The Battle for Armag-ED-on

Captain Eddy yawned and streched himself, trying to stay awake. 6.00 a.m in the morning was no good time to get up, at least according to himself. And it just gets worse by the main fact that they´re going to a distant planet to fight a battle.
"ATTENSHUN!!" a Guardsman yelled as Commissar Rolf came up to the commando bridge. This sudden noise made Eddy jump to a bit, and definetly woke him up.
"At ease." Commissar Rolf said and sat down in a chair.
"What a shocking way to be woken on." Eddy said silently to himself.
"Maybe so," he heared a soft voice say beside him. It was Double D. "But it´s only this battle left and then we can go home."
"To be honest pal, I miss the old Kevin, who was satisfied with calling us dorks."
"Me too."
"By the way, where´s Ed?"
"He´s in the armoury, fixing his Bolt Gun."
"Why?"
"He´s mounting an aiming device, so he can hit things easier."
"Have you been there too?"
"Yes. I changed plasma. The new kind is more useful and doesn´t clog up."
Eddy glanced over his shoulder at Commissar Rolf.
"Has he told you how long time it takes to get to Armageddon?"
"It´ll take about 6 hours."
"6 hours!! That darn planet is 4 lightyears away!!"
"Not when you utilise the Warp."
"The Warp?"
"It´s hard to explain, but it´s like a worm-hole. In on one side, out in the other. That´s how the Berzerkers got to Callidus."
"Oh."
"Hey guys!" they both heared Ed shout. After that, Eddy got a red dot on his chest plate. He looked at it.
"Dig my new laser-aiming." Ed said happily.
"Fun, Ed. Really funny." Eddy said sarcastically.
"I got something for you too, Eddy."
"What?"
Ed throwed him a belt with melta-bombs.
"Melta-bomb grenades."
"What are they used for?" Eddy asked Double D.
"Denting or melting tanks."
"Cool."

Meanwhile, at the commando bridge, a Guardsman that looked like he was in head of Navigation, ran to talk with Commissar Rolf.
"We should never have taken the Warp, Commissar."
"What´s wrong?" Commissar Rolf asked a bit irritated.
"I know we don´t have any alternatives, but Lord Kevlinn noticed our fusion engiens."
"So?"
"He´s mobilised a force, not only consisting of Berzerkers, but from a minor group of infested Space Marines."
"What are they called?"
"The Administratum calles them "Plague Marines". They are horribly mutated. And the stench from them then. Doesn´t bear to think of."
Commissar Rolf looked down onto the floor and was quiet for a while, then he said:
"Don´t tell the men about this."
"Of course, sir."
The Guardsman walked away, but Commissar Rolf ran up beside him.
"Wait, don´t tell the Space Outlaws that they are the second group trying to defeat Lord Kevlinn."
"I understand, sir."
As Commissar Rolf saw the Guardsman walk away to tell the Space Outlaws about the Plague Marines he bit himself in the lip and thought;
"I certainly hope they succeed. If not, we´re doomed."

"PLAGUE MARINES!!" Double D shouted when the Guardsman told him about the new threat.
"Yes, and their version of Sergeants, Aspiring Champions, have the nasty ability to explode when they´re killed, covering their un-doers in a smelly goo."
"Big deal." Eddy said and looked at Ed with a confident look. "We´ll take them out from a distance, won´t we Lexicanum?"
*Bdunk*
Double D had fallen backwards, shocked by the fact that they had to fight Plague Marines.
"Lexicanum?" Eddy asked and raised an eyebrow.
He looked at Double D at the floor.
"Ooooohh." Double D groaned. "Why Plague Marines?"
"I don´t know, but Lord Kevlinn has probably something planned for you three." the Guardsman said and left.
Ed helped Double D to his feet.
"What was that all about?" Eddy asked and looked on Double D.
Double D just looked back with a tired look. He looked like he had gotten seriously sick, very fast.
"Plague Marines are so unsanitary." Double D replied with a worried voice.
"Who cares? Ed smells, but you don´t complain about that, do you?"
"Hah." Ed just said when he heared his name mentioned.
"It´s not the same thing." Double D answered. "Plague Marines smell like overfull garbage cans, and I don´t want to talk about how the goo covering you when you defeated a Champion smells. Bleargh."
"I and Ed can fight them if you want? But only if you take care of any Berzerkers trying to take us from behind, okay?"
"Okay, Captain!" Double D said and saluted Eddy while going into attention.
"That´s the spirit Lexicanum. At ease."

Not very much more happend on the trip to Armageddon. To spare you of boredom, we´ll make a jump of 6 hours into the future:

"Exiting Warp, Commissar!" a Guardsman shouted to be heared over the roaring of when the fusion engiens noise came back.
"Ahead at a fourth." Commissar Rolf answered.
The roaring disappeared, and Cardinal Boras slowed down. The enourmous Battlecruiser wasn´t alone. It was followed by two cruisers; Retribution and Righteous Wisdom. Along with them was a great number of smaller Cobra-class destroyers. The destroyers spread out in groups of four around Armageddon. The two cruisers each took a side of the planet, and bombed it. The bombing took out all defences and destroyed everything around Armageddons ekvator. As Eddy saw this happen, he got a bit corious:
"Where´s Lord Kevlinns fortress?"
Double D walked up beside him.
"I belive it´s in the north, but as Armageddon is a Ash-planet, it´ll just be desert."
Then Ed joined Eddy and Double D.
Commissar Rolf walked up behind them and did something very weird:
"Ed-boys, get to your Transport. We´re leaving for Armageddon."
Commissar Rolf turned round and walked away.
The Eds looked at each other and said in perfect unision:
"Ed-boys?"

*********************

The Transports landed softly on the planets surface. I hadn´t done any difference if they so had crash-landed, they would have landed softly in a sand dune anyhow.
The fronts of them opened, and out ran tens of thousands of Guardsmen, and after them came the walkers and after that came the tanks; Leman Russ Battle Tanks, Chimera transport tanks and Demolisher artillery tanks.
Commissar Rolf and the Space Outlaws "rode" on the only Leman Russ Destructor tank in the army. The Destructor has a pair of Plasma cannons on the sponsons instead of sub-machine guns. It also has thicker armour platings.
The army formed up and began marching for Lord Kevlinns fortress, The Tower of Doom.
It could be seen in the horison with binoculars. And not only the fortress could be seen in binoculars, the same went for that enourmous Berzerker army up ahead.
"Yoink!" Commissar Rolf said and took the binoculars down from his eyes. He looked at the Space Outlaws who looked back at him as they were standing on the hull of the tank.
They all heared a distant battle-cry and saw the entire Berzerker army charge them.
Commissar Rolf acted lightning fast.
"CHARGE!!" he yelled so the entire Guardsmen army could hear him.
The Destructor rolled forward at ahead full. The Guardsmen and the other tanks n walkers followed the Commissar´s example and charged into the Berzerker horde.

The two armies clashed into each other with a brutal force. The Berzerkers were better fighters but the Guardsmen outnumbered them at least 5 to 1. And in the middle of this, the Space Outlaws were stuck up on the Destructor-tank. A squad of Berzerkers tried to storm it, but the were bogged down by Ed´s bolter fire, and Double D sent a psychic lightning storm to finish them off.
Suddenly, Eddy got an idea, because he saw some of those Plague Marines. He knocked Ed on the right shoulder-pad and pointed towards them. They both jumped off the tank when Double D and Commissar Rolf was busy shooting down some Berzerkers that tried to destroy the right plasma cannon, but it was hard. The Berzerkers were wearing Terminator armour (same kind as Eddy´s, but red and gold coloured).
While shooting at the Berzerker Terminators, Double D shouted:
"Eddy! Ed! How about some backup!?"
Double D lowered his gun and repeated;
"Captain? Sarge?"
He turned round and saw Eddy and Ed running against a squad of Plague Marines led by an Aspiring Champion. Double D just looked like he´d seen Death and screamed:
"CAPTAIN EDDY!! SERGEANT ED!! NOOOO!!"

Eddy heared Double D´s scream, but he didn´t care. He didn´t either belive that Plague Marine Aspiring Champions exploded when killed.
He should have.

"Lexicanum? What is it?" Commissar Rolf asked as he turned his attention from the by now dead Berzerkers.
"Why don´t they listen to m...." Double D looked at Commissar Rolf and saw directly at the muzzle of a laser cannon.
"What?" Commissar Rolf asked.
Double D didn´t answer. By instinct, he grabbed Commissar Rolf by the arm, and jumped off the tank with a mighty jump, pulling the Commissar out of the turrent and landing about 5 metres away from the tank, and took cover in a blast-crater.
A mere second later, the Berzerker tank had turned the Destructor tank into scrap. Double D and Commissar Rolf looked up from the crater they had taken cover in.
"It´s a Predator-class tank, probably." Double D thought to himself.
"How could that happen?" he then asked the Commissar.
"Well, Leman Russes are good, but if you hit them point-blank from behind, they´re scrap."
"I can see that." Double D just replied.

"Now I´ve got you." Eddy said triumphant as he got the Aspiring Champion down to his knees.
Eddy ran his left Lightning Claw into the body of the Plague Marine and said to Ed as he pulled it out:
"You see, Double D was wrong."
The second later, Eddy and Ed was covered in what seemed like slime.
"It think Double D was right after all, Eddy." Ed said and had a what-did-I-tell-you look on his face.
"Speaking of Double D, we´d better go help him."
Then they both fought a way to where the Destructor had been.

Meanwhile, more and more Guardsmen gathered to protect Commissar Rolf and Lexicanum Edward as they covered in the crater. Double D now realized that Commissar Rolf was somebody to protect, with your life. He looked up and saw a small group of Berzerkers advance against them. The lasershots of the Guardsmen just bounced off the armour of the Berzerkers.
Double D collected some self- confidence and stood up with the plasma-gun at the ready. A low hissing was heard and quickly followed by a blast as the Berzerkers felt the heat of plasma-death. Not very much was left of the Berzerkers after that.
Double D jumped down and took cover by Commissar Rolf´s side. Then he saw Eddy and Ed jump down into the crater as well. He didn´t take notice of the slime covering them.
"Sergeant. Captain. Good that you´re still alive." Double D said and turned over on his cheast to begin sniping at Berzerkers with his plasma-gun.
He got a weird look on his face and sniffed the air.
"What´s that smell? Bleargh!"
He and Commissar Rolf looked at Eddy and Ed.
"Captain Eddy. Sergeant Ed. You smell like you fallen into a dungheap." the Commissar just got out.
"Kinda makes you homesick,huh?" Eddy replied sarcastically as he pulled slime from his armour.
"It aint without." Ed shot in as he also took away slime from his armour.
"I told you, Captain. But, would you listen? Nooo." Double D said and crossed his arms as he got up into sitting position.
"I know, I know. Just rub it in." Eddy said and felt frustrated.
"Don´t begin quarelling." Commissar Rolf said. "I can order my Guardsmen to create a corridor so we can make it to The Tower of Doom."
"Are you sure they´ll do that?" Eddy asked. "People have a free will you know."
"Of course. They´ll obey any order from a Commissar. We have, how should I say it, license to kill."
"Oh." the three Space Outlaws replied.
Commissar Rolf knocked a nearby Guardsmen Sergeant on the shoulder and told him what to do. The Guardsman just nodded in reply and made a sign to his squad to advance.
It didn´t take long until about six more Sergeants had observed the order and carried it out.
(Each Guardsman squad consists of nine Guardsmen and a Sergeant. Always.)
Soon the corridor was made, as most of the Berzerkers had been blown apart by the many cannons of the Guardsmen, and the Space Outlaws and Commissar Rolf had free passage to the Tower of Doom.

********************

Meanwhile, in the Tower of Doom, a Berzerker Mighty Champion runs through what seems to be an arena. He stops on the other side and kneels.
"A small squad has broken up from the Guardsman army, my Lord." he says while looking at the floor. Camera angle changes so we can see a figure standing in the shadows.
"Who are they?" the figure replies.
"It´s the three Space Outlaws and Commissar Rolf Yarrick, Mighty Lord Kevlinn."
The figure turns round and walks against the Berzerker. He stops, and look on the Berzerker.
"Abraal, how many times do I have to tell you? I´m the only real Space Outlaw!!"
The figure has now stepped out in the dim light from outside. It reveals itself to be Lord Kevlinn.
He has the red armour of a Berzerker, but, instead of a left arm, he has a big clawed fist. The Berzerker named Abraal staggers backwards. He regains his senses and say:
"O-o-of course. You´re the only real Space Outlaw. These are just weaklings."
"That´s good. And what about Commissar Rolf Yarrick?"
"He tried to take this planet a couple of years ago, but didn´t succeed."
"Why?"
"Your leadership helped us."
"Good."
"Shall I give order to kill them?"
"No, let them in. I´ll deal with them myself."
"Of course, my Lord."
Abraal ran out and left Lord Kevlinn alone. He was horrible to behold. His armour is scarred and dented. His face has a incredible likeness with Kevins. The power fist that is his left arm, pulsates with power.
He walked over to a piedistal, in which a double-edged axe rests. He pulls it out with his right hand. He looks at it. After that, he took a firm grip around it, and walked back into the darkness of the shadows.

******************

At the outside, Comissar Rolf and the three Space Outlaws have reached the main gate.
"It´s probably locked." Eddy said and loaded the Grenade Launcher on the back of his hand.
"Stand back!"
He aimed at the main gate.
"Wait!" Double D shouted just before was about to shoot. "It´s open."
With an easy push, Double D made it go open.
"Very clever, Lexicanum." Commissar Rolf said.
As the gate went open, they looked inside.
"Cool." Ed said in all his simplicity.
Eddy stepped forth and began walking into the Tower of Doom.
"Let´s go inside and see what´s awaiting us. Commissar, you go first." he said as they entered.
"But.." Commissar Rolf began.
"No buts." Eddy said.

As all four of them got in, the gate closed with a hideous bang. They all turned round. as Commissar Rolf was firstly of them, he didn´t see the clawed hand that gripped him around his waist. But he did notice when it lifted him high up into the air and throwed him into the wall on his left, with his left arm breaking the flight by coming between him and the wall.
(I´m changing writing style now, because this needs fast comments and replies)

Commissar Rolf (banging into the wall):Arrghh!
Space Outlaws (turning round): Huh?
Lord Kevlinn: I just had to repay what he did with me a couple of years ago.
Double D and Ed (pulling ranged weapons):Hands up space scum!!
Lord Kevlinn: Just try to shoot me, I dare you!

Double D and Ed tried to shoot at him, but the weapons just clicked.
Double D reacted fast. He put back his Plasma Gun and pulled his Force Sword instead.

Double D (shouting as he jump at Lord Kevlinn):How does this feel then!?

Lord Kevlinn just made a quick side step, to the right, and took Double D right on the eyes with his power fist, while his Axe of Khaine knocked the Force Sword out of Double D´s hand. It landed, edge first, onto the floor and buried itself in to floor with the edge.

Ed (shouting): Double D!! I´m gonna kill you for this!!

Ed pulled his Power Sword and used his Jump Pack to, or at least trying to, confuse Lord Kevlinn by flying around him.
It didn´t work at all. Lord Kevlinn took a firm grip around Ed´s Power Sword, with his Power Fist, and destroyed it with his bare hand. The right hand brought the Axe of Khaine in a arc that cut into Ed´s Jump Pack. After that, Lord Kevlinn throwed away Ed a short distance. Ed was quick and landed on his feet.

Ed (realizing that his Jump Pack is going to blow): Uh oh. Not good.

The explosion sent Ed flying high up into the air. He landed a couple of seconds later beside Double D with a crash. He groaned a bit before he fainted.

Lord Kevlinn (looking at Eddy): Just see how easily I took out your comrades. And just as easily, I´ll take out you.

And with a mighty jump, Lord Kevlinn jumped at Eddy.
Without knowing what acctually happened, Eddy´s Terminator suit responded the attack with a powerful swing of the right arm. It merely missed Lord Kevlin´s chest-plate. By now, it had gone up to Eddy that his suit of armour was like a living being. And so, as Lord Kevlinn made a swing with the Axe of Khaine, Eddy intercepted it with his left hand and took a firm grip around it.

Eddy (triumphantly): Gottcha!
Lord Kevlinn (with evil smile): No, you don´t!

Without warning, Lord Kevlinn lifted Eddy up high into the air. As Lord Kevlinn was wearing a power fist, the grip around Eddy´s neck immediately turned into a strangling. Eddy had luck and was able to put his fingers between Lord Kevlinn´s power fist and his own neck.
Lord Kevlinn (while trying to strangle Eddy): I hope this will teach the Emperor not to mess with me!!

Lord Kevlinn was so "excited" of strangling the Space Outlaw leader, that he didn´t see Commissar Rolf Yarrick get to his feet in the background. Even with a serioulsy damaged left arm, he didn´t give up.
He pulled his sword with his right arm and lifted it up into the air as if he was going to cut the air. As the swing came, Commissar Rolf let go of the sword and it was sent flying through the air.
It came bang on target.
Namely, right into Lord Kevlinn´s power fist.
The surge of pain that went through Lord Kevlinn´s left arm was so strong that he let go of Eddy, who landed with a bump on the floor, and pulled power fist along with left shoulder-pad of his armour and throwed it away. A couple of seconds later, it exploded.

This was all the time needed for Double D to get up, run over to his Force Sword and pull it out of the floor. He also readied his Plasma Gun. The high pitched sound of plasma being heated up was enough to convince Double D, that this time, it wouldn´t click.
Ed had also woken up and had got to his feet and pulled his Bolter.
Eddy aimed his grenade launcher against Lord Kevlinn.
Commissar Rolf Yarrick joined them and pulled out his Laser rifle. It was hard to hold it with only one hand, but he managed.
Lord Kevlinn was surrounded.

As Lord Kevlinn looked up, he saw four guns aimed at him. He also saw that Double D´s Force Sword had beginned to glow. He knew that it was charged full with psychic energy.

Lord Kevlinn (looking around at his foes): Looks like I´m surrounded.
Eddy: You can bet your boots on that.

Double D walked up to Lord Kevlinn and pointed the plasma gun right at his nose.

Double D (angrily): Do you want see what I did with your warriors?

Lord Kevlinn just looked into the muzzle of Double D´s plasma gun and raised an eyebrow.

Lord Kevlinn: You don´t seem to get it. (picking out something from his belt and showing before Double D´s face) If I lose, so will you!!

Double D looked terrified. He turned round and shouted:
"He´s holding in a fusion detonator!!"

Lord Kevlinn: That´s right. And you have 1 minute to get out of blast zone.

The three Space Outlaws and the Commissar turned round and ran for the entrance gate. As they ran, they could hear Lord kevlinn´s sinister laughter echoing from behind.

Lord Kevlinn: Hahahaha! You´ll never get out of blast zone in time!

As they ran, Double D pulled his Force Sword, focused at the gate, and sent a psychic blast at it. The gate was blown away, and showed free passage out to the battle-field, in which now, mostly was controlled by the Guardsmen, and belive it or not, Sisters of Battle and a couple of squads of Space Marines.

30 sec.....

Lord Kevlinn let go of the fusion detonator. It falled to the floor with a light thud. He walked away from it and against a lever in the wall. He pulled it down, and a warp-passage appeared.

20 sec.....

Eddy (shouting wildly): Take cover everybody!! The Tower is going to blow!!

The foursome took cover in the crater made by a rocket launcher.

15 sec.....

Lord Kevlinn sighed. His reign of terror had come to an end. Then he thought of the Dark Eldarain. Maybe, just maybe, could he get some help from them. As they serve Khaine, God of Battles, he should have no trouble in making them the perfect fighting machine. Until then, he would hide in the part of the Warp known as The Graveyard.

10 sec.....

Ed: Oh, when is it going to blow?
Double D: Soon, very soon.

5 sec......

Lord Kevlinn turned his back and walked into the warp-passage.

4 sec......

Commissar Rolf: May the Emperor guard our souls.

3 sec......

The warp-passage closed itself.

2 sec......

Ed: Guys, I´m scared.

1 sec......

Eddy: Who isn´t pal?

0 sec......

Double D: Heads down!!

FRAKKA-BOOM!!

The explosion was enourmous, firstly came the pressure-wave, and after that the heat-wave. Some poor Guardsmen who wasn´t prepared, was either ripped appart by the pressure-wave or fried by the heat-wave.
The Space Outlaws and Commissar Rolf Yarrick was buried in debris, and was rendered unconcious by the pressure-wave.
And so, they didn´t notice when Veteran Sergeant Titus unearthed them. He shouted after Grand Commander Eddie McGranth and his two friends; Master Lexicanum Edward McKenzie and Lieutenant Ed Charleston.
(It´s up to you to figure out who´s counterparts they are.)

Grand Commander McGranth: Hey, Brother Lexicanum. These look like our younger and inexperienced selves. It brings back memories, doesn´t it?

Master Lexicanum McKenzie: My word, you´re right Commander. Absolutely right.

Lieutenant Charleston: I belive the Emperor wants to see them.

GC McGranth: You´re right. Sergeant Titus, get them into the transport and get them back to Secondus.

Sergeant Titus: Yes, sir!

And so, the three Space Outlaws were brought back to Secondus and taken care of. And even if they didn´t know it, a very difficult choice awaited them the next day.