A World Dies (40k Fanfic)
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It was hot, and it was loud. Screams perforated the warm evening air, the whining of bullets and the crackling- sizzle of lasgun fire giving life to the dusk instead of the chirping of jumpbugs and cockatrice beetles. Lieutenant Commissar Theodore Delphus was not bothered by these sounds. In fact, he had come to welcome then- anytime the sounds and smells of war were in the air, the Emperor’s most holy Work was being done. It was the duty of the Imperial Guard to complete this work. They were bound by their oaths most Holy, to fight and die for the Emperor, to spread the Manifest Destiny of mankind across all worlds. Nowhere, in the ancient creed of the Imperial Guard, nowhere in their tried and true doctrine, was there any mention of men serving the Emperor by cowering in their foxholes and whimpering when the enemies of Mankind rose up and challenged Him.

Theodore felt no remorse as his laspistol burned the life out of the cowards. The first guardsman he knew- he couldn’t recall his name, but he remembered eating with him on an occasion that the Officers had eaten with the men to improve moral. The man had given Theodore his glosstart, if he recalled correctly, when the Commissar had expressed his fondness for its sweet fleshy fruit. The man’s face blistered and popped as it was washed in lasfire. The second man he couldn’t place- just another face without a name.

They died messily, shot down in the muddy trench that was the front line against the attack. The remaining men, who had recently been ready to throw down their weapons and unman themselves in the eyes of the Emperor, swallowed and stood firm. The Commissar stood mute over the smoking bodies, eyes blazing. He began a chant, a stirring hymn for the fallen that brought shivers and gooseflesh to the Guardsmen. They took up the song, and returned to their positions, sending fresh volleys out into the killing fields beyond. Theodore added his pistol to the cacophony, and slew alongside the men.

Slamming a fresh cell into the stock, he stood back and surveyed the situation. It was grim. The foul Xenos were without end- no matter how many they killed, more of the chittering beasts appeared, dropping from the sky in gigantic globules of flesh, which burst when they impacted with the ground, releasing fresh waves of monsters. Theodore, having access to battle information as was necessary for officers of war, knew the name of the foe- Tyranids, the great devourer. He had heard rumor that these were the beasts that had wiped out the orbital station of K7-311. The stories of that massacre… He knew that there was no hope- the position would be overran in an hour or two, maybe less. Probably less. The anti-air placements had protected the outpost from the Mycetic Spores of the Tyranids for this long, but he had just gotten word that more vital areas were in need. Air support would be cutoff in minutes- his orders were simple. Keep the men fighting to the last. None were expected to live. Theodore knew this, and would follow his orders.

As he looked out across the vast plain of mud (once a verdant green field ) and strangely colored blood, of horrific beasts without numbers, he felt for a moment as normal men must- fear coursed through him, and his bowels threatened to loosen. He was master of himself in moments. He would die here, yes. But he would die well.
Suddenly, a roar, deeper and closer than the screeching of the horde before him, brought the Commissar spinning around. And he beheld a glorious sight. A gunship was lowering itself in the parade area of the outpost, between two ceramite bunkers, which lined the trench. Tents whipped and cloth flew. But Theodore paid it no heed- he knew what the sleek craft held.

Space Marines.

He had seen a Marine once- after the taking of Respus Prime, in the grand ceremony hall, Theodore had been afforded a place of honor, one hundred rows from the Lord Commander Militant of the Campaign. There, he had witnessed one of the armored giants in the High Council Parade. He had dwarfed all other men, and had taken the awards and commendation the Lord had given his Chapter for its service in grave silence, an aura of power and glory surrounding him. He had seemed an avatar of the Emperor himself.

And now such warriors would be fighting alongside the Commissar and his men.

The Guardsmen went back to their guns at a shout from Theodore, who ran up to hail the Marines unloading from the Thunderhawk. They were even bigger than he recalled, magnificent and glorious in their hallowed suits of specially designed power armor- it seemed thicker and more massive than the armor he had seen Space Marines wearing in the propaganda hololiths and vids. The gunship finished unloading its deadly cargo and shoved off the ground with a dull throbbing roar. Theodore was overjoyed to see them- however, he could not think of why they would be sent to a doomed area of the battle.

His question was answered by a sound to answer the engines of the Thunderhawk. It was not a roar- it was more of a scream, which seemed to come from a thousand throats. Theodore wheeled to behold the most terrifying image he had seen in his long years of war.

The largest living beast he had ever seen was wading through the smaller swarms of Xenos towards their position. It was huge- towering over the Space Marines and even the battle bunkers. Armor plates covered its white and purple body, great scythes of bone twitched. The throngs of aliens around it seemed to perk, and quicken, where it passed, rushing forward with renewed determination. They gave way before it, opening a path to the waiting Marines. Theodore quickly realized he was in the way- there was no way that he could stand against this beast, and he would impede the Marines by blocking their alley of fire. He quickly rolled to the side, as the first shots of apparently modified bolters roared at the beast.

The Commissar now knew why the mighty warriors were here- Imperial doctrine taught that the Tyranids, while loathsome and implacable, had a weakness a cunning enemy could exploit- they were controlled by the larger beasts. In any given swarm, if the bigger creatures could be killed, the lesser bugs would founder and be far more easily destroyed. And this thing, this creature, was immense.

Theodore watched in awe as the Marines unloaded at the beast, unleashing hails of shells that would reduce a man to a fine red mist in seconds. Nothing could stand against such righteous fury- yet the shells bounced from the plates covering the beast’s body, as if they were mere thrown rocks. Theodore spared a glance to his men, and saw they were not faring well. A four limbed horror ripped into the line, sending meat and red flying into the air. He looked back to see an explosive shell find its way past the armor and detonate in the flesh of the giant, but the creature did not even break stride. It was going to slam into the mighty Marines like a derailed magtrain.

They apparently came to the same conclusion- bolters were lowered and power fists and swords were raised. They met the charge of the thing head on, their valor brining tears to Theodore’s eyes. The beast would fall to these heroes. Of that he had no doubt.

The Commissar was transfixed by the combat. Never before had he seen such raw power and might unleashed before. The giant Tyranid grasped one of the armored men in one huge hand, lifted and slammed him into the earth, as another Marine punched a massive spatter of bone flesh and fluid from one of the creature’s tree trunk legs. Talons ripped through the air, tearing through inches thick plating like a knife through onions, and the Marines continued to smash sprays of the creature from itself with their crackling fists.

Two of the giant men lay dead after moments of combat. Rivers of green and purple fluid tricked from the beast, but it did not slow. The three remaining Marines regrouped, and charged together, straight into its gnashing maw, their voices screaming a dirge to the Emperor through their amplified suit-voxes.

Theodore watched them fall, one by one, and wept. Talons sliced, bones were crushed, and the pride of the Imperium, the men who were more than men, fell to the towering Xenos beast. Theodore cast his gaze to the ground, sorrow, horror and rage filling him. He only vaguely heard the screams of his remaining men, yelling out their last breaths into the dusky air. He barely registered the lines being overrun. He crawled inside himself.

He lifted his eyes. Faith coursed through him again, and gave him strength. The Emperor was here, with him. He could feel it. He had a duty. The giant beast, the Marine killer, was roaring in victory.

Commissar Theodore raised his chainsword and charged as the world died around him.