the first through the door and extended her hand to him. "Need some help?"

"Thanks," Tangmo took the offer and let Joanna hurled him up, damn she's strong. "Follow me, we have to secure the north side of the house."

The place was surprisingly large, and opulent too, the kind of roomy, modern house with lightly hued interior, paneled wooden floor, pristine white walls, and an entire side comprised of seamless glass pane that granted a commanding view of the neighborhood, which was on fire at the moment.

"Wait, wait, wait, over here," Tangmo grabbed Joanna's arm and dragged her behind a kitchen counter. "Let's stay away from the transparent wall while we sort things out."

"A mighty fine idea," Joanna was peering above the granite top when the main characters, and a few other faces Tangmo didn't recognized, plopped down beside them, quickly cramping up the spacious area. Beyond the glass wall was a two stories house that had been gutted and fortified, muzzle flashes from bolters and autocannons illuminating the dark, crumbling interior with spastic flashes of light. The fighting appeared to be increasing in intensity as more heretics ran to and from the house, carrying dead, wounded and ammunition boxes under vicious firefight, so occupied with their task that the traitors failed to notice guardsmen filling up the building next door.

"What's the situation outside?" Krillen asked.

"The heretics are heavily dug in for the next twenty kilometers," Leilatha swiftly tapped her data-pad. "We'll have to fight for every inch of ground from here to the Chaos Altars."

"Where are the Altars?" Min Jae asked.

"In the middle of a park," Leilatha stuffed the data-pad back into her awesome commissar coat.

"Y'all need to go through all that first," Joanna pointed at the building immediately in front of them. A tank shell flew over the crumbling attic, soaring high off its mark, and the heretics answered with a savage salvo of rockets and meltas, the cacophony was making the glass wall rippled dangerously.

"Hikla, report, what's the situation dude?" Tangmo tapped his earbud, stealing a few peeks above the counter. Goddamn, more heretics were showing up every fucking second.

"The tanks are battered, but still functioning lord commissar," the tank commander from before said. "The heretics hold a strong position, but I think we can force our way through if we charge the building head on and ram the damn thing."

"Maintain position commander, hold your ground and await further order," Tangmo tapped his earbud off then turned to Joanna. "I believe you have a plan for us?"

"I reckoned we need to keep the tanks safe until they can reach the park," Joanna said. "We need to clear them buildings for the armored boys, the road is too narrow and they'll be sitting groxs if they try to push forward."

"Just like Falluja and Baghdad," Erik pipped up.

"That's a little too optimistic dude," Tangmo snorted sardonically. "This is Stalingrad and Berlin, you down?"

"Hell yeah, I'm down," Erik smirked.

"Nice," Tangmo grinned then tapped his earbuds. "Listen up guys, the infantries will be spearheading the assault with the armor columns supporting us from behind. Every building from here to the park need to be evicted, no survivors. We're sending you the coordinates now, move out when I give the signal." Tangmo turned to the main characters, braced his lasgun and gestured them forward. "Find covers and make ready. Go!"

The guardsmen swiftly dashed across the dark living room, taking cover and training their lasguns on the unsuspecting dugout beyond. Tangmo, Leilatha and Krillen ducked down behind a luxurious sofa twenty feet from the window, eyeing the heretics.

"Korri, Erik, can you see any officer across the street?" Tangmo asked the two snipers still lurking around the kitchen counter.

"Yeah, I see her," Erik moved his eldar rifle into position. "I'll take her out."

"How about you back off and let me handle this?" Korri pushed Erik aside, placed her long barrel las sniper on the granite top, firmly shouldered the stock and peered down the scope. "I got this."

"Ladies first," Erik smirked and Korri snarled at him, the two of them have been fighting over the top sniper spot ever since the Swedish elf knocked the young, chocolate addicted, Cadian girl off the pedestal during the Frystasvard campaign. "No rush."

"I'm waiting for that sweet perfect moment," Korri steadied her breathing until she was as still as a statue, her eyes hard and unblinking.

"Well, that moment isn't gonna last, the major's leaving," Erik told her.

"I'm not blind," Korri stated with calm nonchalant.

"Seriously, the woman's walking away," Erik was getting nervous.

"I know."

"Dude, she's storming off."

"I can see that."

"Goddamn it, she's about to walk behind a wall!"

"That she does."

"And she's gone, great, what are you gonna do, headshot her through the wall?"

"I wasn't aiming of the woman, doofus."

Korri pulled the trigger, the brief flash of laser discharge herald a blinding red explosion that consumed the heretic's dugout in rolling fire, bricks, woods and steels ricocheting like shrapnel, tearing those who weren't immolated into bloody gibs.

"Open fire! Fuck them up!" Tangmo held the trigger down and swept the barrel in a wide arc, the rapid laser discharge brought the tall, glass wall down in a glittering waterfall of cascading crystal. Every guns in the house joined in a nanosecond later, peppering the surviving heretics with white hot las, the gangers and traitor PDFs either jerked violently from the impact or simply folded to the ground where they went still. When the last of the glasses clattered to the ground Tangmo vaulted over his cover, Zetton lasgun trained forward, and dashed outside, gunning down two fleeing PDFs, killing the woman trying to drag her injured friend away first before putting the wailing man out of his misery.

"Over here!" Tangmo slipped behind a waist high wall and waved the main characters over. They slide into place around him and in less than a minute were safely hunkered down and killing fleeing heretics.

"So far so good," Min Jae headshot a catatonic ganger walking around carrying his severed arm, "hey Korri, what exactly did you shoot back there?"

"I saw them carrying fresh plasma cells up to the second floor," Korri grinned, super pleased with herself. "I waited until they stacked the ammunition crates up before pulling the trigger, thought it would make a nice firework." She turned to an annoyed Erik and fluttered her lashes. "I think that put me in the lead again, wouldn't you agree High Ranger?"

"To quote the great Gimli, son of Gloin, that still counts as one!" Erik huffed childishly.

"Alright shut up, there'll be more heretics for you two to kill," Tangmo spoke up before Korri can retort, eyes narrowed on the destroyed building, the crumbling place looked pretty empty now. To his right the tanks and jeeps were making their rumbling advance. "We're on a tight schedule, follow me."

Tangmo jumped over the stone wall, cyclopean he noticed, and sprinted into the house's shadowy hallway, burning plasters and pieces of charred wood drifted around them like snow.

"To the left, contact!" Joanna shouted and fired her lasgun through the wall. Screams sounded from within as her Antebellan squad rushed forward, kicked down the door and charged inside. After a few pops and bangs all was silent, the Antebellan swiftly rejoining the group.

"Nice job colonel," Tangmo nodded at Joanna, the group slowing down as they approached a door hanging open on creaking hinges, the little avenue and the big ass house beyond was eerily quiet.

"Thank you kindly, lord commissar," Joanna tipped her feather studded helmet at him, and it was only now that Tangmo noticed she and her Antebellan wasn't wearing the Union blue Civil War reenactment uniform, but a 21st century US Marine's tactical armor.

"That is some snappy looking war gears you got their colonel," Tangmo positioned himself next to the open door, Leilatha and Erik beside him, Joanna, Krillen and Min Jae taking the opposite end while the rest of the group fanned out around them.

"It's the War Dogs gear sir," Joanna told him softly, but the volume couldn't contain the pride in her timbre.

"So you guys are like the cream of the crop of the Cobalt Star?" Tangmo kept the decibel low as he took a peek outside. Nothing stirred besides the muffled shuffling of boots coming from the three stories mansion across the cute little bike lane. Damn it, is the fucking houses gonna get bigger the nearer they get to the park?

"You're darn tootin' right we are," captain Margaret, demoted after her regiment was wiped out back on Tera-Antebella, grinned toothily, a few stray fizzy curls poking under her helmet.

"Let's see what the Devil Dogs can do then," Erik pointed out the window, his finger honed on a nondescript doorway that looked to be a servant entrance. "I can see shadow moving inside the rooms and under the door. Light infantries judging by the silent footfall, lightly armed, but the narrow spaces will make them extra deadly. We'll lay down covering fire while you boys and girls clear the corridor and hold it until we join you."

"Cassius, get the men ready, we're moving out," Joanna told the clean-shaven major who moved away from the window, summoned the War Dogs via hand signal, visible now in the morning light, and gathered them near the door, hunched and ready to move, "oh, and High Ranger, its War Dogs, not Devil Dogs."

"Same difference," Erik grinned as the Cadian and Jigurean braced their weapons on the window sills, all barrels primed and ready, both sides waiting for the other to make their move. Guess the Immortal Spirit will have to oblige then!

"Suppressive first, then I want two grenades for each window. Joanna, you ready?" The perky blonde nodded and Tangmo slowly eased his finger around the trigger. "Covering fire!"

The rapid-las had the honor of unleashing the opening salvo, rattling streams of white hot laser soared across the dividing thirty yard and peppered the building beyond, pockmarking the pristine white stone façade with burning cracks and craters. The traitor's return fire was competent, managing to stutter the barrage and injuring two Jigurean, but the battlegroup swiftly retaliated with grenades fired from revolving launchers. Windows exploded outward in a shower of sparkling flames, the panicky shouts within snuffed out by the returning suppressing fire.

"Go, go, go!" Tangmo yelled and Joanna led her War Dogs across the street, swift and silent, reaching the servant entrance in about ten seconds. Cassius kicked the door down, the heavy frame flying from its hinges, Margaret chucked a grenade inside and the War Dogs charged into the hallway a heartbeat after the bomb went off, the dust flashing like a storm cloud.

"Min Jae, Erik, we're up next," Tangmo told the Jigurean colonel then turned to Leilatha. "Bring the Cadian in after us."

Leilatha nodded and Tangmo took off with the Homeland Rifle, lasguns sweeping as they ran across the small lane, the heretics return fire whizzed dangerously close a few times, but the Cadian killed them quick enough. Tangmo was the first through the door, and quickly dashed at the nearest up turned table, narrowly dodging a barrage of las and bullets that peppered the spot where he had stood. Behind him the Homeland Rifle swiftly took covered with the hunkering Antebellan, their covers of furniture, statues and pillars getting chewed to pieces by the encompassing fusillade.

"This isn't a fucking servant entrance," Tangmo glanced across the large, circular vaulted room.

"No, it's a ballroom," Min Jae deadpanned from beside him. "That door we just came in was a side exit."

"No wonder there were so many fucking windows," Tangmo peeked above the oaken table and managed to fire off two bursts before a hail of bullet forced him back down. "Where's Joanna?"

"Over there," Min Jae pointed at large equestrian statue to the right where Joanna and her two buddies were exchanging fire with the heretics, all that remained above the wide plinth was a pair of hooved legs. "Should we join her?"

"Yeah, but I need a rocket launcher first," Tangmo turned back to the pinned down battlegroup, made the correct hand signal, prompting a Jigurean to slide a metallic tube that looked identical to an M72 LAW at him, a series of replying gesture told him that it was armed with anti-personnel yield. Tangmo slung it over his shoulder and nodded at Min Jae. "Now I'm ready."

"Covering fire!" Min Jae yelled and the battlegroup peppered the defenses around the ballroom. Leading the way, Tangmo and Min Jae kept their heads low and dashed for the plinth, making it to cover just as the heretics unleashed their return fire.

"Howdy!" Joanna greeted them sunnily as she slammed a new magazine home.

"Watch the second floor!" Min Jae cried out and gunned down a couple of jackasses creeping around the balcony. When they ducked beneath the metallic railing, Min Jae tapped his earbuds. "Get on the second floor and neutralize them!"

A loud affirmative roar resounded from the Homeland Rifle who, after glancing around the ballroom, swiftly dashed toward the many marble pillars and started scaling it at phenomenal speed. Leilatha and the Cadian, who had just entered the mansion, spared them a moment of awe before taking the Jigurean's places.

"Push forward damn you! Keep them sum bitches pin and advance! Pour it on them!" Joanna popped up above the plinth and went full auto on the heretic's pickets. Tangmo joined her, while Min Jae, Margaret and Cassius provided a more subdue, accurate fire support, managing to kill more people than the commissar and the colonel's wild barrage.

"Jonny, they're rolling up the heavy guns," Margaret warned as three lascannons were place down on the grand stairway's top landing. The scary looking barrels, etched with evil Chaos runes and shit, were trained on them and the advancing Antebellan, the crew making their final preparation on the heavy weapons.

"That's exactly why I brought this!" Tangmo laughed and rose above the plinth, rocket launcher placed on his shoulder. Seeing what was happening, the lascannon crews tried to turn the barrels toward the smirking commissar, but a quick succession of silver and white light swiftly dropped the gunners before they can manned the weapons. Erik and Korri were obviously having a field day, and that suited Tangmo just fine as he took his sweet time aiming, then fired. The rocket made a beeline for the tight ranks of lascannon, flying just an inch above the targets before exploding. Blood and fire erupted behind the heavy weapons, the anti-personnel ordnance scything everything apart, including ammo crates and power cells. The explosion that followed melted one of the lascannons and sent the other two bouncing down the stairs, rolling over and crushing every heretic in their path, leaving behind swathe of red smear on the polished woods.

"Not gonna lie, that shit was fucking hilarious, like something out of a Bugs Bunny cartoon," Tangmo was still chuckling when the lascannons finally skidded to a stop. He was about to say more when a rapid salvo of lasbolts rained down from the balcony, not on the battlegroup but on the groggily gangers and traitors PDFs. They made a macabre dance as lasers tore them to pieces

"Everything clear up there?" Tangmo tapped his earbud.

"Yes sir, all heretics have been neutralized," a Jigurean guardsman answered him as the Antebellan War Dogs rushed passed the plinth, killing any unlucky bastards still alive and going about clearing the rest of the building. Above, the Homeland Rifles were doing the same.

"Are you injured?" Leilatha joined Tangmo while the Cadian spread out to form a defensive perimeter.

"Not at all, right guys?" Min Jae and the Antebellan shook their head in respond to Tangmo, "What about you guys?"

"So far, so good" Meko said ominously and tapped his data-pad, a grimace creasing his face. "Just five more blocks to go before we reach the park, with about twelve more houses like this one between here and there."

"You're shitting me," Tangmo went over to the captain and frowned when indeed there were a lot more freaking mansions and townhouses along the way. "You know what? Fuck this shit, give me the phone."

Tangmo cleared his throat as Meko handed him the headphone then said, "Ae-Shin do you read me?"

"Ready and waiting lord commissar," Ae-Shin said eagerly.

"You up for flattening five blocks of expensive houses?" Tangmo asked.

"Sure, we've been ready since coming back from the predawn bombing," Ae-Shin told him. "Give us a coordinate, and we'll get it done in ten minutes."

"Here you go, thank you commander," Tangmo tapped his data-pad and highlighted the areas he wanted fucked and send it to Ae-Shin. "By the way, did any of the other attacking forces called for air support yet?"

"Raine and Cain asked for a strafing run about fifteen minutes ago," Ae-Shin said. "From what my pilots reported, they should be upon the Chaos Altars in about half an hour."

"Damn, those two are working fast," Tangmo was impressed, and a little jealous that Raine and Cain were further ahead than him, he's very competitive after all. "What about Jeremiah in the north? Have there been any problems with the loyalist PDF over there?"

"Tyra and her squadron just flew back from their position after dropping off the Black Pylons and four regiments worth of engineers, mechanized infantries and priests," Ae-Shin said. "They are setting up the Pylons as we speak."

"Holy shit, for real?! Leilatha, check in with Jeremiah please," his commissar girlfriend tapped her earbud, talked, nodded, then held up a thumb to him in confirmation. "Fuck, we're behind everybody else."

"That you are," what the hell, did Ae-Shin just snicker at him?!

"Oh, you can bet your sweet little ass that won't last long," Tangmo grinned, "happy hunting Ae-Shin."

"You too lord commissar," Ae-Shin said before cutting off transmission.

"What's the situation with the mansion?" Tangmo spun on Min Jae and Joanna.

"Lieutenant Se Yoon and sergeant York are reporting that the place is neutralized," Min Jae told him.

"Hikla, how are the tanks doing my dude?" Tangmo asked the tank commander next.

"The heretic's resistance has become sporadic lord commissar, and we're making good progress through the neighborhood," Hikla sounded very pleased with how things were playing out.

"Well, get ready to kick this shit into maximum overdrive because we're about to speed things up," Tangmo really like the eager chuckle on the other end. "After the air force made their bombing run I want you guys to put the pedal to the metal and head for the park, the traitors sons of bitches should be rattled to shit by that point, they should be easy picking."

"Yes sir!" Hikla responded with gusto before terminating the transmission. Tangmo checked his magazine, still half full, braced the stock to his shoulder and turned to the main characters. "Let's go, we got more heretics to kill."

They were just heading outside when Ae-Shin and the air force made their bombastic entrance. Tangmo remembered the CNN's night time broadcast of Baghdad when Operation Desert Storm begins and the US Military rained death upon the Iraqi capital. When he glanced up at Gothicipolis's morning sky he was greeted with a similar vista of destruction. Fighters and bombers, loud but invisible to the naked eyes, roared overhead, streamers of missiles and high pitched whistles of falling bombs heralded teeth rattling explosions that rolled over the battlegroup like a tidal wave, the reverberation was a powerful, physical thing. Tangmo decided then that he liked watching this shit at home more than being stuck in the middle of it. The air strike completely shattered the heretic's defenses though. Organized resistance quickly crumbled as everything went up in flame, and the traitors collectively decided that running away from the battlegroup was better than fighting them. The killing was easy, and before long the Immortal Spirit vanguard, growing to several hundred now that the various attacking columns had merged, was advancing unopposed over flaming carcasses of homes and corpses. Soon, they can see dust caked trees swaying gently in the morning breeze and retreating heretics bolting into the shrubberies and walkways flanked by miniature forests.

"Hold your position! Do not pursue! Wait for the goddamn tanks!" Tangmo shouted into his earbuds before dropping down behind a mound of rockcrete and bricks, braced his lasgun on the uneven rim, and started shooting anything that moved. Leilatha and Erik were the first to join him, "mortar teams, set up behind us! Quickly!"

"Watch the fucking trees!" Erik fired at the leafy canopies, dropping heretic marksmen still hiding amongst the greens as guardsmen formed a firing line along the destroyed buildings ringing the park.

"Keep them pin! No mercy!" Leilatha fired her bolt pistol at the faltering heretics, the battlegroup roaring in response even when a bunch of psychopathic looking gangers mustered for a counterattack, and damn there were a lot of them. "Counterattack incoming, stand your ground!"

"Look!" Korri pointed back the way they'd come and a deafening cheer went up amongst the battlegroup. The tanks were here. Holy fucking shit the timing was perfect.

"Now that's a fucking pretty sight," Tangmo commented as the Leman Russes rolled into the park, spread out into crisp battle formation, unheeding of the heretic's lasers and rockets, before unleashing hell from the main barrels and side guns. Dirt and bodies shot skyward in specks of scarlet gibs, trees jumping out of the ground before tilting downward, the devastation absolute. "The tanks are kinda slow and clunky though."

"I know right?" Erik said as the tanks plowed onward, black plumes billowing into the sky, the treads chewing up the earth. "Did you guys do any upgrade on them since getting here?"

"Mostly on the armor plating, the main guns, the engines and the software, which was nonexistence by the way, things are very World War I around here. We do what we can, but the actual structural limitations of the Leman Russes are preventing us from doing more. It's that or a complete overhaul," Tangmo rose from cover and waved the hunkered guardsmen forward. "Mortar teams and heavy weapons platforms, hold this position. The rest of you come with me, let's go!"

"So are you going to do it?" Erik asked as they jogged after the triple line of advancing Leman Russes, a few rows behind the infantry sister Joan's Chimera was sandwiched between two tanks. "Give the Leman Russes a complete facelift, I mean."

"Me and Henry are seriously considering it," Tangmo nodded. "But it will mean completely ditching the iconic WWI aesthetic, which is kind of bummer."

"I know, I fucking dig the Mark V and Char B1 looks," Erik agreed. "But if that have to be sacrifice for the sake of saving lives and giving us an edge over the enemy, then so be it."

"We have a few designs in mind," Tangmo grinned conspiratorially at Erik. "And don't worry, it won't be something too futuristic."

"Contact with the Chaos Altars lord commissar, straight ahead, two o'clock, five hundred yards," Hikla spoke up and although Tangmo couldn't actually see the damn thing, the daemonic red glow that perpetuated the area was hard to miss, the livid scarlet purple hue dimming the natural light from the sun, making the illumination around them oppressively dull and sickly. Oh, and the ground, having been exposed to undiluted Warp juice, twisted and churned around them in an evil parody of life, grabbing, snaring and creeping closer to the tanks and guardsmen, weirdest stroll in the park ever.

"Enemy's defenses?" Tangmo tapped his earbud.

"Just a few bunkers and sandbag walls sir, it looks abandon too," there was clear weariness in Hikla's tone. "Sir, I recommend that we bombard the place first before moving in."

"Do it Hikla, flattened the fucking place," Tangmo agreed wholeheartedly, this entire thing looked like a trap, and a badly veiled one at that.

"With pleasure sir," the columns of tank moved forward twenty yards before opening fire, sparing the infantries from the worst of the bangs and blast back.

"Something's wrong," Leilatha whispered into Tangmo's ear, gloved hand tightening around her bolt pistol. "The warband will never let us get this close unless they allow it."

"I know," Tangmo nodded and tapped his earbuds. "High alert people, things only get this quiet when shit's about to go down."

The guardsmen responded promptly, taking defensive position behind Myrmidon jeeps and Chimeras, all barrels trained on the hellish landscape around them. Nearer to the Altars, inanimate objects like rocks, trees and statues were starting to move, their shapes twisted at grotesque angles, baleful animalistic wails parted half formed maws. Despite being creepy as all fucks, they were pretty harmless for the moment.

"I fucking hate this place," Erik groaned as he watched the nightmarish landscape and its denizens.

"Me too," Tangmo was about to say more when Erik's eyes narrowed suddenly, his posture stiffening like a wolf that had just detected an imminent danger. Oh no.

"I see something moving, there, in that rolling thorn bushes…what in the fuck – wait, isn't that…!"

"Contact! Contact! Traitor Astartes incoming! Blast the mother – AHHHH!"

Explosion from the tank columns followed the demise of Hikla's transmission, but that wasn't what caught Tangmo's attention, nope, it was the nine foot tall posthuman genetically engineered killing machine clad in dark midnight blue stomping toward them, the bat wings cresting the helm adding to his already imposing height. Night Lord, it had to be the fucking Night Lord.

"Watch out, watch out, watch out!" Erik did a Michael Cole impression as the Night Lord Marine punt kicked a Myrmidon Humvee, send it flipping into the air and landing on top of another jeep, then proceed to gun down exposed guardsmen with merciless impunity, his evil maniacal laugh, amplified by the daemonic grilles, was so loud that it hurts Tangmo's ears. And to make matters worse, the stacked Myrmidon blew up, killing and roasting everyone within the blast radius.

"As God as my witness, they are broken in half!" Tangmo, not to be outdone by Erik, channeled the legendary Jim Ross before smacking his earbud and yelling hurriedly. "It's a fucking Night Lord ambush! Everybody spread the fuck out and pin the edgy sons of bitches down! Don't give them an easy target! Any tanks still alive, fire every gun! Run those bastards down if you have to! Guardsmen, get every weapon to the front, Zodd lasguns, grenade launchers, bazookas, anything, we're gonna wreck Curze's vigilante rejects and send them straight to hell! For the Emperor motherfuckers!"

The responding hearty roar almost made Tangmo deaf as he and the main characters took position behind a Myrmidon, the roof gunner going full auto with his heavy bolter, pouring a stream of red hot bolts on the Night Lord Marine taking cover amongst the burning vehicles.

"Aim for the head and set the guns output to maximum!" Tangmo braced his Zetton lasgun on the Myrmidon's hood and fired single shots at the Night Lord who was darting from one dead jeep to the next. "Goddamn it, stay still motherfucker so I can shoot your ass properly!"

"How many fucking Astartes are we dealing with here?!" Joanna was less conservative with her ammo and sprayed the Traitor Marine, the lasbolts ricocheting off the skull faced pauldron.

"There are four Night Lord Astartes operating on Gothicipolis," Min Jae calmly reloaded his lasgun. "I think it's safe to say that all of them are here."

"Where are the rest?" Krillen growled when the Traitor Marine plowed through another jeep and killed a squad of Cadian hiding behind it, laughing in rapturous ecstasy all the while.

"Two are pushing forward from the front," Leilatha loaded a Kraken magazine and pointed her bolt pistol at the Night Lord, snarling when she can't get a clear shot. "We're dealing with one right now, and judging by the panicky transmission coming from the eastern flank, another Astartes is moving toward us from that direction."

"Well, let's deal with this asshole first – look out!" Tangmo grabbed Leilatha and, in sync with the main characters, went flat on his stomach as a brutal bolt salvo tore the Myrmidon apart, the gunner's torso was ripped to shred before he can even scream.

"Sing commissar," at the low, daemonic utterance, Tangmo stood up above the jeep's burning ruin and almost pissed himself when he saw the Night Lord Marine approaching, dead guardsmen carpeted his assured steps. "Sing a requiem for your soldiers, sing a hymn for those you have failed, sing the anthem of your death. Sing commissar! For I am your maestro this day!"

"I don't take request, bitch," Tangmo drew his bolt pistol and fired, but the Astartes was already on the move, answering the commissar with a barrage of his own. "Everyone scatter, I'll deal with the Marine! Erik, help me tag team this fucker!"

"With pleasure!" Tangmo and Erik dashed off together, exchanging gunfire with the Night Lord Marine, every shot going wide like some cliché action movie as the guardsmen took any cover they could find and unleashed a sustain barrage on the Astartes. It was not very effective, and the Night Lord swiftly closed his distance with the Thai commissar and Swedish Ranger.

"Damn, that big bastard can really move," Tangmo and Erik ran into a row of destroy jeeps and APCs, drawing the Night Lord away from Leilatha and the main characters. Predictably the Astartes followed, cackling all the time, uncaring of the lasbolts and rockets peppering his power pack, energized by a prey worthy of giving chase. Despite his size, the Night Lord moved in a blur, blending easily into the dancing flames and shadows before disappearing altogether. "Well, shit."

"Where did he go?" Erik asked the rhetorical question, eyes wide as he scanned the desolate maze around them.

"Keep moving, keep moving," Tangmo slammed a Kraken magazine home and took off with Erik without any real destination in mind.

"You're just winging this, aren't you?!" Erik scowled at him.

"Shut up! I have a fucking plan!" Tangmo leapt over a burning pile of scrap metal.

"Yeah? What is it?!" Erik narrowed his eyes.

"I'm making this up as I go, give me a fucking break!" Tangmo barked.

"Great! We're absolutely fucking dead!" They ran passed a flipped over Chimera, how in the hell did the Traitor Marine even manage that shit? "Do you even know anything about fighting a fucking Night Lord?!"

"Well shit, if I bump into Coreth and Eurydice next time, I'll fucking ask them for some pointer!" A new noise, a mechanical revving timbre, interrupted Tangmo's tirade. "That sounds like a…"

"Chainsword!" Erik cried out and, in an epic display of synchronization with Tangmo, did a tactical ninja roll, narrowly dodging the screaming chainsword swooping horizontally at them. Spinning around, Tangmo and Erik raised their respective weapons and opened fire on the Night Lord Marine, but the Chaos fucker was already moving, bolts and shurikens kicking up dirt as he dashed toward a jeep and, one handed, lifted it up, using the car as an improvised shield.

"We can't keep running bro!" Erik emptied his clip on the advancing Night Lord, but the Myrmidon carcasses absorbed all the damage.

"I know goddamn it, give me a…" Tangmo was loading the Banestrike rounds when he caught sight of a Chimera, silent and unmoving, but unlike its fallen brethren this one was intact and not blown inside out. Finally, he got a plan. "This way, let's go motherfucker!"

The two sprinted for the Chimera, jumping, sliding and parkouring over destroyed vehicles, looking like total badasses despite the fact that they were running away. Laughing lowly, the Night Lord threw away the jeep shield and ran after them, bulling and swathing aside every obstacles like fucking King Kong.

"Inside! Come on dude!" Tangmo waved Erik into the Chimera before following him in. He quickly glanced around the blood splattered interior, bodies of dead Cadian troopers waiting to disembark were sprawled across the floor, cut down by the Night Lord's bolter. Just as he thought, the fuel compartments and ordnance crates were still intact.

"The hatch is still working, come on dude," Erik was pushing it open when Tangmo grabbed his leg and pulled him back inside.

"Pretend we're trapped," Tangmo nudged his head at the pile of ammunitions and fuel, earning an understanding 'oh' from Erik as he started banging and kicking the hull in an approximation of panic. The thudding footfall was growing in timbre and tempo, accompanied by the Night Lord's sadistic laughing. "Come on man, start screaming like you always do."

"The fuck?!" Erik stopped leaping around the Chimera and glared at Tangmo. "I don't scream you asshole!"

"Oh please, I heard how you squealed that time you and Yuki went to the Doom 3 world when Elizabeth and Eleanor were jumping across the multiverse," Tangmo grinned nastily at Erik.

"That's a fucking lie, Yuki's making shit up! I don't fucking scream…"

"Nowhere to run now, commissar!"

"AHHH! YOU FUCKING IDIOT, YOU GOT US TRAP IN HERE AND THERE'S NO WAY OUT!"

Tangmo, with herculean effort, stopped himself from laughing at Erik's girlish damsel squeal as he rounded on the APC's ramp, bolt pistol loaded with the Banestrike rounds, and trained it at the growing shadow looming beyond. The Chimera was a MK VI, larger, faster and more robust than the previous incarnation, with an interior wide enough for a Space Marine to squeeze inside, which was why the chainsword wielding Night Lord was crawling easily toward him. Leering laughter echoed off the metallic walls as he got into a tigerish crouch not seven feet away from Tangmo, and holy God almighty, the Chaos Astartes was scary as fuck up close.

"I will make this very slow and painful," the Night Lord hissed.

"For you," Tangmo pulled the trigger in quick succession, the Astartes killer rounds turning the Night Lord's arms and legs into gibs of minced flesh and metal. The Night Lord roared furiously as he collapsed to the floor.

"Tangmo!" Erik was already out of the hatch and Tangmo swiftly followed him up, the Night Lord thrashed in impotent rage as he tried to follow, but his size and injuries restricted any swift movement within the Chimera's confines.

"Go, go, go!" Tangmo and Erik leapt off the Chimera's roof and sprinted away, counting to ten before turning back to the stricken APC and its enraged occupant.

"Hasta la vista, baby," Tangmo choose the coolest, most appropriate quote and fired his bolt pistol at the Chimera, the Banestrike round punching easily through the metal armor and detonating the ammo caches and fuel compartment. The APC went up in a spectacular fireball, the powerful super-hot gale slammed into Tangmo and Erik, knocking them flat on their asses. Getting back up was not easy. "Ow."

"Damn dude, that catchphrase is old," Erik shook his head to clear the ringing in his ears and smirked.

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," Tangmo shot back with another old quote. "Besides, Arnold's quotes are fucking immortal. To say otherwise would be heresy of the highest order."

"You do know the T-1000 got up immediately after the Terminator said that, right?" Erik gave Tangmo a look, one brow quirked upward.

"Oh, totally," Tangmo had barely finished his sentence when an ultra pissed off roar rumbled from the Chimera burning ruin, and crawling through the fire and the flame like some slasher movie villain that refused to fucking die came the Night Lord, propelling himself forward on the stump of his right arm, his only remaining limb. He was wreathed in fire and his awesome helmet was gone, revealing a scorched visage blackened and sizzled to the bone.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" Was the only word hissing through the Night Lord's lipless face as Tangmo and Erik strode up to him.

"Damn right," Tangmo pulled the trigger and obliterated the Astartes's head, sending brain, jaw, teeth, skull, meat and eyeballs flying in every direction like a burst watermelon.

"You sure he's not gonna get up with three new daemon heads or some shit?" Erik trained his eldar sniper rifle at the Night Lord's smoking stump of a neck.

"Nah dude, Night Lords don't worship the Chaos gods, they just hate the Imperium," Tangmo twirled the bolt pistol around his finger. "Nice scream by the way, the girls would be proud."

"Breathe a word of this and I will end you," Erik growled at him.

"I think everyone with an ear already heard that," Tangmo was about to laugh when a loud crash sounded to his right and a Chimera swerved into view, bulling blindly through the smoldering graveyard of metal, a Night Lord Astartes clinging to the front and banging his bolter on the armored windshield. "Okay, now that's a pretty unusual sight even by 40k standard."

"Isn't that sister Joan's Chimera?" The Night Lord was emptying his clip on the cockpit now, the APC spun wildly before skidding to a stop, the murderous Astartes was laughing like a lunatic as he climbed on the roof and started tearing it open with his chainsword. Muffled high pitched screams can be heard amongst the mad revving of spinning adamantium teeth.

"Fuck! We gotta save them, let's go dude!" Tangmo and Erik sprinted for the unmoving Chimera, their legs spurred faster by the sight of the Night Lord reaching inside the hole he'd made and effortlessly pulled a woman out by the scruff of her nun habit, she kicked and cursed to no avail.

"Witness your failure, slaves of the Carrion God!" The Night Lord roared in pure exaltation and, with demented slowness, angled the chainsword's whirring blade toward Joan's abdomen, her eyes closed in stoic acceptance of death. Below, her flock was screaming and crying her name. Teeth gritted in a rictus snarl, Tangmo pointed his bolt pistol at the Night Lord, aiming for the Marine's sword arm, the last Banestrike bolt should be enough to sever it. This close however, Joan was gonna get fucked up by shrapnel, still better than getting eviscerated but it won't be pretty, hopefully Joseph can forgive him. A loud bang went up beside Tangmo and the world was momentarily blinded by searing white. Blinking, Tangmo was about to squeeze the trigger when the Night Lord, his head now nothing but wispy white smoke, started tilting backward while sister Joan fell heavily on the Chimera's roof with an oof.

"I love it when idiots gloat," Erik ejected the smoking bone white magazine, the rifle's barrel shimmered a dangerous iridescent red. "Make them easy to kill."

"Joan!" Tangmo and Erik scrambled up the Chimera's roof, both breathing a sigh of relief upon finding the nun already on her feet, a little shaken but otherwise unharmed. "Holy shit dude, are you alright?!"

"Scared out of my mind but quite alright," Joan nodded and flashed Erik a smile, "that was a superb shot laddie, thank you."

"Don't mention it," Erik smiled back. "Are you hurt?"

"Just some bruises and a crick in the neck, no damage beyond that," Joan turned sadly toward the driver seats and made the aquila sign over her heart. "May your soul find peace at the Emperor's side." She then glanced down the jagged hole at her feet. "Are all of you alright down there?" Affirmative murmur answered her. "Splendid! Now lower the ramp my wee lads and lasses, we still have work to do."

The Chimera's entrance slammed down and skittish teenagers and children rushed outside, many shrieking and whimpering at the carnage around them. Tangmo and Erik was helping Joan down the last few steps of the side ladder when the main characters and their squads rushed through the flaming smog and joined them, weapons sweeping across the desolate, quieting landscape.

"Are you alright?" Tangmo asked Leilatha as she skidded to a stop in front of him, he was spreading his arms to embrace her but she stopped him with a sharp look. Right, they still needed to be professional once in a while.

"We are fine Tangmo," Leilatha's warm smile was small and genuine. "But the casualties are still mounting. We're looking at about three hundred dead at least, with a thousand more incapacitated."

"Considering that we just went up against the Night Lords, that's actually pretty good news. Usually there are no survivors," Tangmo chuckled and it was picked up tiredly by the guardsmen. "What's the situation at the front?"

"The armored column managed to kill the Traitor Marines, but at a great cost. They're down to only a dozen tanks now," Leilatha told him.

"What about the other two?" Krillen asked.

"Well, I set that motherfucker on fire then blew his fucking head off," Tangmo pointed proudly at the burning APC about twenty feet away. "And Erik just headshot this other sum bitch that was trying to kill sister Joan, his headless body should be on the other side of the Chimera."

"Then we better get a move on," Joanna went over to Joan, the nun was doing a good job of calming down her charges. "Get the boys and girls up sister, we're heading out. Stay close, keep your heads down and don't fall behind."

"You heard her, let's go!" The main characters formed a tight circle around sister Joan and her congregation, the nun now wielding one of those Ecclesiarchy banner with the big open bible on top. "Double time, let's go shut down the Chaos Altars!"

"What about the other heretics?" Erik asked as the group jogged quickly through the Night Lord's hellish handiwork. Impromptu field hospitals were being set up by Ryvin, with more injured being carried toward rows of moaning people spread out across the ground. Those unscathed swiftly set up defensive perimeter beside the remaining Myrmidons and Chimeras.

"After the Night Lords were neutralized, the heretic forces routed," Min Jae grinned wolfishly as they approached a trio of midnight black altar, the ebon surface veined with pulsing red that moved slowly like lava. "Seeing their champions destroy can be very demoralizing after all."

"All the better for us," Tangmo held up his fist, made a series of hand signal that prompted the main characters to form a defensive circle, and turned to sister Joan and her flock. "You're up sister, Emperor speed."

"Thank you lord commissar, High Ranger," sister Joan bowed at them both and, with the bearing of a general, led her congregation toward the Chaos Altars, her churchly banner, glowing a warm golden light, held high and fearless. What followed was quick and precise, sister Joan and her flock started things off with a series of hymns and litanies venerating the God Emperor, which made the ground trembled as the Chaos presence tried to reject the intrusion like a virus fighting off a vaccine. The Sleaghadharian woman's powerful voice was undeterred by the resistance and continued to sing the glory of the Master of Mankind until all was still once more. With the tremor ceasing, Joan stepped forward and, with a motherly gentleness, tapped one of the Altar with the Ecclesiarch banner. The flowing crimson veins in all three altars went black and cold, no explosion, no daemonic screams promising wrathful vengeance, nope, just evil red lights going out as if someone flipped a freaking switch.

"We're good?" Tangmo held up his thump and sister Joan replied with the same gesture, her flock of youngsters cheering and waving at him. "Get the Black Pylons up here now!"

"En route, lord commissar," Krillen said as the main characters broke out into cheering, shaking hands and hugging each other as six Chimeras rolled passed them. "And we're still alive."

"Damn right we are," Tangmo shook hand then bro hug Krillen. "Great job dude, and that goes for all of you, fucking top job! One more wins for the Immortal Spirit!"

Tangmo made his round of congratulations with the main characters then tapped his earbud, "yo, we're setting up the Black Pylons right now, ETA ten minutes, hang tight."

"Ah! Commissar Tangmo, so good to hear from you again," Ciaphas Cain answered him. "For a moment there, the silence was beginning to worry me."

"Got delayed by a bunch of Night Lord Traitor Marines, but we took care of those sons of bitches," Tangmo couldn't stop himself from gloating.

"That must have been a fight!" There was a smile in Cain's voice. "We didn't run into anything that bad on our front but – ahhh! Merciful Throne!"

"You're hurting him, stop!"

"I've performed battlefield surgery before, I know what I'm doing! Now get your hands off me!"

"Umm…Cain, is everything alright bro?" Tangmo asked, somewhat perturbed by the two feminine voices that interrupted the Hero of the Imperium.

"Commissar Raine is dressing up wound, ouch!" Cain squawked, "with Amberley helping along."

"Alright, stay safe dude," that last thing Tangmo heard before terminating transmission was Raine and Amberley's catty argument.

"What now?" Leilatha stepped up beside him.

Tangmo looked to the east and sighed, long and deep, his visage becoming stern, "now the main attack begins."