This Present Darkness

by Richard Walter

Imperial Farseer’s claim that the dreaded wind of chaos blows strongest in the Defcon-3 sector of the known galaxy. Even the fearless and brutal Ork warbands seem frightened to enter the system, dreading the omnipresent fear of Chaos more than death itself.

Chapter Master Furio glared with an uncomfortably piercing gaze down towards the planet beneath his mighty vessel, The Scythe of Redemption.

The planet Haldensphere looked evil. That was the reason of the Blade Wind chapter of Space Marines presence. Reports had steadily filtered back to Furio and his brethren on their homeworld of Torakia that there had been numerous disappearances and ambushes on the hive planet. Many outposts had ceased communication altogether with their neighboring posts. It was as if a tide of black was slowly choking the planet to silence.

Furio growled, Haldensphere was a notoriously dangerous planet. He had heard stories about roving zombies capable of enduring all but the most fatal of attacks, he heard tales of how death was as regular as something like eating or even breathing. He even heard rumours that some Space Marine chapters refused to help the planet in the past. Unfortunately, Furio didn’t have that luxury.

The Blade Wind marines along with the Torakian Imperial Guard sat below Furio’s quarters. Some meditated, some prepared their weapon’s and equipment, some even managed to crack a few jokes. All feared what lie beneath them on the planet Haldensphere.

The ship shifted gently in space. This signaled that The Scythe of Redemption had stirred out of hyper-stasis. A term used to describe the ship at it’s most vulnerable, completely powered down and weapons offline. A short of recovery tactic used after travelling long distances.

Furio stalked around his quarters like a caged cat. It wouldn’t be long now he sensed. Speaking through the secure com-channel, he ordered the men under his command to go through final checks and to await his arrival in the Drop Pod bay.

“Brother Chapter Master…?”

Furio turned to meet the voice. It was Sergeant Tremolo, Furio nodded in acknowledgment towards the sergeant.

“Sir, the co-ordinates… are you sure they’re the right ones?”

“Of course brother… why do you ask?” Furio asked calmly. Seconds before Tremolo entered the room, the Chapter Master had been pacing around livid with fury. Now it was if a calming wind had blown over him.

Furio may be full of hatred and contempt towards the enemy, but to his Brethren he always remained booth loyal and calm. He never blamed a single person for a mistake, always himself. Maybe it was a flaw in his character, or maybe it was because he was a perfectionist.

‘The area we’re deploying to sir, it’s gone.”

“What do you mean gone?”

“It’s vanished from the holomap. It’s as if it was never even there.”

“Impossible. How can a large area just… disappear?”

“I don’t know sir. But it has.”

“I don’t think it has. I fear foul play is afoot dear brother. Tremolo, what is the status of the
Air-Devil?”

“The Air-Devil is armed and awaiting further orders, sir.”

“Excellent… you know what to do.”

“Right away sir.”

As he reached halfway down the long corridor separating Furio’s quarters from the main area, Tremolo heard an insane roar. The sergeant hurried on down the corridor, a little faster than usual.

In the air hangar, the GX Air-Devil powered up. The activity of the A-Class super fighter filled the hangar with a whooshing sound as the two large engines powered up. A thick smell of aviation fuel was in the air.

Pilot Vecchio sat next to his friend Gunner McLaid as they awaited the completion of the ‘Boot Phase’.

Vecchio took a puff on his cigarette. As he looked at the Air-Devil he couldn’t help but feel pride.

The Air-Devil was a superior fighting aircraft designed for hit and run attacks and long range reconnaissance. Even as it lay static, it looked fearsome and deadly.

Black, green and white camouflage looked out of place in the metallic confines of the hangar. However, as soon as it was airborne, the Air-Devil was nigh impossible to detect to the naked eye.

A beeping sound indicated that the boot-phrase was complete. Looking at each other maybe for the last time, the two Torakian pilots boarded the plane and started the ignition process.

The Air-Devil started to lurch forward towards the runway. The two began typing in commands, pushing buttons and pulling switches. A robotic whine echoed as the weapons came online and appeared from under the wing. The Air-Devil’s armament was impressive.

Two Heavy Bolter’s fitted with the standard Redemptor ammunition, specifically designed for aerial warfare hugged the under side of the plane. Confirming that everything was fine with the Heavy Bolters, McLaid began to ready the two Assault Cannons on the tips of the wings. A dull mechanical sound followed by the site of the two cannons appearing from the wings validated that they was online.

Seeing that the guns had been initialised, the reaming guardsmen in the hangar fitted the Air-Devil’s payload.

Four Outlander rockets were fitted to the underside of the wings. Two on each wing. The Outlander rockets were guided missiles designed for aerial to aerial combat, but there had been numerous occasions were the rockets had been used to take out large numbers of ground troops.

The final missiles to be fitted were two of the most dreaded of long-range missiles in the Imperial Guard.

Cerberus class rockets were renowned throughout the galaxy as the foremost incendiary device in the Imperial arsenal. Enemies that had witnessed it’s dreadful power and survived were never the same again. Each rocket contained enough napalm to level a 350 by 300 meter radius completely. Bringing all in the radius to a fiery grave.

With the last of the Air-Devil’s devastating arsenal armed, the hangar door slowly rose open. The automatic pressure generators kicked in to protect the hangar and wide array of weapons inside from the extremities of space.

Looking down towards their comrades on the ground, the two pilots gave the age-old thumbs up before screeching down the runway and into space.

Seeing the Air-Devil speed towards the planet from his window, Furio uttered a prayer to the two pilots.

“And may they bring the burning death of the Emperors rage to many…”

Leaving his quarters, Furio strode towards the communication room. He wanted to be informed every step of the way as to what misdemeanors were going on down below, on Haldensphere.

As the Air-Devil entered the planet, the ground rose sharply to meet the pilots. The dense urban ruins and shattered building appeared briefly before disappearing behind the speeding fighter.

“E.T.A T-minus 240 seconds.” McLaid said, both to his co-pilot and to the Scythe of Redemption.

“Roger that.” Vecchio confirmed, checking the holo-display in front of him.

The Air-Devil roared as it reached optimum speed. The whole plane rattled slightly as it reached unthinkable speeds.

“T-minus 40 seconds.” McLaid released the safety catch on the assault cannon controller. He set the bolters to sentry-automatic. The two sentry cameras flickered on in front of him, both covering 90 degree angles. The display showed the ground beneath the Air-Devil and highlighted possible targets in red. The two bolters whirred and spun underneath the pilots as they began evaluating the possible threats.

“T-Minus 10… 9… 8… 7…”

“BANK LEFT! INCOMING!” Roared McLaid to Vecchio.

The Air-Devil snapped violently as it banked left sharply. Vecchio saw the trail of smoke speed past them, moments before where the fighter had been in it’s path.

“Where did that come from? Where is it?” Yelled McLaid hurriedly looking all around him and checking the sentry cameras. There was nothing in site.

The Air-Devil jerked and bucked as it began evasive tactics. The ground and sky rolled into one blur as the fighter sped to safety.

“INCOMING!”

The pilots felt their stomach’s rise and fall as the Fighter banked up and then down.

The missile streaked past them.

“There! I see it! … Emperors blood… it can’t be!!”

“Oh my word…”

“What!? What is it? Alpha-67 come in!” It was Furio, he had heard every word on the radio.

“Isn’t that… Isn’t that the Chapter colours of the Astral Raiders?”

“…”

Furio was speechless. The Astral Raiders were a fallen chapter. Perverted by the god of Khorne, they disengaged from the Imperium years ago. They had brought shame and dishonour to the noble name of the Emperor. The rumours were false, the Astral Raiders weren't wiped out during the Startarius Campaign.

All though their treachery was commited many thousands of years ago, the vehemence Furio felt for the Astral Raiders was very much a present feeling.

“Chapter Master?! Awaiting further orders.” The radio crackled.

"Destroy them… all of them." Was the whispered response.

[To Be Continued]