Two Terras

Orders

Castius sat at his small desk, in his hands was a piece of parchment. The seal it bore was impossible to replicate, yet he wished it was a fake. The anxiety that overcame him was enough to make his hands shake. The parchment bore only a simple statement, but it brought a pit to Castius's stomach. 

Lord Admiral, it is the order of the Lord Commander that you join your fleet to another, (Coordinates: 65325656, 53567567) and move into the Segmentum Obscurus by way of the Nachmund Gauntlet. Once across you will be required to enter the sector known as the Halo Stars. Your mission is reconnaissance. Judge the dangers of this sector, do not overcommit. The Emperor Protects.

- Chief Secritariat Adremia

Castius let the paper fall, not wanting to look at it anymore. Any wise officer of the Navy knew about the Halo Stars. It was a place crusades go to die. A place of xenos horrors and mutated abominations, a tainted sector of space filled with the skeletons of gutted vessels. "My lord? May I enter?" Castius's head snapped up at the voice of his Commodore, Peggi. "Yes, please." He mumbled. She slipped in, uniform tight around her slim form. Her hazel eyes regarded the despair filled eyes of her superior. She said nothing, only sighing and opening a cabinet to her left. She pulled out two tumblers and a bottle of amasec, Peggi set it down in front of Castius and filled it to the brim. "Her again?" She asked as she sat down in a chair opposite him. "No, new orders." Something in Castius's voice must have gave Peggi pause, she drained her glass and picked up the parchment. "Frag." Was all she said after reading it. "Castius nodded somberly and drank, the hull of his ship moaned in return. "Vacui Vocat." Castius repeated his fleet's motto before draining another glass. He stood and straightened his uniform, Peggi raised an eyebrow but did the same. Castius began to stride to the door before stopping. "Do you want to tell the others?" Peggi chuckled, she shook her head. Castius, despite the parchment upside down on his desk, laughed. "Worth a try." 

Deena took a deep breath and braced the stock of her AF-100 against her shoulder, the sights were fixated on a slowly buckling and bending doorframe. All around her detachment readied themselves, veterans of many a battle on the surface they all felt alien in the depths of the bunkers made by the old Japanese government. The blast door cracked and shuddered for the final time before busting open, chitinous masses of ants rushing through. They were headed by a massive beetle with enormous jaws, the monster let out a loud screech and charged...straight into the full brunt of the Deena's Fencer Squadron. Chainguns and Grenade Launchers roared and the beetle fell dead. Hundreds of smoking holes coating its armoured face. Soon though, its ant friends clambered up and over its body and continued to run at Deena's position. "Rangers! Weapons free!" She shouted, squeezing the trigger of her rifle and watching as its considerable rate of fire tore pieces out of the ants. Within seconds the Fencers had moved their weapons to fire at the ants, thousands of rounds were spat from their chainguns. Deena noticed however, as always the bugs would not stop. They bulled through the fusillade and a few got close enough for the Rangers equipped with shotguns to open fire. "Detachment, start pulling back to defensive position Beta. Fencers, watch our backs." Deena then looked over to their Air Raider in his perch, he caught her eye and nodded. He cocked a grenade back and threw it behind him, in a puff of smoke appeared the four legged shape of a Depth Crawler. The Air Raider quickly scaled the vehicle and entered the cockpit, it two autocannons soon blasting away at the horde. "Rangers, pull out." Denna said simply as her squad moved backwards slowly, firing all the time. Once past the Fencers in their position they began to run, sliding behind defensive sandbags. Fencers too began to retreat. The Depth Crawler above them, adhering to the roof of the bunker. "Sergeant! We're gonna need support, there's too many of them." A Ranger next to Deena shouted as he unloaded his magazine. Denna sighed, any support was a long away and they might not be here in time. "Duly noted Private." Deena slapped another magazine into her gun and continued to lay down fire. "Gonna be a busy week." She muttered.

Chaplain Aarros looked over the collective bowed heads of his brothers. They kneeled in solemn silence, Bolt Rifles clamped in their hands, muzzles pointed upwards. Aarros did not know what to think about these new primaris. Should he feel anger? They were replacements, meant to phase out the aging Space Marines. Should he feel relived that the Emperor had thought his service was long enough to warrant a replacement? Aarros pushed these thoughts aside, these Primaris would serve their vigil, it was his duty to guide them the best he could.  Aarros took a deep breath, and raised his crozius to point at the gathered brotherhood of the White Watch. "Brothers, new and old." He announced. Aarros caught a respectful nod from the Veteran Marines near the back. "For a hundred years we have watched over the Halo Stars, just as our brothers in the Death Specters have millions of light years away from us. Today our Honored Chapter Master has received an order from the Lord Commander himself!" Aarros paused to let the statement sink in. It worked, many of the Astartes bowed their heads in deeper reverence. "Today our vigil has ended, for we are to enter the Halo Stars ourselves. Today we bring war to the enemies of mankind who dare to emerge into the sights of our bolters. We will scour the shadows that lurk with fire and flame, we will crush the xenos and the mutant with boot and blade. By will of He on Terra, by will of the Avenging Son!"