Gordian IV, twenty kilometers south of the planetary capital, at the foot of Mount Heldar. Bernd, the Agony-Messenger, emerged from the outpost.
The Alphas had infiltrated the Gordian system months earlier.
The Gordian League was a mix of humans and dozens of xenos races. The Alphas had easily found the cracks in the alliance, infiltrating world after world.
He climbed the steep, lead-grey peak, looking north at the capital.
Columns of fire tore through the grey-green light of the Gordian star. The Shadows of Order had launched their landing operation five days prior.
A Lernaean Terminator under his command walked to his side, the emerald Hydra emblem on his chest gleaming.
His green visor studied the edge of the mountain range, where black-armored warriors were being deployed from black Vostoyan-pattern Rhinos.
"The explosions in the city are dying down. Their vanguard is starting to spread out."
"We should move." Bernd drew his melta gun and called out to his squad of Lernaean Terminators.
Bernd set a target rune. The Lernaean Terminators, moving through the mountain mist, descended the path towards their first target.
The moment the enemy came into view, as Bernd raised his melta gun, he saw the commander in black Cataphractii-Pattern Terminator Armor turn his head and look directly at him.
Bernd pulled the trigger. A torrent of molten fire roared towards the Shadows of Order.
The black-armored warriors vanished. Neither his tactical display nor his enhanced eyes could track them.
Bernd scanned the area warily. Dark shapes flickered within the flames before him.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
A "Magician" in Mark IV power armor flickered into view.
He raised his arm, hurling a string of grenades.
Boom, boom, boom!
Molten flames washed over the scaled-pattern Cataphractii-Pattern Terminator armor, scorching the emerald Hydra emblem on its chest.
"Librarian!" Bernd shouted.
He pulled the trigger, his finger hesitating for an imperceptible moment.
He squeezed. A beam of melta fire shot out, sweeping towards the enemy.
Behind and beside him, the Lernaean Terminators opened fire.
A hail of bolt rounds slammed into the three Shadows of Order leaping from the flames.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The three figures vanished, then reappeared from the flames engulfing the Cataphractii armor.
The Lernaean Terminators activated the power fields of their power axes.
They swung their axes at the enemy before them.
The "Magicians," their bodies contorting like springs, twisted their arms grotesquely, their twin power claws lashing out from both sides.
The blazing claws shrieked, tearing into the flank of the indigo armor.
Scrape!
The claws tore away scale-like armor plates.
Bernd saw the Shadow of Order who had thrown the grenades twist his body like a pretzel, evading the flames, and throw another volley of grenades.
The grenades exploded around the Lernaean Terminators.
Text scrolled across Bernd's tactical display: [Unknown grenade type identified.]
[Components: Promethium fuel, unidentified accelerant…]
[Characteristics: Approximately 20% less destructive than standard incendiary grenades. Burning time three times longer than standard.]
'Less destructive, almost no threat to Cataphractii armor.'
'Long burning time combined with flame jumping... psychic- ability'
'The Shadows of Order… too many… secrets… our… database… is… wrong… I… what… is… happening…'
The Lernaean Terminator captain's clear thoughts grew sluggish. He spoke slowly, warning: "The Shadow of Order can… flame-jump… be careful…"
The word grenades died in his throat. His consciousness was plunging into darkness.
The "Marionettist" Captain flickered from the flames beside him, his fingers plucking at invisible threads.
The Terminator captain, now a puppet, turned stiffly.
At forty-five degrees, he stopped.
'I am the captain… I am the Agony-Messenger… I will not… submit…'
The "Marionettist's" spirituality plucked at the black threads extending from the Terminator.
The captain's body continued to turn, until his weapon was aimed at his own squad.
Bernd's index finger twitched, sometimes slipping from the trigger, sometimes resting upon it.
His will, forged as an Agony-Messenger, struggled against the "Marionettist's" control.
Darkness swallowed his last conscious thought.
The melta gun fired a stream of molten fire, striking a Lernaean Terminator's green visor.
Boom!
Fire consumed the serpent atop the bronze helmet.
The Terminator, engulfed in flames, crashed to the ground.
Crackle!
Bernd activated his power field and lunged at his squad.
"Agony-Messenger, you-!"
'The Agony-Messenger is being controlled by a psyker.' The Lernaean Terminator thought, stunned.
Every Lernaean squad leader bore the title of Agony-Messenger.
No matter the enemy, they were ferocious and merciless.
He had been mind-controlled.
'If he could just resist, like before…' The Lernaean Terminator swung his power axe.
He would end his captain's struggle, free his enslaved will.
Bang!
The blow was parried. The Lernaean was hurled back by the puppet's brutal strength.
He staggered back, shouting, "Agony-Messenger!"
The puppet showed no mercy. His boots slammed into the ground, his power axe spinning, striking without hesitation.
Bang!
The helmet burst. The Alpha's hairless head exploded.
The puppet stepped over the corpse, his melta gun firing a torrent of flame at the indigo armor.
The "Magicians" of the Captain's Honour Guard "flame-jumped," lunging at the Lernaean Terminators.
A Lernaean Terminator swung his arm, his power axe cleaving into the Mark IV armor.
The power field tore through the black armor, then was itself torn apart.
The "Magician," using "Paper Figurine Substitution," flickered a dozen meters away, then reappeared in the flames, his lightning claws shrieking into the Cataphractii armor.
The "Faceless," Captain of the Honour Guard, seeing the Captain's puppet taking his place, lunged at a Lernaean Terminator.
Bolts flew past him. He dropped low, then sprang up.
Power claws and power axe struck simultaneously.
The claws crossed, severing the Lernaean's neck.
With a crack, the head and the serpent emblem exploded.
The power axe cleaved into the Mark IV's left shoulder, the energy field shredding armor and flesh.
The "Faceless" kicked the Terminator back.
He raised his left arm, detaching the power claw from his right, then pressed his hand to the torn flesh.
The wound healed rapidly. "Damage Transfer" shifted it to his back.
With the major wound reduced to a minor one, the "Faceless" looked at his shattered armor, then at the Terminator's intact Cataphractii armor.
He walked to another corpse, ripped the armor free, and studied the Alpha's face.
His jade-like skin, inherited from his gene-father, shifted to a sallow olive. His black hair receded, leaving his head bald.
He donned the helmet and the Lernaean Terminator's armor.
He discarded the other power claw and hefted the power axe.
....
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