<<<Acheron Hive, 24 days later>>>

Kharn surveyed the massive force arranged before him. Thousands of green-skinned Orks and hundreds of his own proud Berzerkers. It almost brought tears to Kharn's eyes. He'd waited so long for his revenge. The Imperial fools didn't know that they were wrong. There was no glory for a Space Marine in a galaxy of peace. Kharn wanted to prevent that at all costs. If universal peace were acquired, what would become of the thousands of Space Marines? He'd tried to warn all, but only the most devout ones had joined him. His recent alliance with the Orks was highly temporary. If Armageddon was won, he'd call the rest of his army and vanquish the Orks. Kharn knew he'd promised Ghazghkull part of Armageddon, but why keep such a promise to a savage who didn't know the word for peace in his own language? Kharn doubted there was one such word in the Orkish vocabulary. Recently, though, Kharn had gotten Ghazghkull out of his hair by giving the huge Ork Warlord the mission on breaking the defence at Hades. The Berzerker Lord knew full well who'd mobilized the defending force; Commissar Sebastian Yarrick. At first, Kharn had been surprised at hearing the human was still alive. But what had it mattered when the government of Armageddon was corrupt, rotten to the core?

"My, my," Kharn muttered to himself as he walked down to meet with the Ork Warboss who commanded this part of the Orkish army. "I will never seize to be amazed at how the Imperium slowly suffocates itself." Kharn smiled at the fact his spy network had done well. The many Khornate cultists in the Underhives, and the many Genestealer covens. Magus Grimjaw was an invaluable ally. If Kharn was to order Grimjaw to... No, it would be too easy. Besides, Yarrick was Kharn's personal enemy. Slowly, to himself, Kharn admitted a flaw. He was greedy concerning his personal vendettas and enemies. He wanted them all by himself. He also knew he had to change. It had gone ill because of it in the past.

Planetary Governor Herman von Strab looked out the great observation window of the highest point of Acheron Hive: Spire Lv 700. He'd broken contact with Holt a few days ago. The man had gotten what he wanted from the governor. Herman knew he was in deep trouble if the Imperials would arrive now. The Warp-storm had seized a few days ago, and most surely, the Imperium had now found out, no matter if Yarrick was behind it or not. Rubbing his temples to ease the throbbing pain in his head, Herman von Strab decided to give one last speech to the billions of citizens of Acheron Hive.

"Citizens of Acheron Hive! You must by now know that 70% of Armageddon's industry is in the hands of the enemy. They have taken every single hive, except Hades, which is under siege, Tartarus and Acheron, your homes. At this very moment, the barbaric horde led by the grim Lord Kharn stand at the edge of Acheron, joined by the Orks. I cannot promise any salvation of any kind. All I can do is hope for a miracle to happen, a sign of the Emperor. But I promise you this: We will fight to the bitter end if necessary, and if we do, we will prevail. Evil such as that of the Fell Gods cannot be tolerated and they shall be vanquished by the Holy Sword of the Emperor! Herman von Strab, Planetary Overlord of Armageddon, out!"

As von Strab ended that speech, a short one, the screaming jets of Thunderhawks pierced the sky. Herman flew out of his chair and looked out. A look of shock and horror was upon his face; he knew what awaited him if they found out what he'd done. He'd end up in Court Martial and...

He saw the colours of the Thunderhawks, he knew the Legions: Death Angels, Black Templars and Salamanders. He saw the hundreds and hundreds of ships go down, strafing the horde at the horizon with bolter and battle cannon fire before disgorging their cargo, Space Marine warriors numbering thousands, upon the enemy. He could almost see the green-tide reel backwards.

The thump coming from nearby woke Herman from his thoughts. He knew what had landed, a Thunderhawk, and it had landed on the pad on Spire Lv 645. Not too far down, but he had to get out of here. He made a quick call on the intern-phone, and then got his overcoat and rushed to the turbo-lift. If he just got away, he'd be safe.

Twenty minutes later, three figures clad in power armour step into the room. The fourth is wearing Terminator armour. Two of them are wearing the red armour of the Legio Angelicus Mortes, another is wearing black and white armour with a white robe over and the last one is wearing dragon-green armour. The black armoured one speaks first, his voice having a distinct German accent. "He's gone. We were too slow."

"I knew he has been here. I felt him." the taller one of the red armoured said.

"I don't like your witchery, Master Lexicanum, but I certainly hope it can be of help." The one with the German accent speaks again.

The green armoured man walks forward to the desk and checks the agenda of the planetary governor. He eyes it through, slowly.

"Seems von Strab had much planned." he finally says after a moments silence. "Did he actually think he could win this war without help from the Adeptus Astartes?"

"He was mad, Chapter Master Tu'shan." Master Lexicanum Edward McKenzie said and looked away from the window he'd been standing by.

"I believe we all understood that when you told us about the Titan Legion, Master Lexicanum." Grand Commander Eddie McGranth shot in. "So, what shall we do now?"

"Save the planet of Armageddon, of course." McKenzie replied coldly.

"I didn't mean like that." McGranth said and walked up to his old friend. "I mean that what are we going to do about the war-criminal von Strab? You said he was going to be here...but he ain't!" McGranth did a livid gesture with his arms. "Only thing I'm wondering over is who'll command the forces of Armageddon?"

"Can't that Yarrick do it?" the German said again.

"I don't think that's an option, High Marshal Helbrecht." McKenzie replied, just as coldly as before. "I heard he was engaged in the defence of Hades Hive."

"Stop it, both of you." McGranth cut in. "I didn't mean the Guard only, I meant the entire of the forces. Supreme Commander?"

Tu'shan seemed ponderous for a while. Then he spoke. "I'd put my vote on you, Grand Commander."

After a few minutes of silence, Helbrecht said he'd agreed on that. "You're the one with the most battle-experience of all of us."

McGranth was taken aback by this sudden act. Thirty minutes on Armageddon and already Supreme Commander? Couldn't believe it. He had to make all the bigger decisions. He'd acted under other Marine Commanders before, but he'd never been Supreme Commander on a planetary operation like this. McGranth made his first decision four minutes into his new commanding position.

"Tu'shan, take your Salamanders and reinforce or at least try to stop the Orks at Hades. I've got a company there, 8th, but I fear there not much left of it."

Tu'shan saluted and walked out. Grand Commander McGranth turned to Helbrecht.

"You take command of the forces at Acheron together with me. Our mission will be to push the Orks and Berzerkers away from Acheron and push them out of each bloody hive." Helbrecht understood the underlying order and nodded. He then too walked off.

McGranth turned to McKenzie. "You don't like Helbrecht, do you?"

"Eddie, his Legion has condemned psykers of any kind. There's no love lost between him and me."

McGranth simply nodded at the answer and fell silent for a while. He felt a creeping feeling inside him. Could this be?

"Is this just another misgiving attack from Kharn, Edward?" he asked at final.

"I'm sad to say it might be. If it is, it has cost the Imperium vast military resources and civilian lives by the billions have been wasted. All because of a corrupt command."

"Can anything be done about this?"

"You can put a new family in reign, Eddie. You've got the authority. But that's not your real concern is it?"

McGranth sighed at McKenzie's ability to read him like a book, quite literally.

"No, my real concern is Sebastian. Is he still alive?" McGranth asked and looked at McKenzie with weary eyes.

"He's alive alright. I'm not sure if he's going to be that for so many more days. When we see him again, I have a feeling he's changed a lot."

<<<Hades Hive, 3 days later>>>

"Artis, I tell you to go! Take your family with you and flee!" Sebastian shouted to the Hive Monitor. He didn't want to admit it, but he'd almost choked on the last word. As a commissar, it was against his principles to run away from battle, but Artis needed to get away safely. He was too kind a person to be wasted.

"Commissar, why don't you come with us?" Artis said as he stopped in his tracks and turned round at Sebastian. "Why fight for a hopeless cause?"

"It's not hopeless!" Sebastian screamed, completely losing it. "The Orks may have breached the outer skirts of Hades, but the main Hive is still in our hands. I'm not leaving."

"Then I'll stay with you," Artis said calmly. "It was an unwritten rule in the Navy for the Captain to go down with his ship. I am the Hive Monitor. I'll die with Hades..."

"Michael, I'm not telling you any more. I'm ordering you take your family and go!" Sebastian said and looked away from the noble.

Artis walked closer to Sebastian. "Seb, you know I won't..."

In under a second, Sebastian had pulled out his laspistol and aimed the laser-sight between Artis eyes. There were anger but also sorrow in the old man's eyes, Michael could see.

"Hive Monitor Michael Artis, you're being told to leave Hive Hades one final time by a man with a gun. Go!" Sebastian said, his voice shaky from the act he had to perform. If Michael didn't turn round and walk into the Thunderhawk, Sebastian knew he had to pull the trigger. He hoped in his heart that Michael knew that the threat was real. Sebastian almost sighed in relief to see the bulky man turn round and walk into the Thunderhawk transport, reluctantly at first, throwing glances over his shoulder at Sebastian, who stood at the aircraft platforms of the space harbour. Artis shuttle was one of the last to leave.

When the last shuttle had disappeared, Sebastian walked back from the docking port. Cerberus followed him in his tracks. His bandage had been removed since long back. Lately, the wolfhound had been at an orphanage to cheer children up. The big, old dog had enjoyed it, though some children had been afraid of him in the beginning. Cerberus was part Chaos hound, a crossbreed, and had clear marks of this. His mane, his very build shouted out that his grandfather had been a Chaos hound. But as the weeks had passed a turned into months, more and more children had arrived at the orphanage. Seb had himself made sure that the children got it as good they could on food rationing. At first, when Artis came with the plan he'd gotten from the noble house council over how rationing should be planned, Sebastian had become raving. He had stridden into the council and demanded an explanation. The one he'd gotten had only made his temper worse. It had ended with that rationing for all was the same and that those children without homes and mother and father would be taken care of in special orphanages. These had been created from unused warehouses and the like, and most orphanages had been placed in the main Hive Spire. When Sebastian thought back on it now, it had been a wise choice to place them there. The further the children were from the Orks, the better.

Sebastian walked down the many stairs to Upper Hive Lv 45 and went out to the plaza with the Crystal Oak. He couldn't believe it was so many months ago since he'd first seen it. It was impressive. Down here, on the same level as the Oak, he saw how large it really was. Sebastian whistled lowly to himself. It had to be at least a few hundred metres high, he guessed. As Sebastian stood there daydreaming, he felt something tug in his greatcoat. At first he ignored it, as he thought it was Cerberus wanting his attention. The weak little voice startled him.

"Mister, I can't find mom..." a little girl, maybe not more than six years old, said. Sebastian looked down at her. She was black-haired as most people of Armageddon, and it was in a page-haircut. She had bright, blue eyes and was wearing worn and dirty clothing. As the little girl realized she'd been tugging Commissar Yarrick's coat, she shied away a bit from him. But when she saw Cerberus, her tension eased a bit. She'd heard about the big, red wolf that took care of children. Rumours spread quickly in Hives like Hades.

Sebastian hunched down to get in eye-level with the little girl. "Don't be shy," Sebastian said softly. "You know I won't harm you."

The girl walked slowly closer, afraid that the Imperial Hero would harm her. At least it seemed so in Sebastian's eyes, he couldn't know if the girl had any sins on her mind. At final she got so close that she could hug Cerberus firmly. Sebastian was surprised at this, but masked it. Cerberus just seemed to enjoy it and sat down and let the girl embrace him as long as she wanted. After a few minutes, she let go of the wolfhound and looked at Sebastian. Seb saw the speck of disbelief in the girl's eyes as it came. He knew how to react as well.

"I know, I don't look as an Imperial Hero, do I?"

"No," the little girl answered, cautiously. "They say yo're two metres tall 'n stuff. 'N that yo've got a metal claw for an arm 'n yo're full o' muscle. 'N that yo're eye can shoot layser." Her Underhive accent was very strong. Sebastian somehow felt misplaced talking flawless Low Gothic, High Gothic and Armageddon Main Tongue.

"Did you imagine me as such?" Sebastian asked after a short pause. The girl shook her head. "You see for yourself that it wasn't true, right. But some of it is true."

"What?" the girl asked, walking closer to Sebastian. Sebastian sat himself properly on the lip of the fountain surrounding the Oak. The hunched position wasn't good for his old back and legs. The girl sat down beside him.

"Well, my bionic eye can in fact shoot laser, and I do have a metal claw." Sebastian said and smiled. He sent his good hand into his pocket and reached for something in it.

"Still, yo don' look like ta Saviour o' Hades Hive." the girl said and looked thoughtful. Sebastian looked curiously at the girl.

"What did you call me?" he asked.

"Ta Saviour o' Hades Hive. People in ta Underhive call yo that since ta thing with that Ork."

Sebastian was still surprised, but then he remembered. "Here you go." he said and handed over a piece of his rationing card. "I take it that as your parents are gone, they've joined the Emperor at the Throne."

The girl took the little piece of paper that was offered to her. "What do yo do with this?" she asked.

Sebastian got up and made a sign to her to also get up. "I'll show you, if you follow me to Upper Hive Lv 45's orphanage."

"My parents are dead, right?" the girl said with sorrow in her voice, as she looked up at Sebastian with tearful eyes. Sebastian met them for a few seconds, then broke it. He couldn't stand such eyes. Lately, he'd learned to ignore them, but this girl seemed to become too much.

"Yes," Sebastian sighed, sorrow almost breaking through in his voice too as he thought of all the dead. "I believe they are."

"I thought so." the little girl said and felled silent tears.

Yet another Orkish bombardment shell tore out a hole in the wall of the huge chapel. Sebastian didn't throw a double glance at those who'd been killed by the blast. Anyways, there wasn't much to see. He'd seen the sight countless times before the last days. He hadn't slept properly for a week now, and his weariness was beginning to shine through in his awareness. He'd merely avoided being killed by an Orkish chain-axe a few hours earlier. Sebastian jumped over debris and rubble and bodies. The brave men and women of the company at his command followed him without question. They moved out at the back of the chapel, Sebastian leaving lastly. He gave the toppled over statue of the Emperor a last glance and went out, mumbling a battle-psalm under his breath. Sebastian knew that they were slowly being surrounded by the Orks here in the Underhive. He was happy that Cerberus wasn't here. He'd put the dog on watching over one of the orphanages, he instilled some sort of inspiration amongst the children, the same effect that Sebastian, and hundreds of others of commissars for that matter, had on soldiers.

"Sir! Ambush!" a soldier called and Sebastian spun round. He saw how the warning soldier was torn to pieces by a crude Ork sword. The beast chuckled darkly as it approached the old commissar. 'Poor fool,' Sebastian thought. The Ork lunged at Sebastian but didn't complete its leap, at least not in one part. The Ork, known amongst his friends as Gutzog, got the odd feeling that his torso fell on one side of the old human and his legs on the other. In his own crude tongue, Gutzog prayed to Gork and Mork that the Painboyz wouldn't get to him...

The sudden Ork attack was the last Sebastian wanted. He watched in horror at the scene before him. Once again he felt the enfeeblement he'd felt that day in the Military Council and the day more than fifty years ago. He felt himself frozen on the spot, unable to do anything, while his company got slaughtered. He saw how Lieutenant Fretner was split in two by an Ork's chain-axe. Sebastian would remember the man's scream of pain till his dying day, every night. Suddenly, something inside of Sebastian stirred. He would never know what it had been, but it had been his family's genes giving him a notice of who he was, and what was expected of him. So did his commissar part; it screamed for him to do something, at least say good-bye! Sebastian pulled himself together and jumped up on the remnants of a statue.

"Warriors of Armageddon!" he shouted. "The green tide of Orkdom is upon us and we are alone. There can be no mercy. No surrender. If we survive this day it'll be a miracle!" Sebastian pulped the skull of an attacking Ork easily with his claw. He hated interruptions. "But for the Emperor's sake, we won't go down without a fight. We'll defend our honour and our homes no matter the cost! We'll make the Orkish scum pay for every inch of Hades Hive!!"

With a loud, raucous roar, three hundred men and women, aged from 18 to nearly 60, jumped on the Orks with renewed vigour. They would give their lives to the Emperor with glee, knowing that Commissar Yarrick would be able to avenge their deaths. They wouldn't know the situation four hours after the last man had fallen of Deadalus Scratch Regiment 4th Company, when Commissar Yarrick was dead on his feet with fatigue and scarred and wounded somewhat terribly.

"Come on! I am not afraid!" Sebastian screamed, his strident voice echoing far in the hollows of Hades Underhive. He was standing atop a pile of Ork bodies, swinging his big Orkish claw around. He was so tired, his body so wracked with pain that he didn't think he was able to fight one more Ork, how easy it even would be.

One Ork warrior, brave, or stupid enough, charged at Yarrick. Sebastian heard how his comrades screamed in the Orkish tongue to don't do it. It was the Bale Eye, The 'Oomie wot could kill wiv a glance'. As the Ork came close to him, Yarrick grinned as the Ork foolishly ran his sword right into Seb's claw. Sebastian snipped off the sword and then closed the claw's blades around the Ork's neck. He didn't close them completely, just so that the Ork was held in a choking grip. Bringing the Ork's stinking features close to his own lean, lined face, Sebastian hissed in the tongue of the Orks:

"Yoo should 'ave listund ta yer friends. Dey don' call me da Bale Eye fer nofing!"

The bionic device that now was Sebastian's left eye blazed with a blinding light. Sebastian let go of the dead Ork's limp body, a smoking hole between its eyes. Smoking was also Sebastian's bionic eye. He saw though the haze of smoke how the other Orks backed off from him. The one he'd shot was apparently some sort of leader. Sebastian noticed something else. In the beginning he heard it more than saw it; the sound of bolt gun fire. A few seconds later, he saw the hazy forms of green armoured Space Marines. The Orks below him turned to face the huge super humans and blazed away. Knowing that the Orks didn't care anymore of him, Sebastian passed out from fatigue.

Space Marine Trooper Set'ar of the Salamander's 3rd Company made a quick sweep of a blown out chapel with his auspex. The tracking device gave no showings of life readings. No motions, no body heat. It was just as well, he thought grimly to himself. Nothing could have survived in there.

The entire roof had fallen in. Set'ar didn't want to admit it, but the broken statues of the Emperor and his Saints; Armagon, Icharian, Volrath, Le'man, and Noktorno amongst them, made him feel sick. The big Space Marine walked round the razed chapel. As he did so, he did the sign of the Emperor across his chest plate. Unlike most of his brethren of the Salamanders, Set'ar was more true to the Emperor than the Primarch their legion had come from. But like his brethren, Set'ar was nearly two and a half metres high, very brawny and dark skinned. Their home-planet, Nocturne, had a higher gravity than most inhabited planets in the Imperium, and that was saying something.

As Set'ar made it to a clearing, he saw a sight that made him dumbstruck. He'd seen much in his service as Space Marine, but nothing as this. Before him was a ten metres high pile of Ork bodies. Set'ar realized after a few seconds there were human corpses amongst the Orks. He took up his auspex and made a check of the pile. Someone could be alive.

Nothing. No readings at all. Set'ar felt his heart sink. He'd been told from Chapter Master Tu'shan that the Death Angels' had had a company stationed here when the war broke out. The Lieutenant Commander of the company, a Charleston he remembered, had told them the casualties of civilians as well as military. All the commanders present at the meeting had been horrified at the bloodbath. So had Set'ar when he'd been told. Though he didn't understand why Great Tu'shan had accepted Grand Commander McGranth's order that Salamanders were to protect all convoys of refugees and other non-honourable work. Tu'shan had said there was more honour in this than battle, but Set'ar didn't agree. At least they'd gotten this mission to liberate Hades Hive, together with the Black Templars. But when the Templars had done their part, they flew off to another mission, leaving the Salamanders and the Steel Legions to clear Hades of Orks. More haughty Space Marines than the Black Templars, one had to search for, Set'ar thought.

The auspex gave to a beep! Set'ar looked down shocked at it. He reached up and took off his helmet. His vision-slits could be screwing up again; they'd done it before. No, the auspex was still beeping, weakly, but there was someone alive in the mound. Or was it atop it? Set'ar put the auspex on the back of his left forearm and pulled out his bolt pistol. It could as well be an Ork who was alive. Nimbly for his size, Set'ar climbed up the mound of bodies. As he climbed he signalled via the vox-link in his ear to Apothecarion Te'thran.

"Apothecarion Tethran, this is Marine Set'ar of 4th squad. Could you come to the square of Underhive Lv 23, name c-45/th? I've found a live one."

Set'ar's voice was full of a melodious dialect, as was the Apothercarion's as he replied.

"Acknowledged, trooper. I'm sending one of my orderlies though, 2nd and 3rd squad have found a pocket of surviving Orks." Te'thran's voice crackled back.

"Set'ar out!" Set'ar replied and went over the lip of the hill. As he did so he prepared to meet a half dead Ork, but what he met was nothing of that. He stared into Sebastian Yarrick's relaxed, almost dead face. Set'ar noticed that the chest barely moved up and down, meant slow breathing. He also saw the numerous wounds on the old man's body. The commissar was in dire need of medical care.

"Set'ar to HQ!" he signalled in his vox-link. "I've found Commissar Yarrick and he's not in good shape. I advise you to respond immediately. HQ? Respond!"