DANITUN DEFENSE

The sun broke the mid-tones of the night, casting streaky beams of light across the dusty hiveworlds. Within the Vault cities, vast reinforced windows sheltered the citizens and Guard that had crowded the streets in Hive Primus, as hundreds had taken to the streets to hear the Governors address.

"Our once proud Emperor has forsaken us! We can no longer strive for his blessing, his light has left our cities. One hundred days ago, Arnell, the Slaughterer of Worlds darkened our doors, his minions slaughtered out of hand. It was only our valiant brothers that held them at Hive Deltus as long as they did that we were able to acquire a settlement with these once arch-traitors!" rang out across the loud speakers. "Now a dark day has come, the Inquisition has come asking questions at Julian Hive. We must fight these agents of the Imperium. They wish to see our new masters dead, our people crushed and everything we have fought to protect, destroyed! Prepare yourselves for the coming conflict, people of Danitun!"

Suddenly, as one the entire population of the world shuddered into movement. The vast beast that was the crowd begun to disperse as they made their way home. Those that were able were pressed into the Planetary Defense Force, those that were not where taken to secure points within each hive city. Hundreds of gunpoints were assembled, tanks blocked streets as the Inquisitorial forces gathered in orbit, as they preparing to take the fight to the world. Days later, the first drop pods bearing the emblem of the Dark Angels descended upon the world, followed by a swarm of planetary assault vessels packed full with Imperial Guardsmen rallied in the Emperors name. Lasers lanced the incoming swarm of attackers, cutting hundreds down in a single bolt.

As the first touched down and started discharging their cargo, the main doors to the Hives that had not been welded shut begun to close with a whine of hydraulic pistols and counterweights. As the automatic seals came online, leaving the Hive Worlds complete sealed off except for the underground comms network, the first explosions blossomed on the outer hull of the Hive Worlds as the first of the Basilisks that had made planetfall erupted into life. Within hours, thousands of explosive shells had created dents on the reinforced external skin of the Hives. Those in the Imperial army that were brave enough to land on the landing bays of the Hives where fought and killed by the massed ranks of Danitun Guard found there. Upon breaching the southern external doors, the Imperial warriors flooded the survivors, forcing their way up to the 3rd level of Hive Primus. With their cargo's dispatched, the once orbiting Dark Angel battle barges had left orbit, awaiting recall upon completion of the mission. A full two companies had been deployed within hours and the dark green warriors of the Dark Angels were spread across the planets surface, split into smaller fighting formations of no more then two squads plus a full two regiments of Guard as support. Inquisitor Markus Icaris, who had called in such measures to eradicate this threat, was only concern with Primus Hive. The Inquistor had arrived on the Star of Death, a small Imperial frigate vessel that was heavily armoured, but light armed and was one of the smallest warp capable vessels in the Imperial navy.

As the attackers reached section Beta, level 3 of Primus Hive, Captain Dyun who had lead the assault into the Hive, had noticed a dwindling number of defenders as they obliterated each new defended bunker and gunpoint. "Inquisitor Icaris, we are facing little or no opposition as we approach the 4th level?" as he finished off the last of the defending Guardsmen with his bolter. "They are holding their forces higher up within the Hive, and I hear the attack on Hive Deltus is proving more resistence then your location, keep me posted Captain!" replied the Inquisitor in a stern and commanding voice. "In the Emperor, we trust!" "Sergeant Yuan! take your scout squad down into the underhives and scout out the area down there. Report back to me in one hour!" ordered the Dark Angel Captain. "Yes, Captain" responded the Sergeant.

"We have encountered a little resistance in the underhive, and have located and destroyed the underground communications network" rang through Dyun's helmet as he darted between streets as his forces encountered armour picket of gun nests. Giving the hand signal to move out to his command unit, the six Dark Angels leapt out from behind the cover and sprinted forwards, losing rounds from their bolters as they ran forward. A lascannon bolt leapt from the defenders ranks, sending a Space Marine to his left to the floor with ease. Glancing back briefly to access the lose, he noticed the Marine was beyond help and was duly noted for geneseed removal later by the Chapters Apothecary. The Marines broke the lines and the Captain's power weapon darted left, then right slicing through flak and carapace armour with ease. Lasbolts flickered between the defenders and the Marines, at close range. Seconds later the left gun nest exploded as a single shell landed directly on target, obliterating it in an instant.

"What is the status of the rebels in Deltus?" enquired the Captain. "It shall fall within the week, whilst Hive Yualn has fallen and the planet within the month" responded the Inquisitor, his voice almost breaking with pleasure. "We have confirmed contact with a ship entering orbit at the other side of the planet, unknown configuration and hull design, hull clearly marks the symbol of Khorne, what are your orders, Inquisitor?" "Take whatever means it takes to destroy or disable the ship, Icaris out!" commanded the Inquisitor as if he was expecting such an event. "Captain, we have company in orbit! I want your presence in the Control Center, level 4!" demanded the Inquisitor!

"Why did you respond to my hail to this planet, Captain?" enquired the Inquisitor, his eyes fixed upon the Captain. The power armoured Dark Angel stood a full foot above the Inquisitor, but never broke the stare. Stepping forward, the Captain's gaze firmly fixed upon Inquisitor's piercing stare. "You question me of my motives? I serve the Lion and the Emperor, and it is my duty to destroy the alien, heretic and the witch!" shouted the Captain. "I know of your little secret, Captain, of your Chapters secret, of the ancient flaw in your Chapters history, that is why your here isn't it?" demanded Icaris. "Well if you so much, then why are you questioning me?" enquired the Captain, breaking the stare lock, and turning his back upon the Inquisitor. "We have little in common besides this foe! and when this is over, I shall see to it your Chapter is brought to it's knees over this incident and it's actions over the millennia and the Chapters' questionable motives!" "We shall see, Icaris!" replied the Captain in a dark tone as he walked out the door of the Command Center. "Chaplain Zunin, status?"

"We are enroute to Primus Hive, making full speed in our Rhino!" responded the command unit. "Prepare for his arrival," "affirmative, Captain!"

"Lord, there is an Ordo ship in orbit and there are Dark Angels present on the planet, what do you want to do?" asked the almost daemonic serf at the helm of the Bringer of Death. "Destroy the Ordo ship, and as for the Dark Angels, I shall slay them upon the planet!" shouted Arnell, his voice changing with the whim of the daemon within. "Commencing bombardment, Lord Arnell." One by one the torpedo tubes of the Bringer of Death opened, and unleashed their explosive cargo into the Imperial vessel. As they struck the side of the ship, the explosions tore the small vessel asunder as the plasma reactor detonated. "Let Khorne consume you, Imperial fools" spoke Arnell, as the daemon broke through Arnell's normally iron will. "Yes, I shall bring Khorne yet more death this day!" as Arnell reasserted his control. "Prepare from the drop!"

The sky darkened as the Khorne ship passed between the sun and the planet, casting its deathly form across the surface of the planet. Jetting the vessels engines, the Bringer of Death begun it's descent... Just as the dust settled around the newly landed Chaos craft, both hanger doors lurched open, willed open by the daemon within the Bringer of Death. Within seconds, as the ramps touched the scorched dusty ground of Danitun, hundreds of screaming Berserkers leapt down the ramps and begun their bloody rampage into the Guard that had remained outside the Hive Primus. Gunning the engines of some thirty Chaos Predators, of all patterns, some stolen, others rebuilt and others had been brought by the World Eaters that had joined Arnell. Lascannons scorned the remaining sides of Basilisk, some detonating instantly, others being rendered immobile as the lasers destroyed their tracks. Next came the Dreadnoughts, first Morbid, then Daemonfist, then Doomkin. A shell from a Basilisk landed heavily near Doomkin, but had failed to detonate. Daemonic rage gripped Doomkin, pushing itself forward into the embrace of the first of the Leman Russ battle tanks. Smashing it's front armour, whilst the other fist destroyed the front susponson assembly, the tanks destruction was mere minutes away.

"Inquisitor, the Khorne forces have made planetfall in their vessel and are attacking our forces outside Hive Primus" shouted a Guardsman as he covered his ear with the vox-caster once again. "Tell all units to converge on their position, do not tell the Dark Angels that the Khorne have arrived, am I understood?" demanded the Icaris. "Yes sir, but there is no sign of the Lord yet, just his minions. I have just received word that your ship has been destroyed!" The Inquisitor approached his henchmen, "now we must fight them here, just as my father did those many years ago, this has been my destiny to destroy this daemon, now fall out." Those around the Inquisitor gave him a nod in agreement and understanding.

Hundreds of Guardsmen poured out of the breached doors of Hive Primus, flooding into the Khorne lines, as the Khorne continued their slaughter of those that were already outside. As the first Khorne Berserkers were dragged down by the flood of Guard, a flood of fear swept through the ranks of the Guard as the beast bellowed his challenge to the Imperial forces. "Hold your lines" bellowed the Inquisitor. As the Guard surged once again towards the Khorne lines, Arnell stood there stationary glaring at the Inquisitor. "You killed my father! And now you will pay for it with your life!"

As the Dark Angels Rhino sped towards the massed ranks of Guard and Khorne. As the Rhino ground to a halt near Command Section Alpha, the doors slid open along oiled tracks. "Officer, what are the status of the rebels?" asked the Chaplain behind a steel mask sculpted in the form of a skull with the Dark Angel symbol standing proud on the skulls forehead. "We have managed to crush all that we find, but we cannot secure a fix on their remaining numbers, but we believe that the rebels here were allied with these Traitors" replied the Guard Officer, his tone almost surprised. "Leave the Lord to us, with him dead, we shall have crushed the rebels master and thus their resolve!"

Stepping forward towards the daemon prince, Icaris ushered his henchmen closer with a single gesture without breaking the stare with his arch-foe. Sliding aside upon his massive legs, Arnell's arm clasped the grip of the glaive, a finely crafted weapon with a mind of it's own. A full seven feet tall, four blades adorned its shaft, dried blood stained the shaft and the blades. Feeling the rage build within him, Arnell issued his challenge once again, cursing those Guardsmen that heard it to eternal torment. Darting forward with unearthly speed, Arnell was upon his foe within seconds, his glaive raised against his foe. As the protective shroud of the Inquisitor's protective spell hit home against the daemon, yet Arnell pressed home his attack, slicing the arm cleanly off the Inquisitor. Cursing the daemon, Icaris stepped back as he assessed the wound and allowing his henchmen to strike the daemon prince.

As one begun reading the passage of daemon cursing from his sacred book, the henchman stepped forward. Arnell's vision blurred as the words entered his head, only to be cut short as the glaive hit it's mark, slicing the book bearer in two with ease. As the weapons missed their marks, the henchmen proved ineffective in their attacks, and were cut down in due course by the berserk Lord. Stepping forward with his one good arm in his blood stained armour, Icaris poised to strike the daemon prince held at bay by the shrouding. Lancing out with the glaive, but it had missed his mark. Smashing his hammer down upon the glaive, forcing it from Arnell's blood stained hands, the lord was now defenseless. Letting down the shroud with a key thought, the Lord lurched forward once again. The Lord's hand smashed into the Inquisitor's armour, whilst Arnell's other arm gripped the Inquisitor's remaining arm. Pulling him apart with his extreme strength, then releasing the spent torso of the Inquisitor as the body finally burst into a spray of blood, guts and armour. Those that looked on in terror as one of the Imperium's finest warriors was killed by the incarnation of death himself. Turning the face the Guard that was left, Arnell gave a gesture as the Khorne Berserkers that had survived continued to press home their attack.

Turning aside to face his new foe, seven new foes, each bearing the emblem of the Dark Angels stepped forward. "ahh, Ulrain, we have found you at last!" spoke the Chaplain, sending a chill of the past into Arnell's contempt heart. "You have already tried to silence me and tried to make me repent once before!" deemed Arnell as the memories of his past life as one of the defenders of the Imperium all those millennia before. As the two robed figures bore down upon Arnell, their keen edges of their power weapons glinting under the sun, Arnell knew that he must slay these fools like the rest of those that had tried to capture him before. As soon as he felt the grasp of the glaive back in his hands, he shot around, glaive flailing in the air, instantly decapitating the closest member of the Deathwing, but falling short of the other. Dodging Arnell's next attack with his enhanced strength, the Chaplain brought his weapon to bear, and as the sudden roar of pain filled Arnell's body as the blades of reason bite into his flesh. Roaring his defiance at his new foe, Arnell gripped the blade with his free hand and thrust the blade away easily with his daemonic strength whilst bringing his glaive down upon the Captain. A flash of energy signaled the Chaplain had been saved from death by his rosarius.

Another blow bite deeper into Arnell's flesh then the first, causing another flash of pain to overcome Arnell's daemonic body. Retaliating with lightning speed, Arnell slammed the blade down upon the Chaplain, this time the rosarius failed in its attempt and the blade sliced down through the Chaplain, and Arnell could feel the entity within his weapon get stronger with the Chaplain soul. The rest of the Dark Angels died to Arnell's rage as the glaive hit its mark on every strike.

Hours later the spend bodies of those that had died in the killing fields around Hive Primus were pilled upon massive hills of dead for the carrion of the world to feast upon and those that know of the deeds on that day speak not of it. Danitun remains unchanged and unopposed by the Inquisitors for lack of knowledge or for fear of such a brutal retaliation. Today, those descendants of those that survived within the Hives continue to fight in the name of Khorne.