The Multiverse Project: Warhammer 40,000

"You don't suppose that could be our reinforcement?" Tangmo asked Leilatha as they hurried down the debris filled corridor, around them guardsmen were shouting and pointing at the sky where the eldritch gateway churned and riled like a grotesque storm.

"I am not one to believe in such fateful providence," Leilatha said as they rounded a bend.

"You and me both," Tangmo agreed. "We need to find Henry."

"Seems like your friend took his time consoling those two," Leilatha pointed at a clearing where Henry was talking into Meko's vox-caster, the radioman, Orhul, Tyra, Krix, Luva, Krillen, Korri, Xiphos and Ruven forming a loose circle around him. At their approach, Krix and Luva shot Tangmo a dirty look while Tyra eyed him and Leilatha appearance together with a less than subtle inquisitiveness, the questing gaze had a clear glint of possessiveness to it. Tangmo was flattered by the attention, but the demonic hell portal up in the sky took priority right now.

"…God Emperor above, we're fucked!" Vakon less than reassuring announcement boomed from the speaker.

"Bro, you need to calm the fuck down and tell me what the fuck is happening, coherently this time," Henry calm voice settled the artillery lieutenant down somewhat.

"S-Sorry sir," Vakon stopped hyperventilating. "But things are looking pretty bad."

"Who came through the Warp?" Henry pressed on.

"A splinter Chaos fleet sir, they plowed straight into the navy."

"Are they sending in landing parties? Are you getting surrounded?"

"The navy is keeping them busy sir, but I doubt that would last," Vakon was silent for a moment before continuing. "Sir, the heretics in Kidemonas are beginning to move again."

"They're making another push?"

"No sir, half of them just broke away from the main host…I think they're heading for your position."

Head rising dramatic, Henry locked eyes with Tangmo as they both struck a theatric, Michael Bay camera panning pose and uttered four words in unison:

"Shit just got real."

"General? Are you there?" Vakon spoke up when Henry didn't make a timely response.

"Still here lieutenant," Henry said.

"Your order sir? We can start shelling those bastards to ease the pressure off you."

"No. Save the ammo for when they make a push for your position, your priority right now should be keeping every guardsmen and refugee safe. Hold your ground until the navy repels the traitor's fleet, we'll be fine on this end."

"Are you sure sir?"

"We're out of artillery range anyway. Until then Vakon, as always, good luck, we'll talk later."

"…Yes sir, good luck."

The radio chatter ended, leaving only a pregnant silence as the guardsmen devoted the entirety of their attention to the commissar and the general, both of whom seem strangely relaxed despite the dire news.

"Well, this is pretty morbid," Henry began conversationally.

"I know right?" Tangmo cracked a smile. "I mean, we've been in some shitty situation before but this takes the fucking cake."

"What are your orders, sir?" Krillen spoke up.

"I'm finding the goddamn STC. Ruven, bring the tank crew and twenty good men," Henry declared.

"Dude, we're about to die in an hour or so, I don't think that matters anymore," Tangmo said.

"It's not that dude," Henry continued. "The only reason those Chaos scumbags are coming here is because they know where the STC is, someone up in the fleet probably told them. So I'm gonna go find it first and blow it straight to hell."

"Okay, then what?"

"I don't know, come back up and help? At this point, I'm just gonna wing it."

"Guess that's the best anyone can do right now," like before, Tangmo and Henry clasped hands and gave each other a quick bro hug. "Don't leave me hanging dude."

"Not a chance bro," Henry smirked and strode away with Ruven, giving the gather guardsmen an encouraging thumps up. "Good luck you magnificent bastards!"

"We don't need luck, we need Sabaton!" Tangmo laughed.

"Crank that bitch up to eleven bro!" Henry called back before disappearing behind a bend.

"All right ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls," Tangmo turned to the named characters. "You know what to do, let's get ready."

"What exactly are we supposed to be doing, sir?" Meko asked.

"Why, die an epic and glorious death for the God Emperor of course!" Tangmo chirped brightly. "Sabaton is about to get a lot of new materials tonight!"

"I'm sorry, but wasn't that what you specifically told us not to do?" Orhul piped up.

"Well, we weren't about to die this morning, so change of plan," Tangmo went on. "Anyway, check your ammos and gear. When that's done, ready your dinner and eat hearty, for tomorrow we shall partake breakfast in hell!"

"But I don't want to eat breakfast in hell," Korri gave a squeaky whine.

"Too bad! I've already made a reservation."

"Sir," Tyra stepped forward and saluted, "permission to remain with the guards, sir."

"Shouldn't you be inside the pyramid?" Tangmo asked. "It's a lot safer there."

"It's not right that I do less than the other sir," Tyra remained adamant. "As I've already told the general, I can hold my own in a fight."

"I'm sensing you're not taking no for an answer?"

"Damn right sir!"

"Okay, fine, but you're going with them," Krix and Luva balked when Tangmo pointed in their direction.

"I thought I was going with you," Tyra blurted but quickly went timid, failing to suppress the deep shade of pink rising up her cheeks.

"This isn't some social outing, pilot," Leilatha sneered and came to stand before Tyra who, surprisingly, didn't back down from the commissar glare. "This is a war. You'll do well to remember that before deciding to endanger the entire regiment with your infatuation."

"Now, now Leilatha, no need for any of that," Tangmo intervened before another catfight broke out. "Captain Tyra just wants to help."

Leilatha backed away with a less than polite grumble as Tangmo meet Tyra's eyes.

"I know you want to stick with me, Tyra," Tangmo gave a wink. "But I'm going to be in the thickest, most dangerous part of the fight and I really don't want you to get hurt, I seriously can't deal with that right now. That's why I'm asking you to go with Krix and Luva, they're excellent guardswomen and they'll keep you safe."

Tyra gave a disappointed frown but relented with a firm nod.

"Besides," Tangmo grinned. "I need someone to stop them from killing each other."

Krix and Luva growled at Tangmo before giving Tyra a less then pleasant look, the Valkyrie captain returned their gaze with a challenging irk of a brow.

"Now, with that taken care of," Tangmo continued. "What's the situation on manpower and armaments?"

"Around five hundred left in fighting capacity," Krillen said. "As for weapons, we have more than enough. The loots we took from the traitors were surplus, to say the least."

"Okay, that's good," Tangmo took a couple of seconds to formulate a plan. "Now, this is what we're going to do. I want everybody ready to move, okay? The heretics horrifically outnumbered us, which means they're not gonna waste their time with complex tactic, not that they ever have one to begin with." That got a good chuckle out of the group. "Anyway, tell the scouts to keep an eye out for them. When those fuckers show up, I want to know where they'll be attacking so we can concentrate our defenses on that single spot. Got it?"

Solemn nods answered him, no trace of hesitation or fear gleamed in those hard, resolute eyes, only the low simmer of burning determination forged from years of unending warfare.

"The Emperor watches us tonight ladies and gentlemen," Tangmo announced. "Make him proud."

"Yes sir!"

"Dismiss," the Cadian and Kolasian guardsmen rushes off to their position while Tangmo went to an autocannon emplacement nearby, the huge barreled turned toward the serene cityscape beyond.

"Rigged the place and be ready to move out," he told the gunners, who acknowledge with crisp 'yes sir'.

The clicking of boots sounded behind him and Tangmo turned to find Leilatha approaching, hand clasped behind her back, prim and poised as always.

"Got nowhere else to go?" Tangmo asked.

"I was just making my rounds," Leilatha shrugged.

"Good timing too," Tangmo waved for her to follow. "I have something to discuss with you, come on."

With obvious reluctance, Leilatha complied and accompanied him to a secluded corner, well out of the nearest guardsman's earshot.

"What is it?" Leilatha demanded as Tangmo leaned against the flaking wall.

"I think we're about to die," Tangmo said conversationally. "In my humble estimation, there could be over a million heretics out there. We might be able to hold them off for an hour at most before getting overrun."

"We are destined to die for the God Emperor and the Imperium of Man," Leilatha stated matter-of-factually.

"Oh, I know that, we're born to die in battle. Heh, I laugh at my fate," Tangmo recited the Manowar lyric.

"Then what is the point of bringing this up?" Leilatha said impatiently.

"I'm just making a simple admission," Tangmo gave her a sincere smile. "It's easier to make peace with death when saying it out loud to someone."

"Should have saved this tripe for your darling pilot."

"Probably, but I don't want to be that morbid around the men. They need courage in their hearts, not crippling depression."

"I suppose."

"Anyway, I just want to say that it's been an honor to have fought and die by your side, commissar Leilatha," Tangmo extended his hand to Leilatha. To his surprise, the lady commissar actually took the peace offering, albeit a little stiff with the handshake.

"I wish I could say the same, commissar Tangmo," Leilatha sighed. "However, if I was being honest, I did find your eccentricity and unpredictability to be rather…enjoyable."

Tangmo's lips peeled back in an evil smirk, "did you just say something nice about me?"

"Don't read too much into it," Leilatha snatched her hand back.

"Aww, I knew you had a soft spot for me!" Tangmo crooned sweetly.

"Oh, shut up!" Leilatha shot back and was about to unleash a combo of insult when a cry went up amongst the guardsmen.

"They're here!"

Around them the soldiery burst into motion, a scene of controlled chaos as the Imperial Guards loaded their weapons, carried away boxes of ammunition and made one last check on the heavy stubbers and bolters before disassembling it, crews of four carrying the hulking components to another position.

"Where are they attacking?" Tangmo grabbed one of the radioman listening to static garble coming from the headphone.

"The main southern entrance sir," the man said before dashing off, Tangmo and Leilatha following not far behind.

"The heretics seem confident," Tangmo commented as they reached a wide broken archway, the once majestic architecture reduced to nothing but mounds of rubbles fortified by heavy guns, M1 artilleries and lots of sandbags.

"Not the mindset you want your enemy to have," Leilatha took position beside the foremost heavy bolter pillbox, the crew grim and silent.

"Well, they have a lot of reason to be," Tangmo said as dark crimson bled across Kidemonas nocturnal landscape, the unholy chanting of Chaos incantation melded with the grinds and groans of war machine. Soon, a false red dawn painted the horizon, casting crooked sickly shadow across the ruined city.

"Guess it's time, huh?" Orhul, along with the named characters, came to stand with Tangmo and Leilatha, gaze held unblinking on the nearing Chaos army.

"Oh yeah," Tangmo nodded when the heretic's vanguard marched into view, their blackened, defiled body armor gleamed vivid orange in the sea of torchlight, a savage unruly mob of accountable number. And they were all singing. An unholy off tune paean of clashing rhythm and melody, backup by bestial baying that sounded like a parody of a human voice. So basically, a pop concert when the auto-tune and lip-sync got fucked. Soon, a single hunched, priestly shape shambled out of the crowd, the madden choir lessened as he raised a hand for silence.

"Slaves of the carrion god," despite looking like the Crypt Keeper, the old man's voice resonated across the city with unnatural virtuosity. Powered by the Warp, that's for sure.

"Why do you persist?" He continued. "Why do you take up arms against your enlightened brothers and sisters? Are you afraid of the truth? Are you…"

The top part of his head melted into sizzling mush of blood and bones, the tongue flapped its dying muscle, making a wet gurgle as the body tilted and flopped to the ground.

"Go fuck yourself, you Chaos bitch ass motherfucker!" Tangmo bellowed, a smoking laspistol in his hand.

The heretic reaction was immediate. Vengeful howl shattered the night as the foremost ranks surged forward in a tide of rolling fire, weapons and guns brandished above their heads, shaking and waving in unrestrained anger.

"Unleash hell guardsmen! In the name of the Emperor let none survive!" Tangmo shouted and fired his dual laspistols into the surging crowd, blazing lasbolts and bullets roared a cacophonic storm around him. Like the disorganized mob they fought earlier today, these lots were melee fighters, and those with guns were complete idiot when it comes to using their weapons. Killing them was appallingly easy and thoroughly satisfying. It was only after the roadway between the two armies was turned into a smoldering no man's land of bloody, twitching corpses that the heretic started retreating, hissing and growling like animals as they regrouped a good five hundred yards away.

"Cease fire, goddamn it!" Tangmo yelled at a squad of too eager Whiteshields. "Save your shots for the next push you dumbass!"

"Ready the artilleries!" Leilatha's shout cut through the cough and stutter of engines rumbling from across the street, "enemy's vehicles incoming!"

With loud shouts and grunts, the M1s rolled into position as the traitors parted ranks for trucks, cars, vans and a few tanks decked out in a chaotic jumble of spike carapace, mismatched patches of metal plates and lots and lots of guns like some George Miller's Australian dystopian nightmare.

"Hold your fire! Wait until they get into optimal range!" Leilatha bellowed at the heavy weapon crews.

"You heard the lady, don't fire until we say so!" Tangmo hunkered down behind a chest high wall of sandbags and watched the monstrous looking vehicles rolled closer, wheels and tracks grinding the bodies beneath them into pulping mush of meat and blood. Half way across the killing field the trucks and tanks opened fire, heavy machineguns and high caliber cannons lit the battlefield up like bolts of lightning, every thundering boom chipping away at the defenses, scream tinged the onslaught. Good thing they can't aim for shit though, or the damage would've been worst.

"Fucking hell, we need to hit them back!" Orhul shouted over the pounding explosion.

"Not yet!" Leilatha barked as the vehicles drew nearer, glaring headlight pierced through the dusty darkness.

"Hold your fire goddamn it!" Tangmo crawled to Leilatha side and poked his head above the leaking sandbag. "Just a few seconds more…"

"All batteries open fire!" Leilatha command was received by thunderclaps of pounding artilleries, the M1s armor piercing rounds tore into the tanks and hodgepodge automobiles with ease, every shot hitting a target, turning the heretical war machines into blooming flowers of twisting fire and tortured metallic corpses. Drivers and gunners leapt from the wreckages, wreathed in fire, making them an easy target for the guardsmen's merciless counterattack. Rockets whistled through the air, striking down any wounded cars still trying to advance forward. Soon enough, nothing remained but gutted husk of melted steel, the flaming remains choking the roadway.

"So far so good," Tangmo croaked a laugh.

"It's been only fifteen minutes," Leilatha was reloading her laspistol when a loud, crisp command echoed from the heretic's line, followed by an enthusiastic cheer that herald the reverberating stomps of marching feet.

"Movement!" Meko shouted. "They're sending in the PDF!"

"More prodding it is then," Krillen joined them with Korri in towed, the colonel carrying two extra lasguns.

"Here," he tossed the lasguns at the two commissars, both catching the weapon midflight. "You'll need something better than a laspistol."

"Thanks dude," Tangmo braced his gun as the first wave of traitor guardsmen marched into view, locked in a tight phalanx identical to the Fire Guard fighting formation, a somber hymn accompanied their advance.

"Bastards!" Xiphos roared and unleashed an unforgiving salvo on his once countrymen, others equally outraged Kolasian joining in the slaughter with righteous fury. Many fall to the barrage but the concentrated, and lethally accurate, return fire forced the Fire Guard back into cover, many missing their faces.

"Cut them down!" Tangmo yelled when the traitors came within range of the heavy guns, the brutal staccato of bolters, autoguns and MG42 looking stubber gun rented the night. The dancing light and shadow quickly took on a scarlet hue as the scything hail tore into the phalanx, men and women exploding in mist of shredded flailing meat. Expecting the traitors to make another retreat, the corrupted guardsmen instead broke off into smaller squad and darted for the carcasses of twisted metal, all the while peppering the defender's position with infuriatingly accuracy.

It took Tangmo a couple of minutes, and a few close calls, for him to notice that the traitors were advancing way too fast for his liking. They moved with the discipline of a veteran fighting unit, dishing out suppressing fire on the outnumbered loyalist guardsmen before creeping closer, using the destroyed vehicles as cover.

Aw shit, so that's why they send in the trucks and tanks as sacrificial lambs first, they needed something to shield the foot soldiers. Damn, who would've thought Chaos could get creative like that?

"Okay, we got a bit of a problem," Tangmo said as he ducked behind the sandbags.

"I've noticed," Leilatha fired a burst of superheated laser at a group of heretic, sending them scrambling behind a dead tank.

"Sir, we need to stem the advance," Meko dropped down beside him.

"Tell the artilleries to fire on the nearest covers, we need a clear killzone to stop them from rushing our position," Tangmo said. "Do we have any mortars? Something to keep them on their feet?"

"In this visibility we'll be firing blind," Orhul gave his input.

"Tell the mortar crew to make their best estimation and begin bombardment, we're not going give them any room to breathe," Tangmo peered over the cover and gave an annoyed grunt. "God Emperor fucking damn it, those sum bitches are getting close."

"I'll take care of that," Krix strode up to the barrier and ignited a flamer she had liberated from the heretic's armory.

"What do you think you're doing?" Tangmo eyed Krix as she braced herself atop the deflated wall, sands trickling out in a steady stream through the many sizzling puncture wounds.

"I'm gonna go light the place up," Krix said. "That should slow them down a bit."

"Where's your squad?" Tangmo pressed on.

"I send them away. It'll be easier for me to sneak up on them alone."

"That seems needlessly dangerous. Not to mention suicidal."

"Won't be the first time I've done something like this sir."

Tangmo gave a curt nod, "alright, go! Good luck!" Krix flashed him a grin then leapt over the sandbag. It took Tangmo precisely one second before dashing after her, much to Leilatha very verbal dissatisfaction.

"Aww, and here I thought you were going to let me go alone," Krix was endearingly sweet as Tangmo joined her behind a smoldering truck.

"What can I say? I'm a gentleman like that," Tangmo smirked. "Besides, two heads are better than one."

"Make that four."

Luva and Tyra sprinted toward their position, body hunched low as red laser flashed a pretty steaks above them.

"And forgive me for being frank, lord commissar," Luva went on as she crouched down beside Tangmo. "But a gentleman does not treat a lady with such callousness, nor does he shame her in public like that."

"Wait, what happened?" Tyra asked.

"I gave these two a public spanking with my foot!" Tangmo laughed then gave the three women a quick look over. "Huh."

"What is it sir?" Luva irked a brow at his inquisitive gaze.

"Never thought there were so many women in the guards."

The guardswomen and pilot shot him a dangerous look then, eyes narrowed to a knife edge as Krix said with clear indignation, "and what the hell is that supposed to mean, sir?!"

"I mean – torch those motherfuckers! To your right! Two o'clock!"

Krix swung her flamer toward the indicated direction and unleashed a torrent of searing liquid fire at a squad of sneaky traitor guardsmen trying to get a jump on them. None had a chance to scream as burning promethium liquefied their bodies into burning blackened mush.

"Stay behind me!" Krix bounded down the corridor of tanks, bathing every intersections and open area in flame. Close on her heels, Tangmo, Luva and Tyra provided covering fire as more heretics converged on them. With the night illuminated by dancing fire, Tangmo made short work of the Chaos grunts, dropping many of the panicky traitors before they could even lift their weapons, while also casting quick glances at Krix and Luva to make sure that they weren't trying to kill each other again.

"Shit!" Krix gritted her teeth when the flamer splutter and choke, the brilliant torrent of flame dwindled to weak blurb of fireball that dispersed in the air like puffs of smoke. "My weapons jammed!"

Getting down on one knee, Krix was checking the flamer's integrity when a heretic guardsman rounded a burning truck and charged her, bulling for the sergeant exposed back, bayonet gleaming and leveled. The Chaos soldier was almost upon Krix when Tyra tackled him to the ground, his brief struggle ended when the pilot rammed her bayonet into his face.

"Thanks!" Krix gave Tyra a quick nod.

"You're welcome," Tyra panted and fired from the hip at another group of Chaos guardsmen, she took two down and scattered the rest.

"Would you hurry the fuck up?!" Luva slammed in a new magazine impatiently into her lasgun.

"The flamer's busted! I can't…oh fuck it!" Groaning, Krix unslung the heavy tank fuel and threw it to the ground. She drew her combat knife and plunged it down on the small valve at the top, the little wheel flying loose with a snap as blackish promethium gushed from the incision. Krix then reached into her belt and took out two grenades, primed it, then place it down beside the ruptured tank.

"Let's go!" Krix grabbed Tyra and pulled her back the way they came, Luva and Tangmo rushing after them.

"Krix! Here!" Tangmo threw his lasgun at the flamer sergeant and drew his own laspistols, gunning down any traitors that were giving chase.

"Over here!" Luva waved them behind an intact tank.

"Shouldn't we be getting back to the bunkers?" Tyra asked when they ducked behind an intact tank tracks.

"You don't want to be out in the open when…" An earsplitting bang interrupted Krix, followed by a gust of searing inferno that struck them like crashing wave. Teeth gritted, Tangmo waited until the heat subsided before rising above their sizzling cover. Everything smell burnt, the tank, the street, hell, even his awesome commissar coat and cap stank like scorched leather.

"Holy shit Krix, nicely done," Tangmo smiled at the hellish wall of fire that now separated the defenders and the attackers, howling figures draped in fire darted across the rippling canvas like a macabre puppet show.

"Thank you sir!" Krix chuckled.

"Your leg is on fire," Luva gave a noncommittal comment and adjusted her beret.

"Uh? Oh shit!" Krix leapt off her feet with a yelp, jumping as if to get away from the fire on her trouser.

"Stay still!" Tyra threw off her pilot jacket, revealing a green tank top stretched quite taut over her ample breasts, and slapped it on the fire until it was out.

"Get back to bunkers! Move!" Tangmo ordered them back while he covered the rear, his dual laspistols trained on the tormented shapes pirouetting a horrid dance before succumbing to the fire.

"Cease fire!" Tangmo shouted at the flashing parapet. "Let the fuckers burn!"

The guardsmen murmured in assent and lowered their lasguns, choosing instead to watch the traitors suffered their fiery fate.

"That should buy us some times," Tangmo sat down behind a wall of sandbag, breathing heavily as Meko gave him with a canteen.

"Thanks dude," Tangmo drank gratefully and handed the water back to Meko.

"No problem sir," Meko gave him a coy look then. "Thank you for keeping them safe sir."

"Don't mention it man," Tangmo flashed a grin when another barrage of shelling pounded their position, turning many pillboxes into flaming crater ringed with dismembered body parts.

"Motherfuckers ain't screwing around, are they?" Tangmo looked above the sandbag, trying to get a sense of where the bombardment was coming from. "Goddamn it, the fire's shielding their position."

"Those were not artillery sir," Orhul crawled up to them, singed but otherwise okay. "They're tank shells."

Of course, now that the first prodding wave was over, they'll be sending in the big dogs now.

"Prepare to repel!" Tangmo shouted over the rapid din of explosion. "All heavy guns switch to high ex and armor piercing rounds, aim for the tracks and barrels, kill them up before they get close."

Despite the rather bleak prospect, the Imperial Guards went about their swift preparation absent fear, never missing a step, steely and unyielding in their discipline. Whoever made that joke about guardsmen being cowardly cannon fodder with flashlights needed a kick in the nuts. It wasn't long before the roar of engines became more pronounced, the low rumbling punctured by thunderous bangs of discharging turrets that grew more lethal with every passing second. Then, parting through the curtain of raging fire came the spiked, lumbering shapes of Chaos Leman Russ tanks, about thirty of them, arrayed in a wedge formation that stretched from one end of the road to the other.

Despite knowing how absolutely fucked he was, Tangmo had to admit that the heretic really knew how to make a cool entrance.

"Laid waste to the traitors, brave soldiers of the Imperium!" Leilatha drew her sword and point it at the oncoming tanks. "Open fire!"

The guardsmen defensive line erupted in a brilliant blaze of gunfire, bolts and heavy shells flew across the air in a furious torrent, meeting the Chaos armored column like a hurricane gale. But these lots were not some locally made PDF tanks but Leman fucking Russ, and they can take a lot more punishment than their inferior cousins. Despite the guardsmen valiant effort, they only managed to incapacitate three of the traitor Leman Russ, while the rest pressed on with barely a scratch on their heavy plate armor.

"Keep firing soldiers of the Imperium! Make them witness Imperial might!" Tangmo gave his encouragement before dashing along the embattled frontline until he found Leilatha, standing proud and tall beside a pillbox, firing her laspistol at the armor column.

"Leilatha get down from there!" Leilatha shot Tangmo a glare and reluctantly relinquishing her position, stepping daintily down the fire steps.

"What?" She demanded briskly.

"We can't hold out much longer," Tangmo flinched when an explosion took out a heavy bolter crew somewhere to his left. "We need to fall back to the square."

Expecting the lady commissar to insult and berate him, Leilatha instead cast a thoughtful look around them, taking in the quickly crumbling position before sighing heavily and said, "I am force to agree with you this time, commissar."

"Glad to hear!" Tangmo nodded gratefully. "So…can I order the withdrawal?"

"It's your regiment," Leilatha shrugged. "And, thank you."

"For what?" Tangmo shot her a confuse look.

"For informing me of your plan."

"You're welcome!" Tangmo gave her a thumbs up and went over to a pillbox.

"Pack everything up!" Tangmo told the gunner. "We're falling back to the square, rigged this place on your way out."

"Yes sir!"

"Initiate tactical withdrawal!" Leilatha shouted over the firefight unceasing staccato. "Fall back to the square, quickly!"

After a brief, millisecond pause, the guardsmen spurred into motion. The remaining heavy guns were quickly disassembled and carried away to the rear, the surviving M1 hurled sluggishly after them, while the average guardsmen covered their retreat with determined lasbolts and whistling rockets.

"Go! Get back to the rear! Wait!" Tangmo stopped a Fire Guard carrying a rocket launcher. "Give me that!"

The black hair youth bobbed his head quickly and handed Tangmo the RPG.

"Thanks dude," Tangmo gave the lad a tap on the shoulder and sprinted over to Orhul who was scrambling down a rise. "Yo Orhul, over here!"

The grenadier sergeant rushed up to him, "your order sir?"

"Load up the rocket launcher sergeant, we're sticking around for a bit."

"Sir?" Orhul shot him a confused look as he slid the rocket down the tube.

"I wanna try something," Tangmo shouldered his RPG and strode casually toward the wall of sandbag, the Leman Russ's demonic roar emanating from just beyond the partition.

"Sir, the tanks are about to breach the line," Orhul came to stand beside him. "Shouldn't we be heading back with the others?"

"Nope, we're staying right here," Tangmo gave a demented cackle when the long barrel of the Leman Russ loomed above the barrier.

"Brace you rocket and take aim," Tangmo got down on one knee, Orhul mimicking his movement with unhidden apprehension.

"I'm gonna take out the barrel," Orhul coiled his finger around the trigger.

"No! Don't fire until I say so," Tangmo squinted his eye down the iron sight, the tank tracks were climbing above the parapet now.

"Oh shit!" Orhul squawked as the tank reared above them like a whale breaching the ocean.

"Wait for it," Tangmo gritted his teeth.

"You're going to get me kill you bastard!"

"Shut the fuck up!" The Leman Russ was tilting down when Tangmo bellowed, "now!"

The rockets flew off in perfect synchronization, streaking a smoky spiral as the explosive tips struck the tank underbelly, tearing into the soft armor with ease. The Leman Russ's turret flew off in a geyser of fire, the decapitated gun twirled through the air before crashing down a couple of feet away from them. In seconds, fire wreathed the slain beast as Tangmo and Orhul traded look of utter disbelief, before both burst out laughing.

"By the Throne! You actually did it!" Orhul laughed.

"Nah dude, we did it!" Tangmo whooped loudly. "I can't believe that shit actually work!"

Orhul shot him a horrified look. "What?!"

"I mean, I saw it on an episode of Band of Brother once, I didn't think it was gonna work," Tangmo admitted, ignoring Orhul incredulous look when he turned to the gleaming pyramid. "Come on dude, let's go!"

As if to spur them onward, the enemy Leman Russ chose that moment to breach the outlining defenses and rolled into the square, crushing a few unlucky guardsmen under its grinding tracks while the mounted heavy bolters swept out a fiery arc, cutting down those trying to flee. The bobby traps went off, managing to flip a few tanks on its side but most pressed on unhindered.

"Back to the research center!" Tangmo directed the hectic flow of retreating humanity toward the crystal pyramid shinning at the other end of the square. Around him, guardsmen burdened with heavy weapons and injured comrades shambled back under the indiscriminate fire of pursuing tanks. Thankfully, the night shielded them from the worst of the onslaught.

"Let's go! Move it people! Yo Ryvin!" Tangmo herded the injured inside before calling Ryvin over.

"Yes commissar?" The bedraggled medic offered a sloppy salute.

"Which way did the general go?" Tangmo asked.

"He took the spiral staircase down into the underground complex sir."

"Get every injured guardsman down there Ryvin. Get them as far away from the fighting as possible. We'll hold them out as long as we can."

"I'll do my best sir," Ryvin nodded and headed back into the pyramid.

Reloading his laspistols, Tangmo spun around and joined the line of guardsmen hastily erecting a defensive perimeter, the zero alleviation of the square meant that they would be fighting on a completely flat surface, nothing short of a death sentence for the outgunned and outnumbered troopers. To Tangmo's fleeting relief however, he found the principle characters huddled together behind a gutted remain of a long rectangular building, the surviving Cadian and Kolasian mustering around them.

"Sup my dudes?" Tangmo dropped down between Korri and Meko. "How's everyone doing?"

"Not too good, if I was being honest sir," Meko cracked a smile.

"Hey, at least we're alive!" Tangmo said brightly.

"That wouldn't last long," Krillen gave his emo input.

"Damn it Krillen, why do you have to be such a negative Nancy?" Tangmo shot the colonel an annoyed look.

"I believe he's merely giving a realistic outlook on our situation," Leilatha took off her awesome commissar cap, undid a bun and shook her black, silky, shoulder length hair loose before putting the awesome cap back on.

"What?" She asked sharply when she caught Tangmo, Meko, Orhul, Xiphos, Pollius and even the mopey Krillen staring.

"Nothing," Tangmo and the men coughed nervously and returned their attention to the fuck load of Leman Russ trudging toward them, grinning as he mused quietly. "It's good to see something nice before we all die."

Whatever retort Leilatha might've had for Tangmo was drowned out by the pounding battery of heavy guns, the heretics were now lined up in crisp ranks and unleashing their payload on the guardsmen. Breath held in morbid anticipation, Tangmo waited for the fiery impact but was instead greeted with bright, supernova flashes that lit up the square in piercing orange. Glancing up, he saw that the tanks weren't targeting them, but the pyramid itself, angry fireballs bloomed across the flat surface, flame and sparks cascading down the slopping glass in red rushing tide. To Tangmo's astonishment, when the twisting fire dimmed he saw that beside a few black smudges and minuscule cracks the pyramid was still intact.

"What in the hell is that thing made of?" Tangmo asked in wonderment.

"Refined katharos crystal," Xiphos spoke up. "Transparent but hard as steel, although I doubt it can endure the bombardment for long."

"I'm just glad they're not shooting us," not a second after Tangmo said that, the enemy guns suddenly went silent, only the hum of idle engines resonated from the stilled Leman Russ. Tangmo and his guardsmen were rising above the jagged cover of broken marble and rockcrete when hungry howls rolled passed the unmoving tanks, followed by the familiar reverberation of stampeding feet as the churning mass of angry heretics, civilian cultists and traitor guardsmen rushed forth like a hungry putrid tide.

"Motherfuckers gonna try to overrun us!" Tangmo holstered his laspistols and drew his broadsword. "Fix bayonets guardsmen! They're gonna Zulu our asses!"

"All heavy batteries hold your fire!" Leilatha shouted. "Wait for optimal range!"

"Hold fire goddamn it!" Tangmo repeated Leilatha command. "Steady yourself! Hold! Hold!"

"Now! Cry thunder and unleash the fury of the storm!" The merciless roar of autocannons and heavy bolters answered Leilatha, pouring a hellish salvo onto the charging heretic. Blood shrouded the air like thick morning mist as exploded limbs flew across the air, the subsonic bolts and heavy cannon rounds tearing a savage swathe into the moshing crowd, ruptured bodies careened to the ground in unrecognizable heap of shredded meat. But the guardsmen were outnumbered, and the cultists doesn't give a fuck about their own lives so predictably, even though the heavy guns did an admirable job thinning out the Chaos horde, a lot of them managed to reach the Imperial Guard's line.

Holding his broadsword in a two handed grip, Tangmo swung at a heretic jumping over the cover, the man barreled lifelessly to the ground, his head spinning off in another direction.

"BERSERKER!" Tangmo bellowed melodically at the oncoming horde and threw himself into their midst, his broadsword cleaved, stabbed and sliced at anything within reach. The tide of humanity rushed over him, but Tangmo held his ground like an unyielding mountain before a mighty storm, his sword squealing bloody delight as he gored deeper into the mass of heretics, singing the title track of a new band called Beast in Black at the top of his lungs. Founded in 2017, the music sounded strangely similar to Battle Beast, a sister band perhaps?

"I seek no salvation, only retaliation, these roots of wrath grow ever deep!" Tangmo sang against the maddened howl, his voice an aggressive, yet melodic, dissonance amongst the wordless noise perpetuated by the gathered cultists.

"Apostles!" Tangmo decapitated a heretic in a priestly robe wielding a censer staff.

"Imposters!" He rammed his sword through the face of a traitor guardsman.

"Foul whores and putrid posers!" His sword bisected a ghoulish looking woman wielding two daggers.

"It's time you greet the Dragon Slayer!" Welp, his broadsword wasn't anywhere near as big or awesome as Guts's hulking weapon, but it was doing a hell of a job killing heretics nonetheless. Catching his breath for the chorus, Tangmo noticed that Leilatha and Xiphos had joined the fray. The lady commissar weaved a delicate dance with her rapier, severing arteries and puncturing hearts with immaculate precision, while the Fire Guard colonel wielded his bayoneted lasgun like a spear, thrusting and blocking as he plunged deeper into the traitor's ranks, crushing those that survived beneath his stomping feet.

"Like a hellraiser! Monster of rage!" Tangmo held up his sword and leapt once more into the melee. "Unleash the fury through your sword of hate!"

In the crimson haze, Tangmo caught a blurry glimpse of other guardsmen abandoning their position to join him in the close-quarter fight, screaming for blood as they lunged at the oncoming heretic, skewering guts with bayonets, bashing skulls with lasguns butts or shanking with combat knife.

"Destroy and murder! Retaliate!" Tangmo spurred them onward, his broadsword streaking red with every swing. "Harness the power of the Beast in Black! BERSERKER!"

Slamming his sword point first into a squirming traitor guardswoman, the song came to an end the same moment Tangmo realized that they had beaten back the Chaos heretics, those that remained were being gunned down by guardsmen who had stayed behind cover to provide fire support.

"Holy fuck, my throat!" Tangmo croaked and coughed. Goddamned, he was a baritone not a fucking tenor or countertenor. That Beast in Black song really went high above his comfort zone.

"I think you have other things to worry about," Leilatha laid a steady hand on his shoulder.

"What do you mean?" Blinking, Tangmo looked down and saw the many deep, bloody ravines that now adorned his awesome commissar coat, some of them still seeping hot scarlet.

"…Well shit, that don't look good," Tangmo hiss through gritted teeth, the searing bolts of pain rendering his stiff body immobile.

"Goddamn this hurts," with Leilatha and Xiphos help, Tangmo half walked, half hopped like an injured dog back behind the destroyed building, a quick glance showed him that the main characters were still alive, quite banged up but looking a lot better than he did.

"Oh fuck, I need healing," Tangmo seated himself down as Pollius came to his side and started checking his wounds.

"You got stabbed in the left thigh sir," Xiphos took off his Corinthian helm and wiped blood from his face. "Then you took a deep cut to your upper right arm and two lasbolts that grazed your side and lower right calf. But, if I may sir, I've never seen such an unconquerable style of swordsmanship before in my life. It was truly a thing of savage beauty."

"I wished I remember some of that," Tangmo winced when Pollius checked his shoulder. "I mean, I remember the singing and the killing but not the finer details."

"You went berserk, as you have so eloquently sung," Leilatha cleaned her red coated blade. "It was one of the most idiotic displays I've ever had the misfortune of witnessing."

"That may be, but if the commissar hadn't made himself a singular target for the enemy, our position would've been overrun," of all people, it was Krillen who spoke up on his behalf.

"Yeah! And weren't you the first to leap after him?" Tyra gave her snappy input. "For all your criticism of commissar Tangmo, you seem more than ready to copy everything he does."

Leilatha glared at Tyra as she closed their distant and, very delicately, laid the rapier sharp edge on the side of her neck.

"Be thankful that I haven't the strength to spare for someone as insignificant as you," Leilatha pressed the cold steel on Tyra's neck, not hard enough to draw blood but enough to communicate the intent, eliciting a gasp from the pilot. "Pity, nothing would bring me more joy in this moment than seeing a deep red cut across you insolent little neck."

"I'm going to have to ask you to calm down, lady commissar," Luva pressed the barrel of her lasgun on Leilatha temple, the commissar eyes widened in outrage.

"That is very unwise, sergeant," Leilatha seethed. "Surely someone of your militaristic breeding knows the repercussion of such insubordination?"

"Ha! She never was the quickest learner, go ahead and teach her something she'll remember," Krix spat nastily.

"No one asked for your opinion, you gutter whore," Luva growled.

"Great! Another fight!" Hera clapped and giggled. "I wouldn't mind seeing the commissar kicking both your asses again."

"You stay the fuck out of this!" Krix snapped at the Kolasian.

"Stop it! All of you stop it right now!"

All eyes turned, startled, to the fuming Korri, her grip on the lasgun shaking with barely restrained rage. None of the women dare uttered a word, not even Leilatha as they gaped at the usually demure girl sudden outburst, while Tangmo and the men glance disbelievingly at Krillen, who simply shrugged at their inquiring gaze.

"Why are you always fighting each other like this?!" Korri voice seemed caught between anger and pleading. "We're on the same side, but all you want to do is scream and scratch and claw at each other like bunch of wild mountain cat in heat! We're supposed to be friends, sisters in arms standing shoulders to shoulders against the Archenemy, but all you seems to care about is hurting each other, why are you acting like a bunch of drunk, brainless men who always solves everything with their fists?!"

Annoyed groans went up among the men when Korri went Wheel of Time on them. Tangmo just rolled his eyes and glanced back at the heretic's unmoving line, docile and quite, like a hunter watching its prey.

Tangmo slowly pushed himself up and gave his injured arms and legs a few shakes. "Damn, these are bandaged up good, thanks Pollius."

"No problem sir," Pollius dusted off his hands.

"Anyway, as much as I'm enjoying the girl talk over there, did anyone notice that the traitors are not moving to engage us?"

The men pried their attention away from Korri heated vitriolic and stared at the corrupted Leman Russ, no shells spew from the turrets, no smog rises from the exhaust pipes. Sensing the shift in temperament, the women gave each other less than polite look before joining the men, Tyra mouthing a thank you to Luva who nodded curtly in reply.

"Anybody got a binocular?" Meko handed Tangmo a pretty banged up, but still functioning one. "Thanks dude."

"Why are they not moving?" Orhul hissed, squinting to see through the gloom.

"By my educated guess," Tangmo handed the binocular to the grenadier sergeant. "They're simply taking their time with us. We're surrounded and without an avenue of escape, those sum bitches can just keep throwing fodders at us until we choke under their corpses."

"Bastard's toying with us," Krillen gave his comment.

"Exactly," Tangmo nodded his agreement. "How much did we lose in the last push?"

"I think we're down to half our numbers now," Xiphos said, "we also lost four anti-tank guns and seven heavy weapon crews."

"We're fucked when the next wave come," Tangmo admitted with a rueful smile.

"We'll hold our ground regardless," Leilatha announced, but her octave lacks the confidence and surety from before.

"Oh? Your little group therapy session's over?" Tangmo's quipped was predictably ill received by the women. "Good to have all of you back with us."

"What do we do sir?" Korri asked.

"We fight and die, there really is nothing else to do," Tangmo shrugged, but flinched when he saw how stricken Korri had become, tears brimming the edge of her eyes. It was so easy to forget that Korri was just a little girl, barely an adult, childhood robbed by a universe of unending war, innocence destroy before it could even bloom, knowing nothing but despair and the ashen future that awaits her. Yet she dared to hope that in the grim darkness of the 41st millennium there could be a happy ending for her and Krillen, that they could survive.

"God fucking damn it," Tangmo pinched the bridge of his nose as small twinkling sobs parted Korri's trembling lips. Krillen threw his arms around Korri in a hug and stroked her back slowly, but the girl wouldn't calm down. And despite the stoic façade her compatriot were putting up, Tangmo could see glints of fear and sadness flickering in their eyes, betraying the years of steely regimentation that should've hammered out such weakness. But in the end, they were only human, no man or woman can ever make peace with their own end, especially one they knew was coming. Death was easier received when it came unannounced on the battlefield, a flash, a pop, and then nothing but blissful peace and darkness.

"Look…I'm not good at cheering people up," Tangmo admitted, that was Henry, Erik and Lita's job. "So I'm not gonna stand here and spew some bullshit about dying gloriously or that everything is going to be okay, because we're about to die. Now, I'm totally fine with the dying part, but what pisses me off is the fact that those Chaos fucks are going to win, and I don't take losing well. What's going to happen then, ladies and gentlemen, is that I'm going to make sure that I lose in the most spectacular fashion imaginable. I don't give a blazing fuck if what we do tonight will become nothing but a forgotten speck in history, because I'm gonna drag as many of those Chaos sons of bitches straight to hell with me."

Surprisingly enough, this seems to spur a fire of determination within the gathered guardsmen, even Korri had stopped crying and was staring unblinking at him.

"When the reaper comes, he will not find us cowering!" Tangmo jumped up on the ruin barrier and shouted at the Chaos horde. "You hear me motherfuckers! Bring it you fucking pussy! Hit us with your best shot!"

The surviving guardsmen were hollering now, weapons shaking in the air, defiant against death itself, fearless in the face of annihilation. Leaping off the destroyed wall, and wincing from his wounds, Tangmo approached Korri and gently patted her head.

"Feeling better?" Tangmo smiled warmly.

"Yes sir," Korri nodded enthusiastically, "thank you sir."

"You're welcome," Tangmo gave Korri's hair a little ruffle then glance at Krillen, the colonel watching them with neutral placidity, absent his usual gloomy hostility.

"A word please, colonel," Tangmo said before going over to Xiphos, gave him a tap on the shoulder and nudge his head for the Kolasian to follow. Striding over the building emaciated remains, the three strode onto the killing field, away from the emboldened guardsmen, their footfall treacherous and slippery on the hundreds of body that covered the ground.

"Every guardsman is armed with a standard frag grenade, right?" Tangmo faced the two colonels.

"Yes sir," Xiphos nodded.

"Tell them to save it for when they're about to be overwhelm. Pull the pin, hold it close to your heart and leap at the nearest enemy. A better fate than becoming prisoners of war, don't you agree?"

"Of course sir," Xiphos agreed.

"And have the M1anti-tank guns destroyed too; damn thing isn't going to help us now. Then tell everyone to haul ass into the pyramid. At least we'll be free of the shelling, and the traitors will be forced to come at us through the doors, we'll have a better fighting chance in there."

"Anything else sir?" Krillen asked.

"Yeah, you have an extra grenade handy?"

Krillen took a grenade from his belt and handed it to Tangmo, who slipped it into his awesome commissar coat pocket.

"You are dismissed, good luck," Krillen and Xiphos saluted crisply before heading back the way they came, leaving Tangmo alone in the midst of desolation. Sighing, he glance up at the starry sky, seeing the muted flash and streaking lights shooting across the celestial empyrean, explosion blooming soundlessly amongst the twinkling stars. Looks like the space battle was still on going, good, that means the Chaos armada will not be able to support their ground troop or deploy additional reinforcement any time soon, doesn't make their situation any brighter though.

Tangmo was still watching the sky when he heard quiet footfall creeping up behind him. Instinctively reaching for his laspistol, Tangmo spun around and found Tyra approaching, the pilot gave a jump at the flash of hostility in his eyes.

"Sorry captain," Tangmo eased his hand away from the gun. "I'm kinda jumpy right now."

"It's okay sir," Tyra smiled and came to stand beside him, her unbuttoned airmen jacket flapping softly in the gentle breeze.

"What can I do for you captain?" Tangmo sure as hell have some idea of what she wants.

"I just need some company sir," Tyra said. "Not everyone can be so accepting of death."

"I understand," Tangmo nodded then flashed a grin. "I heard from the general that you've been asking about me?"

Tyra gave a mousey squeak, her cheeks reddening. "…I have."

"I'm sure he spoke highly of me."

"He gave a rather colorful account."

"I'm sure he did," Tangmo chuckled. "So? Have his account been accurate or prove wrong?"

"Well sir," Tyra turned to him and took a bashful step forward. "I think I want to know more."

"Ask away then captain, we don't have much time left anyway."

"This won't take long sir, I promise."

And with that she leaned into him, their bodies pressing intimately. Letting her lasgun slipped to the ground, Tyra gazed up at Tangmo, sparkling desire tinged with shyness danced across her rich brown eyes, questing for the same reception from Tangmo's dark own. For his part, Tangmo reciprocated with warm understanding and a hint of amusement as he gently lifted up Tyra's chin and slowly lower his lips to hers.

"Don't you two have something better to do?" Goddamn it Leilatha, you cock blocking bitch! Predictably, Tyra leapt away with a squeal, leaving a mightily agitated Tangmo frozen in place with an unrequited puckered lip.

"Highly inappropriate, but unsurprising all the same," Leilatha sneered.

"Mind your own bloody business!" Tyra huffed indignantly and picked up her lasgun.

"The wellbeing of the regiment is my business," Leilatha shouldered Tyra aside and came to stand before Tangmo. "Or have you forgotten that duty, commissar?"

"Not with you here to remind me," Tangmo adjusted his awesome commissar coat and cap.

"Someone need to chaperone your unruly behavior," Leilatha shrugged but made no move to leave.

"Umm…" Tangmo wasn't sure what the lady commissar was trying to accomplish. "Can you give us a little privacy? We were kinda having a moment."

"Is that so?" Leilatha irked a brow.

"Yeah, and you're ruining it."

"I see."

"Can't you just go away?!" Tyra stomped up to the unmoving Leilatha.

"I think I'll remain here captain, if you don't mind," Leilatha remained nonchalant.

"Why are you hounding us?!" Tyra pressed on hotly.

"Don't flatter yourself," Leilatha waved her off.

"What? You like commissar Tangmo or something?"

Leilatha eyes widened at that, her indefatigable posture cracked and wavered until her refined manner was reduced to a stuttering splutter.

"H-How dare you!" Leilatha cried, "to even suggest that I would want to associate myself with the likes of him!"

A venomous smile split Tyra's face as she latched herself onto Tangmo's arm. "Ha! I knew it, you're jealous! But honestly, can you blame the commissar for choosing warmth over something so frigid and cold?"

"Take your hands off him!" Leilatha shouted, but added hurriedly. "Such contact between an officer and his subordinate is highly inappropriate."

"But he likes this, don't you commissar?" Tyra gave Tangmo a sweet, quivering pout while Leilatha just glared dagger at him. Thankfully Tangmo was saved from having to answer both women when the line of Leman Russ roared in unison and slowly trudged forward, turret spewing fire as the shelling on the pyramid resumed. Squinting against the gloom, Tangmo can see the traitor guardsmen marching in thick column behind the desecrated war machine, their steps hard and eager.

"Okay, let's head back to the pyramid," Tangmo politely extricate himself from Tyra. "We can sort this out later in the afterlife."

Giving each other hateful looks, Tyra and Leilatha gave a very audible huff and sprinted after Tangmo. Bounding passed the now empty outer defenses, they came upon the pyramid's entrance just as the last groups of guardsmen were entering. Seeing them, Meko quickly ushered them over. Leaping through the awning doorway, it took Tangmo a few seconds to adjust to the bright fluorescent glare before he could take in the interior. Every pieces of furniture have been stripped bare, anything that can be moved were piled high into a barricade, blocking every entrance like in Les Miserable, the remaining heavy guns trained on the wreckage, ready to blast anything that comes through. Above them, fire blossomed in ceaseless multitude, the violent pounding rattling his bones as the snaps and cracks of yielding glasses punctured the continuous explosion, fissures snaked across the pristine, transparent surface.

"Welp, won't be long now," Tangmo mused to no one in particular when a violent quake arrested the building, the jarring vibration throwing every guardsmen off their feet and flat on the ground, the crystal glasses wobbled to the groans of tortured steel. The sudden tremor ended with an earsplitting bang that left Tangmo's ears ringing painfully, his vision struggled to find equilibrium. Rising back to his feet, Tangmo gaze through the clear wall and saw that a large swathe of land facing the oncoming heretics had disappeared, in its place an awning stygian hole, a deep growl emanating from the black impenetrable maw.

Groaning, Tangmo drew his laspistols and said:

"Oh, what the fuck now!?"