"This is Commander Nebulous of the Ultramarines!" the Commander called into his communicator "All open channels receive this, probably my last message"
"This is Captain Kor'Sarro Khan of the White Scars 3rd Company" was a reply "We're here to provide support"
"Chapter Master Pedro Kantor of the Crimson Fists is here also" the Chapter Master announced "There are over a hundred Imperial Guard regiments up here too, we are preparing to deep strike"
"Negative, remain in orbit, it's a slaughter down here" Nebulous said "All Battle Barges, lock onto these coordinates and fire, full power. But please, give me a moment"
"It will take that moment to charge the weapon systems, Commander" Khan responded, and Nebulous sighed.
"Any surviving Battle Brothers, Eldar, Tau or Imperial Guardsmen, hear me" Nebulous panted, realizing his leg was badly wounded in that moment "We have stood our ground against our ancient enemy for as long as we can. But we will not give our lives to these monsters this day. Any and all survivors, there is a network of caverns beneath the Deimopian Plateau, they have been charged with the psychic energies of our fallen Brother-Librarian Stellous. In his last moments of life, our Brother severed the control of these vile heretics over the armies of the Dark Eldar, the Tyranids and the Orks, their forces are scattering and routing. You have shown bravery in the face of almost certain defeat and death, you have shown no remorse and no pity to the monsters of Chaos, and for that I am honoured to have commanded you"
"Weapons systems ready to fire, Commander, on your order, I suggest you get of there" Khan said clearly.
"No, I cannot allow Firaveus Carron to escape" Nebulous said boldly, taking up his chainsword "Brother-Chaplain Antion gave his life upon this accursed mound, Brother-Stellous fell also. If I must give my life, it will be to stop that monster from escaping"
"Firaveus Carron is dead, Commander, he died seventy years ago" Khan said ignorantly, and Nebulous couldn't help but laugh.
"Then someone had better remind him" he said "Nebulous out, give me a few more moments, if I don't contact you after five minutes, fire at full power"
"Lost, all is lost!" the Sorcerer wept and grasped at the dirt with his bloody hands "All my work, all my well-laid plans, gone! Spoiled all, this wasn't supposed to happen! I have failed" he paused, as though hearing a distant voice "What's that you say? Not failed? Not a defeat, but a victory? How so?" again he paused, voices only his maddened mind could hear whispered to him like a crowd of serpents all hissing at once. And the Sorcerer laughed, more wildly than ever before "Of course! What a fool I am! Thank you"
He stood, looking out over the plateau and to the plains below. Orks scattered like cockroaches from light, vanishing into the thickets while the ships of the Dark Eldar broke off and soared toward a tall arching structure that seemed to phase into sight like a mirage, enveloping the entire fleet but one ship. Asdrubael Vect stood atop his Dais of Destruction, his vile gaze fell on the Sorcerer and his hatred burned.
"I will have your head for this!" he cursed, before he too vanished into the fading arch. The Sorcerer looked down the hill and saw the giant Rok of Warlord Ghazghkull Thraka blast off from the mound and into the skies. With the Warp Storm so weakened, it was a simple task for them all to flee the planet, and yet he looked to the massive fields of his Black Legion Chaos Space Marines.
"All of you, to the Warp Gate! Move!" he bellowed "We have won this day! Now, back to the Warp!" the army responded instantly, clambering over the fresh dead that had not been fortunate enough to die while the Stone of Farsight still existed and held power. Without it, their immortality was gone, and they must flee. On the ground, Shadowsun clawed his severely inured body over the mounds of corpses and toward the hill, he had only a moment to reach safety.
