And The Story EDs

And the Story EDs

"Through space and time
Coast to coast
You are always with me
A Holy Ghost

As You follow
And trust in me
So I shalt follow
And believe in Thee

I go to battle
Holding high Your torch
With its Holy Fire
The enemy I'll scorch

With the Slayer's sword
In my hand
I strike down the enemy
Their tainted blood searing the land

'Tis the blood of daemons
Creatures forlorn
Upholding my promise
The blood oath I swore

In battle the wounds
Scar my face
Before I fall
I give over to Your Grace

The Dark Lord's soul
In its unholy might
I grant to You
Then I descend into the Light

Son of Eagle, Son of Wolf
Slew the enemy from youth
I am the Slayer of Daemons
The Warrior of Truth"

--Warrior of Truth, written by Sebastian Yarrick, Imperial Commissar
[Actually penned by Cerion...]

Data Log entry: Bastion Yarrick
Chairman of the Civilian High Council
Date: 734.435 IF/001 NI

Personal Journal
Enter password: *******
"I can hardly believe it's been an entire month since the Necron threat ceased to exist. The Imperium lives on, despite heavy losses. I honestly believed that the celebrations that started that day would never end, but it has now died down and the rebuilding has begun.
"On that fateful day, my mother, Commissar General Tanya Yarrick sacrificed herself for the better of the Imperium. Through the help of the Eldarain, her body has been recovered, as well as the Yarrick family sword.
"Now all that remains to do, is something I wish I never had to do."

Bastion put down the data-slate as he heard a soft knock on the door. He knew that knock.
"Come in," he said and watched as Commissar Colonel Alexander Demontfurt entered the room, clad in full dress uniform.
"It's time, isn't it, Alex?" Bastion said with a sigh.
"Yes," Demontfurt simply replied. "Shall we go?"
Bastion nodded, and then slowly shook his head. "I need a few moments to collect myself, Alex. Get my emotions in control. You don't mind, do you?"
"Not at all." Demontfurt walked over to Bastion. "I won't say I understand how you feel, sir, but I can say I have something of a similar feeling in my heart."
Bastion looked up at the tall and powerful political officer. He stood up slowly and then embraced Demontfurt. Demontfurt tried hard not to shrug from the young man. He answered the embrace, although reluctantly.
After a few moments, Bastion detached himself and walked out of his office, Demontfurt in tow.
They caught a transport to a very familiar place, at least for Bastion Yarrick. It was a farm yard, out in the fields of County Invas of Callidus. A long time ago, Bastion knew, a madman had burnt the farm to the ground, but it had been rebuilt not many years later. It was the Yarrick family property. Where the main living house had once stood, a shrine had been erected. It was small, the size of a village church and made in a sober architecture very typical to Callidus.
Bastion and Demontfurt entered it.
The shrine served as the Yarrick family tomb now. Many of the family Yarrick were now laid to final rest here, and one more would now be added. They went towards the burial place of Bastion's father. When they got there, Bastion looked sadly at the two sarcophagi. One of them held the remains of his father. The other one was empty, but not for much longer. Soon, his mother would join his father in the eternal sleep. Together again, after so many years apart.
Bastion checked that everyone was there. The Terrans, McKenzie, Charleston, McGranth and Masterson. He hadn't wanted a huge burial. That would've made his grief even harder to bear.
The ceremony began, led by Demontfurt. The coffin, an ornate thing made of mother of pearl and gold, was brought in by servitors that rolled along on soft wheels. They slowly put the coffin in the sarcophagus next to Bastion's father's.
Bastion didn't quite listen to what Demontfurt said. He was busy focusing his mind on something else. His eyes fell on the many statues in the shrine-tomb. One statue or bust for every member of the Yarrick family. They were innumerable. The largest one was of Hrodwulf Le'man himself, and it dominated the Altar of the Aquila.
Bastion wasn't the only one with his attention elsewhere. McKenzie was thinking hard about the things that had happened lately. He threw a glance at Masterson and read the man's mind, as softly as he could. The sturdy commissar seemed quite beat down. McKenzie couldn't believe what he felt from the man's emotions. McKenzie's surprise made him incautious and Masterson noticed someone was reading him. He turned and shot McKenzie a devastating glare.
Demontfurt finished his part and motioned to Bastion to rise. The young man did so, took Demontfurt's place and began to speak.
"My dear friends, because that is how I see you all, I thank you thoroughly for coming here at my request and joining me as we put my mother, Commissar General Tanya Yarrick to rest. I could probably go on for ages, saying what an asset she was to the Imperium etcetera, but I won't. Because you already know all this. No, I want to tell you about Tanya Yarrick, the mother.
"She took care of me, although she had a hard time doing so. What amazes me is that she decided to have a child, despite being a commissar. I can't even begin to fully understand what drove her to that decision, though, as I've read some of Commissar General Rolf Yarrick's memoirs, I've begun to understand at least a little of it.
"But I wasn't her only child. She saw all her soldiers as her children, and treated them with the same love and concern a mother would show, but for all that she wasn't indulgent. Quite the contrary. In all she did, she was loving but also stern. I think that is what made her such a good leader, and mother. She had an innate grasp of psychology and knew well how to use it. Although she never admitted it, she was a better politician than I can ever hope to become."
Bastion stopped and stifled a sniff of sorrow.
"I'm sorry. It's just... It's been over a month, and in my heart I know she's gone forever, but my mind... it can't accept it. I had so much more to do together with her, to ask her and to learn from her. There's no chance for that now. I can't and won't blame anyone. I won't even blame the Necrontyr. All I can say is, that my mother showed the greatest kind of love anyone can show.
"She died to save the Imperium, because, being a commissar, she loved that more than anything; more than me or father or anyone alive."
Bastion bowed his head quickly to disguise the tears that had welled up in his eyes.
"Thank you for listening."
He walked back to his seat and sat down. Demontfurt tried to comfort him, but was shooed away. Quietly, for being him, Masterson managed to get the others outside as the servitors placed the lid of the sarcophagus in place. As they walked out, McKenzie heard Bastion whisper "Good-bye, Mommy," to the coffin. The Master Lexicanum quickly turned away, shutting the young man's sobs out. The full brunt of all that emotion could kill him if he wasn't careful.
Half an hour later, Bastion had recovered enough and went outside and walked up to the Terrans, now back in their own clothes. Bastion's eyes were puffy from tears, but he tried to keep his face up.
"Now," he said as he approached the Terrans, "I think it's time for the second ceremony of the day, something a bit more cheerful."
"Aw," Eddy sighed, "do we have to?"
Bastion laughed, but it sounded forced.
"Yes, Eddy," he replied. "You have to. Come on."

They returned to Vindaree with the transports. Bunkered up as they were in Chimeras APCs, the Terrans had no idea of where they were, until they got unloaded. They stepped out into a large square. The Eds remembered it from their first time here. This was the spot where the high anchor harbour of the Cardinal Boras had been. Obviously, the sky-scraper was gone. This was some sort of ground zero.
In the centre of the square, there was something big, hidden by a large piece of dark green cloth.
"Now," Bastion said and turned to McKenzie, Charleston and McGranth, "on to business. First, you three."
Bastion walked over to the three Marines. McGranth didn't seem to like what was happening, and neither did Bastion, apparently.
"Grand Commander McGranth, Commander Charleston and Master Lexicanum McKenzie," Bastion began. "You have fought in the Name of the Emperor and for the Emperor since times untold. Because of this it is my duty, and my pleasure, to officially declare you Heroes of the Imperium and bestow upon you the status of Holy Defenders of Mankind."
McGranth silently rolled his eyes.
"Are we done yet?" he muttered.
"You are," Bastion replied with a smile. Charleston and McGranth removed themselves from the group, but McKenzie remained. "Now, for the rest of you." The Terrans looked around sheepishly, trying to avoid each others gaze and finding a friend's eyes at the same time. They did not exactly like this idea.
"You have shown," Bastion began, "that even the smallest of worlds can produce the greatest of heroes. Today, I have three more duties to perform. Firstly, I will award you these." An aide stepped up next to Bastion, holding a purple velvet box. The aide opened the lid of the box, revealing ten gilt, double eagle medallions on purple and gold bands. Each one of the Terrans received an eagle medallion around their necks. Bastion then stepped back to survey them all. He nodded one single time in approval of what he saw.
"You are Outlaws no more. From this day on, the High Council, the Neo-Inquisition and the Commissariat officially recognises the Omega Squadron as Imperial Warriors and a part of the vast Imperial Army. After your return to your home world, a new phalanx is going to be formed within the Imperium. A phalanx of specialists that are to respond to any threat against the Imperium, alien or domestic. And they shall be named the Omega Squadron.
"And, speaking of your home world, Terra, which you have fought so bravely to defend alongside the Imperium... I hereby award you, on the mission of the High Council, with the title 'Defenders of Terra'. Wear it proudly, Omega Squadron. Your world will one day join the Imperium in all its glory, but until it does, I leave the safety of Terra in your hands.
"And finally, my last duty for today, is to do this."
Bastion made a gesture and the present servitors removed the green cloth. As the cloth slid away, a statue, cast from rockcrete, was revealed. It showed the ten members of the current Omega Squadron, standing ready to defend themselves with a resolute look on their faces.
"May this statue stand as long as our glorious Imperium does. In that way, we shall never forget our comrades from beyond the borders of Imperial Space."
Eddy gawked at the large thing. "Oh brother... was all that really necessary?"
"Yes, Eddy," Bastion smiled. "The warp gate has been prepared, so it will soon be time for you to return to Terra. Master Lexicanum, if you would?"
McKenzie stepped forward, carrying a wraithbone staff, a last gift from the Eldarain. He walked past Bastion and towards a spot in between the wreckage that once had been a skyscraper. He brushed away the dirt from the warp socket and started to chant in Eldar. The staff began to glow. Brighter and brighter until it almost hurt to watch it. McKenzie then raised the staff over his head, calling out to the Eldar god Asuryan and drove the staff home into the socket. Quick as lightning he turned it a quarter of a turn and stepped away. A bright beam of multicoloured energy shot out of the staff and into the sky.
Then there was sudden silence.
"What the frekk was tha-" Masterson began but the psychic beam returned with a scream that drowned out all other sound. It struck down into the wraithbone staff, shattering it into a thousand tiny shards.
As the dust settled, a swirling kaleidoscope of colour denoted the presence of the warp portal.
Eddy sighed.
"Man... I can't believe this is it. After all we've been through... This is really the last time, right?" Eddy walked towards the swirling portal.
A low rumbling was heard as Charleston and McGranth came driving up with an unarmed troop-carrier.
"Hey!" McGranth called. "Hold up a minute!"
Eddy turned to look at his physical copy. "What's this?"
McKenzie smiled in that impish way only he could. Eddy reflected it was strange to see Edd's features like that.
"Well," McKenzie began as he moved to the back of the troop carrier, "we wouldn't want you guys to leave empty-handed, now would we?" He threw down a hatch at the back and pulled out some crate-like oblong boxes. "These boxes contain your respective swords, the lightning claw glove, the power fist, Niire and this bag contains Yarrick's greatcoat and cap." He showed them that the boxes were tagged with names.
"I don't understand," Edd said. "Why are all these things here?"
"We had a bit of a chat amongst ourselves," McKenzie said as he handed Edd his force sword, "and we all decided that you couldn't leave without souvenirs. So that you can remember us and what you've done."
"I got permission from the High Council," Bastion inserted. "You can take them with you, but only if you wish."
"I don't know about this," Kevin said dubiously as he hefted the box containing his power fist.
"Go on," Charleston beamed. "Their yours. So you can do whatever you like with them."
"But, McKenzie," Johnny said nervously, "I can't take Niire."
"Yes, you can, Johnny," McKenzie said and smiled softly at the boy. "It's yours. I gave it to you as a gift, remember?"
Rolf had opened his bag and was looking down into it, at Yarrick's coat and cap. For some reason, he felt very uneasy about them. "I don't know," he said slowly, "these things don't really fit me anymore."
Bastion looked at him. "I want you to have them, Rolf. My mother would have wanted you to." Rolf merely nodded his agreement to this.
McKenzie ignored Rolf and Bastion and walked up to Nazz. "I wouldn't want to forget this now," he said and pulled out Saint Nazerine's Crozius Arcanum from one of his leg pouches and hung it around Nazz's neck.
"McKenzie, I-" Nazz began, blushing ever so slightly.
"No," McKenzie cut her off, "it's back where it belongs now." Nazz's blush deepened.
"Alright... I guess..." she whispered. McKenzie smiled and stepped back to survey the Terrans.
"I believe you're all ready to go now. Just one more thing. A small favour to ask; can you keep an eye on our bikes back there?"
"Sure," Eddy replied with a smile. "We'll take good care of them."
McGranth appeared next to McKenzie. "Well, I can't say it's all been fun... mostly a lot of running, shooting and screaming... but I don't regret a minute of it!"
Eddy grinned, but there was sadness in it. "We're gonna miss you guys."
"Oh, don't get weepy on me," McGranth admonished. "Just take care, and I'll be happy. I hate long farewells so off you go now." McGranth shooed the Terrans jokingly towards the portal, making them laugh and loose some of the tension that had built up. When Kevin stepped up to the swirling maelstrom of the warp-portal, he gulped.
"Oh no," he muttered, "not this again."
Eddy pushed Kevin slightly in the back. "Get over it. It's the last time. Ready? Go for it!"
The Omega Squadron of Terra/Earth, Space Outlaws and Alienhunters, their souvenirs with them, stepped into the swirling portal, disappearing from view and going back to their world and time. McKenzie uttered an alien sounding phrase which closed the maelstrom shut.
Bastion started to move away from the spot. "Come on, you three," he called over his shoulder. "One last bit of business to settle." McGranth and Charleston walked after Bastion, but McKenzie remained where he was.
"McKenzie!" Bastion called, thinking the psyker was perhaps lost in thought.
"You go first," McKenzie called back. "I have a... thing to settle fisrt."
"What thing?" Bastion asked.
"Psyker business. Nothing you should worry your little head about, Bastion. I'll join you later."
As the others drove off, McKenzie followed them with his eyes for a while until he finally turned and looked at the lone attack bike and its owner. As the dust settled, Commissar Masterson's face became visible. McKenzie smiled.
"Something on your mind, Tomas?" he asked.
"Yes," Masterson replied. "Quite a lot, in fact. You could almost say I need advice."
"I thought you were going to chew me out for reading you back at the funeral," McKenzie said and raised an eyebrow.
"No... I was to, at first, but now... I can hardly be bothered. I know you can't read thoughts. Just emotions. You know what I felt there."
"Yes, it quite startled me. The depth of your grief... I don't want to probe it further, if that's what you want me to."
"Heck, no! No... I might as well tell you; Tanya's late husband was my brother. Thus, Bastion is my nephew. My only nephew. My brother, bless his soul, meant very much to me, being a civilian. When he married Tanya, I respected that. Although I'd wanted him to marry someone with a slightly less... 'provocative' profession. But... emotions can't be steered. Not by normal people at least."
"I see where you're getting at," McKenzie snapped rather irritably. "Did Tanya know you were her husband's brother?"
"That's the tricky bit. I was stationed elsewhere when they got married. I found out months later. So I planned on going to see them as soon as I could. As I travelled to meet them, nearly a year later, I was met by the message that my brother had been killed by the first wave of the Necrontyr. He'd died a mere month after Bastion's birth. I feared then that Tanya would break under this pressure but I'd clearly underestimated her. The result was that she fought the Necrontyr with an almost unerringly keen hate."
"Did you get to see her and tell who you were then?"
"No... I was stationed at the front and she was pulled back to organise the defence from Callidus and Ichar. After all, she was the most senior officer in the Commissariat in that sector at that time. I was an ordinary line commissar. And when I many years later got stationed in her staff, Bastion had almost grown up and Tanya managed better than ever. I didn't want to mess their life up again. To make her emotionally dependent again. She'd suffered enough."
"So you never told either of them?"
Masterson shook his head.
"You loved her, didn't you? And you love Bastion too?"
"Yes," Masterson sighed.
"I think it's selfish of you not to come forward and inform Bastion that he has family still alive. He could use it. So, fess up and start acting like the uncle you are!"
"I don't want to be a burden to him McKenzie. He has a great responsibility on his young shoulders."
"You won't be, trust me. It is my firm belief that the thing that makes Humanity so strong is our ability to love. Matter of fact, I think it was love the made Rolf Yarrick so strong and unrelenting in his defence of Humanity against all enemies it could face, alien or heretic. He always surrounded himself with people he held dear in some way. And I think I have figured out why. It was so he would never forget what he was fighting for.
"So tell Bastion who you are, Tomas. Tell him and he'll most likely fight harder than ever to rebuild the Imperium, as he has something to lose if he doesn't."
"I understand," Masterson said and smiled sadly. "Maybe we should go after the others, so they don't worry about us?"
As Masterson mounted his attack bike, McKenzie made an apologetic cough. "I think I'll have to hitch a lift with you, commissar. It seems my brothers have left me without a means of transportation."
Masterson laughed out loud and gestured to McKenzie to hop into the sidecar.

Using McKenzie's psychics to find the way the others had driven, they pulled in by what used to be a star-port. Bastion, McGranth and Charleston were waiting for them.
"Now then," Bastion exclaimed, "you might have time for me, all three of you Space Marines. Follow!"
McKenzie, McGranth and Charleston followed Bastion, Masterson lagging behind a bit. The walked to one of the smaller hangars and went into it. Inside, under the light from glow-globes was a red painted Thunderhawk.
Charleston made a double-take when he saw it. "Waitaminnit... Isn't that-"
"The Thunderhawk you pockmarked Secondus surface with, yes." Bastion finished for him. "The Night Hawk, I believe you called it."
"But," Charleston said suspiciously, "I thought it was totalled."
"Amazing what a few good Tech Priests can do, isn't it?" Bastion mused. "And I believed the Death Angels' Legion wanted it back in tip-top shape."
"Huh?" McGranth exclaimed. "But our legion is no more... It's been disbanded."
"Well, I can't have you sitting around here all the time, can I? Also, to make sure you are out of my hair, I give you this." He handed a wrapped document to McGranth, who was so swept up in the moment he simply accepted it. "It's a Carte Blanche, giving you full right to travel with any Imperial Navy vessel you want," Bastion explained.
"Is that so?" McGranth said and smiled a lopsided smile.
"So," Bastion asked, "what will you do now?"
"Firstly," McGranth said, "we'll go back to Ichar and do a spot of spring cleaning, you could say. And then... who knows? There's plenty still to do for three old Space Marine commanders. Maybe we'll gather a band of surviving loyal Marines and tow the Galaxy as Outlaws. For your protection."
With that, McGranth suddenly saluted Bastion and made to board the Night Hawk. McKenzie and Charleston followed suit and Masterson and Bastion Yarrick left the hangar as the ship powered up for lift-off.
The Thunderhawk made its way through the vastness of space back towards Ichar a few hours later. Charleston sat lost in though for a moment as he surveyed the coordinates one last time.
"What's up with you?" McGranth asked after a while, having watched his old friend.
"Well," Charleston began, "I was wondering. After all that's happened, don't you think we'll stop doing this someday? Fighting, I mean."
"I suppose so," McGranth said scratching his chin. "I mean, even Space Marines have to die, eventually."
"Speak for yourselves," McKenzie remarked with a wry smile. "Personally, I plan to live forever."
McGranth and Charleston just stared at him, which made McKenzie laugh out loud. After giving McKenzie a reprimanding look, McGranth turned to Charleston. "Hit the boost already..."
Charleston did as ordered and the Night Hawk sped up, leaving Callidus behind it.

Back down on Callidus, Bastion Yarrick had returned to his family tomb. He wasn't quite done with it yet, but what he was about to do was something he wanted kept as secret as possible. The Imperium's safety hung on it, in a way.
He stood in front of the Altar of the Aquila, facing the statue of Hrodwulf Le'man.
"So, I guess it all comes back to you. I get the feeling it was always meant to be this way," Bastion whispered to the statue.
The statue of Hrodwulf was standing tall, hands clasped over one another in front of the stomach, as if resting on something poleshaped. Bastion had seen the tiny slit in the rockcrete of the floor earlier and realised the purpose of the statue. Could Rolf Yarrick have foreseen this day? How was that possible? If not...
"McKenzie, you weasel..." Bastion muttered silently as he removed the Yarrick sword from his back and slowly unwound the red velvet that was wrapped around it. The Imperial Navy had been able to recollect the sword against all odds in the blackness of space. Of course with a little help from the Navigators on board.
The last strip of cloth was removed from around the sword and fell to the ground with a hush-like noise. Bastion carefully fitted the sword into the slit and in between Hrodwulf's hands.
Bastion stood back to get a better look. The sword looked strangely small wedged into the statue, but he figured it was because of the scale. The statue was larger than Hrodwulf had been in life, after all.
"May this sword protect us, as it always have. And may we never have to use it again," he said and turned to walked towards the entrance.
"Bastion?" a voice suddenly called from one of the pews. Bastion turned sharply and saw Masterson standing in shadow of one of the other statues, Caspar Yarrick, Bastion saw.
"Tomas," Bastion said, "what brings you here?"
"A long story," Masterson said and approached Bastion. "However, if you have time, I'll tell it to you in its entirety."
The two men walked out of the Yarrick Chapel, Masterson talking. As they left, they closed the door behind them, leaving the Yarrick sword in the hands of Hrodwulf Le'man.

++New Imperial year 521, five hundred years after the destruction of the Necrontyr++

That same door opened again and a man walked in, followed by a small group of people. There were a few Imperial Guardsmen and a pair of Sisters of Battle. The leader wore the black coat and peaked cap of the Commissariat. His skin was slightly tanned and his black hair had a shade of blue to it.
He walked up to the Altar of the Aquila and stood in front of the statue of Hrodwulf Le'man. He studied the sword in the statue's hands, dusty from many years of not being used. There wasn't the slightest speck of rust on it.
"So," the commissar said, "the legend is true. The deamon slayer sword is real."
He picked it up and hefted it slightly in his hand, testing its weight. The blade glowed faintly as he touched the hilt.
Suddenly, the door to the tomb-chapel was thrown open and small band of heretics and mutants entered. The saw the Imperial and gave off a shrill battle-cry.
The commissar calmed his comrades.
"The taint still lingers on this holy place, but we are not alone! The Legends of Old are with us today! For the Emperor!"
The Imperial soldiers echoed the last three words and charged the Chaos filth. The commissar, wielding the sword, leads them.

And thus the Legend of the Eagle, the Wolf and the Hound of Chaos continues...