2 Chapter 2

"Open fire!" Judge Grigorovich roared as he followed his own order, pulling out his bolt pistol and fired it into the horde of charging xenos. Right after he gave the order, hundreds of Arbiters responded with a fusillade of shotgun shells, soon followed by Bolter rounds from the APCs. The torrent of fire literally tore apart, shredded and blew the wretched mob of degenerates to pieces in just a single minute, the Valkyries above didn't even have time to fly into a proper firing position before it was all over.

"Cease fire, cease fire!" he barked as the shooting died down. He then glared at the now clearly enemy force, contemplating what had just happened. The fight had been too easy, clearly just a way for the enemy to test their resolve. He mulled over his options in this completely unprecedented situation. The enemy however, decided to expedite his decision though as another horn was sounded. The archers in the enemy's rear let loose a volley of arrows before the infantry at the front charged in their formations.

This time, Grigorovich didn't need to give the order, once more the sound of hundreds of shotguns rung out along with thousands of bolter rounds from the armored vehicles as well as gouts of flame as the enemy neared into range of the Repressors' pintle mounted flamers. Although the Arbiters far out matched their opponents in terms of firepower, they were vastly outnumbered. Even as the Valkyries added their weapons to the deadly demonstration of Imperial might, cutting down hundreds in seconds, tens of thousands of human infantries rushed forward, engaging the Arbiters in melee.

The Arbiters however, had faced enemies far worse than a human army equipped with gear that wouldn't even be a match for armies raised on an Imperial feudal world. The Arbiters drew their shock mauls and battled their primitive enemies in a vicious bloody fight for survival. The plasteel armor the Arbiters proving virtually impenetrable against their opponent's arrows and swords. Even the finest armor had weak points though and soon the first Arbiter fell, a sword plunged between the gap of her helmet and chest plate.

Yet another martyr who died in the Imperium's eternal war against all those who would challenge the Emperor's rule.

"Hold the line servants of the Emperor, HOLD THE LINE!" Grigorovich bellowed as he caved in the skull what appeared to be an officer with his power mace, a weapon that was far more powerful than the standard shock maul which he had been given upon his promotion to the rank of Judge. He attempted to coordinate fire with the Valkyries, but the enemy decided that they had, had enough of the aircrafts' impunity in exploding them into bits and sent what seemed to be small dragons with riders on their backs, armed with lances to combat them. Although the beasts would have easily been torn apart by the Valkyries guns, the pilots were forced to dodge as they had been focused on ground.

Now just as they had lost their air support, enemy cavalry on horseback charged out from the Gate, forcing the Arbiters on foot to withdraw further and further. The APCs became surrounded by enemy infantry as they climbed atop the vehicles attempting to find an opening to get to the crew inside, the tracks of the Rhinos and Repressors literally becoming clogged with gore.

Grigorovich attempted to rally the defense but was struck by one of the cavalrymen. The enemy's lance failed to get through his armor, but the force of the impact caused his ribs to break and knock him out.

With their commander incapacitated, their vehicles disabled and deprived of their air support, it appeared as if the last remaining Arbiters would be overwhelmed and cut down, another doomed last stand out many in the Imperium's let alone humanity's long history. However, just as his servants protect his Imperium, so does the Emperor protect his subjects and so do...His Angels.

Charging in came legionaries of the 3rd Phoenix Blades, the 4th Steel Wardens and the 7th Solar Wardens from the Space Marine garrison force which aided Custodians in protecting the Imperial Palace and further upgrading Terra's fortifications. Firing their bolt guns and swinging their massive chain and power swords, the warriors of the Legiones Astartes turned the battle into a massacre. Over the cacophony of dying men, desperate screams and weapons fire could be heard the distinctive war cries of each of the three legions, carried over the din of battle by gene enhanced lungs. ''From the Ashes of War, We Rise'', ''Steel and Doom'', ''The Sun's Light''. The very presence of such a powerful force caused many of the enemy fighters to experience the full effects of transhuman dread. The infantry who realized they could not escape laid down their weapons and surrendered, pleading for mercy. Mercy which the Astartes did show, not because of any feelings of compassion, but because they had been ordered to take as many prisoners as possible for interrogation and intelligence on the Gate and whatever lay on the opposite side.

The enemy cavalry however, believed they could outrun the large hulking armored warriors and broke contact. At full gallop they made for the Gate, but to their horror, they soon found the superhumans, despite their size and heavy armor could not only catch up to their war steeds but surpass them. As the Space Marines closed with the horsemen, the invaders were turned into mincemeat by their bolters and when the Astartes were within arms reach of the cavalry, the riders soon found themselves literally thrown off their saddles by the power armored men.

In the skies above, the Valkyries finally managed to eliminate the opposing flyers, using their speed and altitude advantage over the reptilian creatures to distance themselves from the more maneuverable organisms before eliminating them with their multi-lasers. The riders of the beasts falling to earth to their, if they were not already, deaths.

The Arbites aircraft then made rushed landings to pick up their casualties, for the wounded such as their commander, their next destination would be the nearest apothecarion, for their dead, the only destination now awaiting their soulless bodies would be the crematorium for there was no land left on Terra for burials.

Imperial Army regiments then arrived on the scene, riding in Chimaera IFVs, securing the prisoners left by the Marines who were now patrolling and barricading the Gate.

In the Imperial Palace an old, robed and hunched over figure, leaning on a staff topped with a golden aquila thought over the events that had just precipitated and sighed as he wondered how he would inform his liege and the rest of the Imperium's political elite of it all.