The clouds opened as streaks of bright light descended toward the earth. Inside the cradle of these fireballs sat a diamond-shaped object, indifferent to the heat and violence of its surroundings, like real gemstones. From the tiny slit on the pod, a single young man stared out at the white expanse beyond. He seemed nervous, his eyes filled with both awe and worry, like a child brought to new horizons for the first time.
"I only ever admired the sky from below. As a child, I always dreamt of reaching above the clouds through the dirty windows of that orphanage. Now, we were like angels, descending through the clouds in a ball of fury... Utterly fearless– "
Thought Cassiel Veritas as he looked toward his fellow Marines under the sombre red glow of the pod's interior.
"–And convicted... "
An abrupt shockwave rocked Cassiel to almost spewing out his organs. It was the deceleration engines of the pod kicking in to bring them to a smoother landing from Mach 3 down to barely Mach 0.9. While Cassiel regained his senses, his fellow Marines couldn't help but chuckle slightly at his discomfort.
[Hubris Maximus] - "Put on your helmet, Cassiel, we're making landfall in minus 5 seconds. "
Said the 2nd Captain as he playfully slammed his fist against Cassiel's chestplate.
The hit almost knocked the wind out of Cassiel despite his enhanced physiology and armour. Yet, without delay, Cassiel's blonde hair and model-worthy face disappeared below the faceless helmet decorated with the unsettling eye and body of the biblical angel Seraphim. As the darkness around his vision gave way to an unobstructed view of his surroundings, Cassiel felt the second shockwave of the pod's impact with the ground.
All around him, the other drop pods unleashed their payloads, each a squad of 9 Imperial Marines. Clad in white and purple armour, decorated sublimely in angelic symbols and iconography, the Marines' mosaical plates made no conventional sense. Perhaps they were truly of Heaven as they strode forward in their unusual armour, armed with guns of arcane design. They quickly scanned the mountainous terrain around them, their vision immediately flashing with green dots as the enemy launched their ambush.
Opposing them, US soldiers and Marines began firing down from their prepared positions, spraying a storm of bullets onto their armour. Yet, even as intense .50 calibre BMG fire saturated one of the Imperial Marines' armour, the bullet simply shattered into dust while leaving no trace on the surface. The Marines were taking their sweet time dealing with a nuisance they barely needed acknowledging, like a simple, harmless rainfall.
Then, almost simultaneously, the Imperial Marines raised their carbines and fired back. Without even missing a single shot, each bullet found its target. While exposed soldiers were mowed down almost instantaneously, those who thought themselves safe immediately received the answer that these were never a normal enemy. Behind cover, one US Marine was only trying to reload his machine gun before a single round tore through rock, sandbags and splashed his face onto the ammunition boxes.
On the side of the mountain, seeing how over a few hundred soldiers dropped dead within the span of ten seconds, the soldiers dropped their guns in fear before retreating into the cavern. Below, as one of the squad leaders raised his hand and pointed at the cavern, one of his men was already rushing toward the rocky edge. With incredible agility and speed, the Imperial Marine climbed up the near-vertical edge into the cavern located high above.
As the Marine presented himself at the entrance of the cavern, the terrified soldiers immediately began to scream. Quickly, they scrambled to aim a missile launcher at him and fired, only for the Marine to easily lean to the side and dodge the projectile. With a lightning-quick shot of his carbine, the soldiers only saw the flash of a single red bolt before their launcher was dismantled from its mount.
Two soldiers quickly dropped to their knees and begged for their lives while a third one retreated deeper into the cavern. Ignoring the two infantrymen, the Marine slowly moved past them toward the third man. Suddenly, from the dark, a powerful line of yellow streaked toward the Marine, striking him with the violence of a vehicle as the distinct sound of a Gatling gun echoed in deafening blasts.
Yet, even with this level of firepower, the Marine kept advancing, his thin armour shrugging off the volume of fire that offered only modest pushback at best. Reaching the Gatling gun, the Marine immediately grabbed the barrel and, without effort, twisted the six-barreled weapon back onto itself, finally silencing it. Faced with only the purple lights emitted from all over the monster's armour, the soldier fell to his butt and began to crawl away, utterly horrified.
[US soldier] - "Holy fuck! Holy fucking shit! You are not real! You're just a bad dream! God, you are not real! You're impossible! "
Yelled the soldier in hysteria as he watched this man-sized monster survive what a tank could not walk away from.
As he tried to crawl away, the Marine grabbed his foot and dragged him toward him, his grip strength causing the man to scream in agony. Then, as he came face-to-face with the Marine, he gazed up to see, up close, the impossibility of his armour. Despite tanking this many rounds to the chest and shoulder, there was no dent, no discolouration or even a deformity on the armour. The Angelic Marine was as perfect as the moment he first stepped into the cave.
The soldier looked again, seeing how the plates that made up his armour were uneven, with no single plate being of the same dimension or geometry as the next. The plates shifted as if they were supported by a layer of muscle below, explaining why there was no gap to be exploited in their configuration. Whether it be technology or sorcery, the soldier could do nothing more but submit before this warrior of Heaven.
[Angelic Marine] - "You, and you two friends, move! We have better things to do than to babysit you whinny weaklings. "
Said the Marine in a commanding tone.
Raising his hands, the soldier limped past the Marine. The warrior was barely taller than him, yet to the soldier, he was much bigger in his mind than physically. He paused, admiring the impossible design of the armour a second time, this time with awe and reverence. His hand brushed slightly against the armour's surface and felt what could only be described as smoother than even water.
Below, by the time Cassiel arrived at the site of battle, the fighting was long since over. While captured soldiers walked in a column past him and Hubris, a Medical Marine behind them inspected the prisoners for wounds. With the situation stabilized, Cassiel lowered his carbine and clipped it to the side of his right thigh. Arriving before the Chief Medical Marine of the 2nd Company, Hubris assessed the situation.
[Hubris] - "Oy, Doc! Any wounded on our side? Any casualties? "
Said Hubris brazenly as he got uncomfortably close to the Chief Medic.
[Chief Medical Marine] - "No casualties, no wounds, Captain. Barely a bit of cosmetic damage when brother Raziel entered that cave. "
Said the medical chief while pushing Hubris a bit away from himself.
[Hubris] - "Ah, as expected of my company, of course! If anyone is getting injured here by such lowly weapons, you might as well quit now and go wank some of these prisoners off! "
Yelled Hubris at his men all around him.
Then, as Raziel crossed his field of view, Hubris couldn't help but walk up to him and start harassing him a bit for suffering cosmetic damage to his armour. Meanwhile, the other Marines around him began to laugh with Hubris without a bit of sympathy for Raziel.
"I never liked how Hubris just seem to think of himself as some kind of man above the rest. But again, could I say he didn't deserve to act his high and mighty? Probably not. I'm just a new guy, promoted to my position because Hubris saw some kind of potential in me. He is already a legend by the time I got here, so who am I to judge him? "
Thought Cassiel before his thoughts were interrupted by a warning ping in his vision.
Cassiel turned around to see two of the squad Commissar Marines standing with report tablets in their hands.
[Commissar Marine 1] - "Chief Commissar Cassiel, we have interrogated some of the prisoners, and there seems to be a high chance we can find the president in the complex. "
Said the first commissar with a salute.
The Cheyenne Complex, a bunker built in the 60s, was intended to serve as a base of operations for NORAD in case of a nuclear strike. When the Imperial 3rd Fleet's invasion of the United States began, the enemy leaders received an advanced warning of unknown origin, allowing them to retreat underground. Though the vice-president was intercepted in the air trying to flee to China, the president hid somewhere, intending to continue the pointless war.
Lord Michele, our leader, Angel of War and Lord Regent of all Imperial Forces on Earth, planned the invasion in meticulous detail. In precise decapitation strikes such as this one, our forces would've finished the US military's brain and command in 2 days, and the whole United States and all of its resistance would collapse by the end of the week. The Old World is simply no match for Imperial might and technology.
The skies over New York darkened in the middle of the day as the mother carrier of the 3rd fleet passed over it. At 20km long, the behemoth was more of a city in the sky, and the home of the whole fleet. In Seattle, bipedal mechanical Titans the height of the Eiffel Tower marched across the war-torn city with cannons as big as whole residential blocks. The National Empire is the punishment of Heaven against a world rotted beyond saving. Only through the Cleansing Crusade under the 17 fleets of the Empire can humanity know light once more.
[Cassiel] - "Very good, brothers... So when are we... "
Cassiel's words trailed off into silence as he saw the beaten-up prisoners who were supposedly interrogated by the two Commissar Marines.
[Cassiel] - "No more torture! We have what we needed! There must've been a better way to make them talk; We are better than this! "
Yelled Cassiel in a sudden burst of anger.
[Commissar Marine 2] - "We are on a time constraint! The Angel ordered our operation to be done within hours! We do not have the time to make these worms talk the nice way! "
Retorted the second Commissar Marine, his fury stomping over Cassiel's anger like a mountain against a hill.
[Commissar Marine 1] - "Are you even a Commissar? Or some kind of soft, baby-faced boy behind that armour? This is war, not humanity class! "
Fired the other Commissar Marine, riding on the fury of his peer.
Cassiel stumbled back at the accusations and shouts. In his heart, he already had a hard time accepting his new role. Now, men way older and more experienced than him in his own field showed him how reality functioned compared to his training. As a Commissar Marine, he was taught to show compassion, to be the diplomat, to be the therapist and to care. But the ugly reality is how Commissars are often just another frontline Marine with the extra burden of paperwork, interrogation and logistical operations.
[Hubris] - "Hey now, you bloody pricks, stop picking on poor little Cassiel! He's your fucking superior, so show the little man some respect! "
Said Hubris as he appeared beside Cassiel and pushed one of the Commissars back with a violent shove.
The two Commissar Marines immediately stood to attention and saluted their Captain. Despite how Hubris nudged his head toward Cassiel, the two Commissars simply grunted before walking away without paying him any mind.
[Cassiel] - "I don't understand! Why have you chosen me? I've just graduated from basic Marine training, and you plucked me into a leadership role among the best of the best. "
Shouted Cassiel, walking away from Hubris in frustration.
[Hubris] - "Because I'm wise! I know things you might not perceive! You'll come to understand eventually. "
Said Hubris, opening his arms to shove his care.
[Cassiel] - "I'm not your guy, Hubris! I liked my old squad; they were reasonable people. Now, I'm here, a stranger in a group who sees my character as weakness! "
Yelled Cassiel as he turned around to face Hubris.
Cassiel took off his helmet and showed his boyish face to Hubris once again.
[Cassiel] - "Look at me, a damn boy who just turned 20! Here, among the best of the fleet, where men have been training since the foundation of the National Empire. "
Said Cassiel in anger as he stomped toward Hubris, who seemed unfazed by his tantrum.
However, just as Hubris let out an audible smirk as he was about to answer Cassiel, the com inside every Marine's helmet screamed to life.
"BREACH! "
That was the single word that immediately got every single warrior to their feet as they drew their carbines. Hubris, with a grin, moved to the front of the formations with Cassiel following behind him. In a deafening boom, a massive portion of the bunker door protecting the Cheyenne Complex fell back, revealing the dimly lit tunnel within. As a giant Marauder Marine with incredible armour attempted to move into the breach to tank for potential heavy fire, Hubris grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back.
[Hubris] - "I want the front row seat. You people, follow me! "
Said Hubris smugly before going into the hole, with Cassiel following tightly behind.
As soon as Hubris entered, he immediately dodged to the right while Cassiel dodged to the left as a tank round passed between them. Outside, the Marauder grunted as the round struck his armour, sending a few plates flying, but still leaving him ready for action.
[Hubris] - "Finally, a challenge! "
Said Hubris as a few machine gun fire ricochetted off his armour.
Putting his carbine back onto his thigh, Hubris switched to his long sword, shining with the glow of plasma streaks around its edges. As he rushed forward, Cassiel couldn't help but follow his Captain in. The tank fired again, this time forcing Hubris to slide against the ground to dodge it. Rocked forward by the explosion, Cassiel instantly regained his footing and continued running forward with his Captain.
Even though the tunnel was long, at a speed of 100km/h, the two Marines reached the Abrams tank in no time, forcing the infantry around the vehicle to fire at them. While Hubris got on top of the tank and sank his sword into the hatch, Cassiel switched his carbine to automatic fire. Like an aimbot system, his helmet guided his shots into the skull of each enemy soldier without miss.
[Hubris] - "Watch and learn, people, that's how you welcome guests into your bunker! "
Said Hubris as he ripped the hatch open with his hand.
In a panic, the crew inside only screamed in fear before Hubris shot a grenade into the tank using his carbine. While Cassiel reloaded the small infantry ammunition on his carbine, a concealed soldier got up and tried to lob a grenade at him. Reacting almost instantaneously, Cassiel switched to his carbine's large-calibre 17mm barrel. In one shot, the soldier was eviscerated beyond recognition while the floor behind him exploded violently upon contact with the powerful round.
Just as Cassiel thought he gained a moment of respite, he was violently thrown back by the powershot rounds of a Bradley infantry tank. The stabilizer at Cassiel's left foot immediately deployed, keeping him standing despite the powerful impact that rocked him. He tried to fight back, but the tank kept firing at his face, disrupting his vision until he received a single radio transmission in his ear.
"Down! "
Cassiel immediately bent down as the streak of a massive round fired by a Marauder zipped above him, striking the enemy vehicle and detonating it in the most spectacular explosion. As Cassiel got up and retracted his stabilizer, he heard the cough and cries of an enemy soldier near him. Moving forward, he saw what seemed to be a soldier trapped under rubble.
[Hubris] - "Come on, don't let them breathe! Keep the pressure up! "
Said Hubris as he charged past Cassiel into the wall of fire ahead.
The helmets of the 3rd fleet were designed without visible eyelens, so they all appeared like faceless warriors. Yet, reflected in the eye of Seraphim was the sight of Captain Hubris charging into the wall of fire, never to be seen again. Quickly, Cassiel lifted the massive piece of concrete trapping the soldier with his incredible strength and allowed the man to crawl free.
[Cassiel] - "Hey, you okay? "
Said Cassiel as he helped the man sit against the wall.
[Soldier] - "Yeah, thank you... "
The soldier was out of breath, but mostly fine except for a few flesh wounds. Cassiel looked at his uniform and noticed how the man was a major in rank. Seeing how the other squads were approaching fast, Cassiel knew the other Commissars would be eager to interrogate this man. So instead of handing him to the others, he opted to try to take things into his own hands.
[Cassiel] - "Look, we don't have much time. The war is lost for you, so tell me this honestly– Is the president in this bunker? And if so, where is he? "
Regaining his sense slowly, the Major's blurry vision gradually cleared.
[Major] - "Fuck... I saw him get here, yeah. Probably with the others in the war room. Look, just... Please, spare me; I have a family back in Chicago. "
Said the major, on the verge of tears as he slowly realized who he was speaking to.
[Cassiel] - "I promise you! I promise you on my honour as a Marine of the Chosen of the Emperor, that no harm will come to you. You cooperated with the Empire, and the Empire thanks you! "
Said Cassiel while keeping his palm on the symbol of the 3rd Fleet on his chest.
Getting up, he found a Medical Marine among the squads and raised his hand.
[Cassiel] - "You! Get over here! This man gave us useful information willingly; thus, he is under the protection of the National Empire as one of its subjects. Get him out safely! "
Ordered Cassiel at the Medical Marine, who he could tell felt utter contempt for him and his request despite being hidden below his helmet.
The Medical Marine looked down at the Major, then at him almost as if to ask if he was mental without saying it.
[Cassiel] - "Get on with it! This is an order! "
Yelled Cassiel, moving to nearly bump his helmet against the Marine's.
Cassiel felt a violent shove against his chest as the Medical Marine pushed him aside before helping the Major up. As Cassiel saw the Major being carried away by the Medical Marine, he finally felt assured enough to go find his Captain.
Meanwhile, inside the war room, the president and his men hid below the oval conference table while the remaining soldiers trained their weapons at the metal door. The soldiers were trembling, with each of their rifles shaking in place, unable to get a steady aim. As the sound of gunfire and footsteps approached their location, the soldiers' nerves finally broke.
Turning around, one of the soldiers pointed his gun at the president and his men. At first, some were confused by his action, but he quickly began to explain his reasoning.
[Soldier] - "We don't have any interest in dying for these pigs! They ruined our country, sinned beyond the limits of Hell, and now Heaven's here to punish them. "
Yelled the rogue soldier as the president and his men cowered in fear.
The other soldiers quickly tried to aim their weapons at him, but he seemed unfazed by their threats.
[Soldier] - "Don't you people get it? The National Empire, or whoever these invaders claimed to be, they don't want us dead; they want these fuckers hiding behind us dead. We don't have to protect them; we can walk out of this if we see reason in this nonsense. "
Yelled the soldier, his gun still aimed at the president's head.
The others at first hesitated, but then, one more soldier also turned his gun to the president, then another. Until the full room went from protecting the president and his staff to holding them hostage.
[President] - "Wait, wait! What are you people doing? This is treason! "
Said the president as his blood ran cold.
[Soldier 2] - "What have you done to our country that warrants our lives? John is right, we are not the target of these monsters... You are! "
[Soldier 3] - "Come out, with your hands raised! "
Shouted a third soldier as he moved toward the president.
The first lady began to cry, only for the 3rd soldier to beat her with the tip of his rifle.
[Soldier 3] - "Move it, out, now! "
Shouted the soldier while his rifle still trembled in his hands.
Slowly, the president and his staff moved out of cover and knelt in front of the soldiers, all pleading and promising wealth and power. Yet, what is wealth and power before the judgement of Gods? The soldiers, at that moment, realized how disgusting these men and women they almost gave their lives protecting are. Even on the day of judgement, they still held onto the concept of money and power.
As the noise outside finally fell silent, the soldiers held their breath as they awaited their judgement. Standing behind the president and his staff, the soldiers slowly lowered their rifles and raised their hands. As their empty hands felt the cold air pass between their fingers, they somehow felt calmer and more composed than before. Perhaps there is a reason behind this mess; perhaps this mess was the reason.
Suddenly, a blade pierced through the metal door, slicing at its locks and hinges before being withdrawn. Then, with one powerful kick, Hubris collapsed the massive metal doors to the war room. Upon seeing the Marine, the politicians quickly tried to hide behind the soldiers, only to be violently pushed forward to face their monster.
[Hubris] - "No resistance? Come on, I was hoping for a bit of fun here. "
With a shake of his arm, the bloodstain on Hubris' armour slipped off its surface, leaving it pristine once again. Behind, Cassiel finally caught up to his Captain, moving into the war room with a curious gaze at the unusual situation.
[Hubris] - "Go on, handle this! Isn't diplomacy a part of your job description? "
Said Hubris with a smirk as he shoved Cassiel forward.
Cassiel stepped forward, looking at the politicians all kneeling and begging in whispers at his feet like pitiful parasites wanting to invade his impenetrable body. As much as Cassiel wanted to feel empathy toward the politicians in their sorry state on the floor, he simply couldn't. The National Empire had taught him all the evil done by the leaders of the Old World since his childhood. Now, as he faced the devils described in his bedtime stories, not even he could feel sympathy for these men and women.
[president] - "Listen, spare me and you'll know power and riches beyond your wildest dreams! "
[politician] - "You want a private island? I could give you anything you want! You can have all the pleasure possible if you just spare me! "
Yet, to Cassiel, these weren't propositions; these were promises of corruption only palatable to men of weak will and honour. Now, adding to his disgust, Cassiel also felt insulted by how these worms could think of him as someone of weak will and honour with these offers. Cassiel raised his carbine, much to the fear of the soldiers behind. Yet, he lowered his aim at the face of the crowd wiggling like parasites at his feet.
[Cassiel] - "All these soldiers died, so people like you could live... My offer for you people is an easy, undignified death. Consider this mercy for creatures who deserve none. "
However, just as Cassiel prepared to pull the trigger, he felt a strange force stop his finger. No matter how hard he forced his finger, it just wouldn't bulge, even as the synthetic muscles around his finger gave their full support.
[Michele] - "Please, show restraint, honoured brother. "
"There he was, as I turned around and saw him in all of his glory for the first time in my life. The Angel of War, Lord of the 3rd fleet and Regent of all Imperial Forces on Earth. I was there, standing like a helpless sheep as the Angel fell– no, descended from Heaven to meet us mortals. He had angelic wings on his back that seemingly shone where there was no light, with feathers pure enough to cleanse this world of all of its sins. His facial features were as perfect that of Greek statues, with an aura of divinity that surrounded his perfect body. A favoured son of the Emperor, our God, here for me to witness with my bare eyes. "
Thought Cassiel as he immediately knelt before his lord.
There were tears running down Cassiel's cheeks as he witnessed the presence of his lord, who was only ever mentioned in stories and tales. To Cassiel, it was not mere vindication for all the beliefs he had toward Michele; it felt as if he had been blind his whole life until that moment.
[Michele] - "Rise, honoured brother. Please, allow me to take over. "
Still stunned, Cassiel took a moment before finally coming to his senses.
[Cassiel] - "Of course, Lord... Oh God... you are so magnificent, it's an honour! "
Said Cassiel as Michele grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet.
[Michele] - "You are better than this, honoured brother. As much as you hold contempt for these men and women, a trial is in order for them to properly answer for their crimes. You are no judge, nor court; you are a pillar needed to pave our path to the future, not an executioner responsible for avenging the grievances of our past. "
Said Michele in a soft tone, his words making Cassiel almost want to shoot himself out of shame for what he considered doing moments ago.
Cassiel lowered his head, but was quickly pushed on the chin to raise it back up.
[Michele] - "You have a kind heart, an increasingly rare thing these days. I saw what you did with the Major earlier. This is what the National Empire is truly about. Stand proud, honoured brother; I'm proud of you. "
Said Michele as he walked past Cassiel, with a gentle pat on his shoulder as he did so.
Standing in front of the war room's massive projection screen, he watched as the world slowly succumbed to Imperial conquest.
[Hubris] - "Lord, why are you here? Don't you have more important matters to attend? "
Said Hubris as he joined Michele's side.
[Michele] - "It's about paying respect, my friend. A 292-year-old Empire, undone within days. Where once sat the most powerful people in the entire world, now just a chapter in the pages of history. A nation died today, Hubris, and its legacy shall live on within the National Empire for the better. "
Said Michele while giving Hubris a glance.
Taking the hint, Hubris took off his helmet in a gesture of respect.
[Hubris] - "What now, Lord? "
[Michele] - "We make ready– for a war that will hopefully soon end. "
Said Michele as his eyes drifted to China on the massive map.
To be continued...