A/N: Hey Everyone, This is a story that ~I've had written for a few months now and decided to post here. It was written to send off to Black Library to see if they'd publish it but no luck. The guidelines for send off was the first three chapters so that's all I've got. If it gets a good reception then I might continue it. This is more for feedback, for the readers to tell me what to improve and what they like so I can hopefully try again next year. Enjoy.

P.S. Sorry to any readers from my TTGL fic who thought this was an update. Next update for that will be Halloween.

Disclaimer: I do not own Warhammer but do own the rights to all original characters and stories presented within.

-FWF

Chapter One:

Warm blood gushed from the freshly opened wound in my side. A wave of pain sharpened my already strained focus. The scythe drew back for a second swipe but a bolt round to the head persuaded it to halt its frenzied attacks. Vile smelling ichor splashed at my face as the beasts head exploded into a ragged mess. Clutching at my injury I popped off another two shots, expending the last bullets in that clip before falling back. Two of the oncoming monstrosities fell but that did nothing to dent the rushing tsunami that threatened to overcome us.

Our foes were the Tyranids, vicious bug like creatures that's only aim in life was to feed. They were armoured with scales of chitin and used long claws as their main form of attack. A single hive mind controlled them, making the hundreds of horrors act as a single entity. This made fighting them somewhat difficult.

It had been a constant fight just to get to our current position. The Imperial Guard were busy fighting the main Hive fleet so when several small splinter forces broke away, many worlds were left without adequate defence. Me and my men had arrived hours before the 'nids and had scarcely had time to set up our welcoming gift for the horrors. I'd been fighting none stop alongside the local Planetary Defence Force since the aliens landed in order to buy my men the time that they needed. My ammo had nearly run dry.

I reloaded quickly as a swung myself back behind the cover of the small barricade that the troopers had erected at the last minute before the assault. It defended us well enough against the tiny fleshborer rounds that the 'Nids shot off at us but against the deadly venom cannons, it may as well have not been there. That wasn't to mention the fact that Tyranids prefer to rip their foes apart with their own razor like claws.

Luckily for us though, the plan was simply to hold off the horde for a little while to give my men the time that they needed to finish off their present for the chitinous invaders. Brains won these kinds of battles far more effectively than brawn, as I'd tried to tell the young fool charging forwards with a melta. The approaching monstrosity in the form of a hulking carnifex made me second guess that theory though.

Releasing a full clip worth of bullets from my pistol to buy a few seconds more, I dived from my cover towards the body of the Hormagaunt that I had dispatched moments before. A quick yank removed the scythed appendage from its body, allowing me to stay behind the wall of car scraps safe in the knowledge that I could now defend myself for a while in close combat, not that a weapon mattered much when being swarmed by a mass of teeth, claws and acid.

The street we were in was a single straight road completely blocked off at each side by mile long stretches of continuous dismal apartments. Only the two ends allowed entrance and exit meaning that if we could hold the tide here then it could spread no further into the city. The street formed a wind tunnel, forcing the wind to howl around us like an angered god. Grates dotted the road, leading down to the sewers.

A nearby trooper popped his head over the barricade to check on the enemy's progress. 'Nids weren't renown for their accurate aim but you should never tempt fate by giving them a target. Several of the bugs fired and most rounds missed completely but a single shot caught him between the eyes. The man screamed as he fell back, the tiny fleshborer eating through his face toward his brain. He writhed on the floor in agony. Taking his gun from beside him I ended his suffering with a single pull of the trigger.

"The bugs are getting close real quick." I spoke into the vox unit in my ear. "Are you ready yet?"

There was a burst of static in my ear followed by the deep voice of Bolsava Bennett, one of the more level headed men that I keep company with. "Nearly done. We just need another two minutes."

"We have about thirty seconds." I snapped before turning my focus to the second team. "Amund, what the hell's holding you up?"

"Nothing." came the rough voiced reply. "We are just waiting until the enemy is in the best position."

"And when will that be exactly?"

Twin explosions that splattered ichor and shrapnel of rockcrete and chitin across my shelter answered my question. Duel streaks of smoke trailed from dust coated windows on both sides of the broad, grey street that had become our war zone. Two shadowy figures slipped back from view of the glass. Judging by the sound it had been two well placed frag rounds from the rocket launchers we'd thought prudent to bring along.

I peered out to assess the rockets damage but the swarm had already filled in the gaps caused by the dead. Another ten seconds and they'd be upon us. I was about to vox Bennett again when his voice crackled into my ears.

"We're done. Step back and enjoy the show."

I did as he said and took several paces back until I was behind the next wall that had been built up with bland furniture from the houses around us. The other troopers saw my move and followed, abandoning the front barricade to the 'Nids without a fight. No sooner had I crouched down than a faint hissing sound began, just audible above the clicking of the 'Nids chitin armour. A nasty smell caught in my nose and then, knowing what was coming next, I nestled well into the shelter, closing my eyes and covering my ears.

There was a light so bright that even from behind the wall with my eyes closed it still blinded me, followed instantly by an unholy Whump that shattered every window in a mile radius. When my retina cleared again I gazed out to see a carpet of burnt chitin. The front line of the 'Nids was still coming but the bulk of the sea, including several of the larger warrior forms and the Carnifex, had been incinerated by our trap.

That's one of the good things I've found about the enemies of humanity, very few advance with caution. 'Nid, Orks and loony Chaos worshippers, all nasty up close yet all think that the height of strategy is an unrelenting frontal assault.

"Now! Mow them down!" roared the sergeant who had been placed on front line duty. He was a flabby man with little more knowledge of tactics than an Ork but with none of the courage or fighting ability. He had stood his ground though and remained fairly calm, that was always a good start when choosing a leader.

PDF troopers stepped out from their cover and opened up on the remaining 'Nids with their lasguns on automatic. Backed up by an old auto cannon, the bugs dropped like flies. A few flesh borer rounds took down several unlucky troopers, the tiny bugs burrowing through their flesh, but on the whole the PDF in our area got off unscathed. The first hormagaunt that reached our line was cut down by my borrowed scythe while a bolter round stopped the second. A flurry of crazed shots filled with the PDF's pent up anger shredded the last of the 'nids, reducing them to nasty goo that strained the ground.

There was a blood chilling screech then an agonised male scream as the Carnifex's charred body rose to its feet and sliced an inquisitive trooper in half with a giant talon. Its venom cannon sprayed out its deadly load, melting the flesh of another two PDF troopers who screamed as their flesh bubbled and bone melted.

The last three shots from the clip in my boltpistol bit into its ugly face creating little bloody craters but the monster didn't fall. It howled like a demon and turned its beady yellow eyes upon me. I readied my stolen claw sceptically as I sized up my foes much larger version. The remaining PDF troopers scattered, spraying the monstrosity with lasgun rounds but none caused any visible damage.

I didn't have to put my skills to the test though as a dark figure rose up from the Carnifex's back and onto its head. Drawing two bulky guns from his back he placed the nozzles at either side of the head then pulled the triggers. The appendage exploded and the carnifex crashed to the ground. The figure stepped from its back and slid the two weapons into their prior position.

"Nice job, Gornak." I grinned, throwing the small scythe to the ground with relief. His masked face revealed nothing as he turned toward me. Not a speck of his skin could be seen through the black clothes that covered him from head to foot. "A little dramatic though don't you think?"

Gornak merely grunted and stalked away to find more prey.

Walking away from the massacre through the chitin encrusted street I voxed Gear, my tech expert. "How is the situation in the other sectors?"

"Seventy percent of the capital is now secure. The other thirty is still in conflict but with reinforcements from the other areas, the city will be clean by tea. Every other town on the planet on the other hand..."

"Not our job." I replied bluntly. The Planetary Governor of Victuss III had chosen to pull all of his PDF to the capital city of Tuvic, leaving the rest of the planet undefended bar from small militia units. I wasn't happy with this callous display of disregard and cowardice but we were being paid to defend the capital, not to worry about consequences.

Switching to a general vox I strode through the streets toward the large gothic church that had been requisitioned by PDF command due to its size, position and defensive capabilities.

"Form up at the central church. We get paid and leave ASAP." I grunted into the speaker.

Stood beside the church's huge doors were two armed men in the planet's grey and yellow PDF livery. The guards eyed me cautiously, their stances nervous and their guns never still. I walked straight by them, not waiting for the inevitable ID checks that they would demand me to take. They looked ready to confront me when the severely scared figure of Timmy Jones barged past them, followed closely by Benius Amund. The guards suddenly didn't feel like picking a fight.

"That was too easy." scoffed Jones as he placed a scarred hand onto my shoulder. "Can't we go kill some more of the little fraks?"

I laughed as we made our way toward the assembled PDF Generals. "If you were any crazier you'd already be in with those Khorne maniacs."

"I resent that." he replied with mock hurt. "Although they do get to use those sweet chain axes."

The generals were so wrapped up with the information on the holoscreen that they didn't notice our approach, their backs were turned towards us and they muttered loudly between themselves. I felt that it was a crime for leaders to be so ignorant of their surroundings so I stalked up to the two closest and placed a firm hand on their shoulders.

"WAAAGH!" I screamed between their ears in my best Ork impersonation, causing them to nearly jump from their skins and highly possibly soil themselves. Jones cackled behind me while Amund, being more restrained, simply smirked.

"What the hell are you playing at you lowly, stinking dog!" shrieked a small fat general with more medals pinned to his jacket than he had sense. His moustache looked comically fake but his eyes had that ruthless glare that hinted that he would kill anyone that stood against him. That was the worst kind of general, useless and ruthless. They so often removed up and coming generals with some actual talent to ensure that their jobs were secure.

"Is that any way to speak to one of the men who just saved your precious city?" I asked tauntingly. Angering high-up snobs is a favourite pass time of mine. Me, Jones and McGillivray had a running competition to see who could enrage the most people without being shot or imprisoned. Jones was currently winning.

The little man growled with rage while the second general looked ready to shoot me. The large rocket launchers that Jones and Amund had slung over their broad shoulders seemed to deter him though.

"Take me to your leader."

The generals became increasingly furious but as the dark skinned Bennett, the angry faced McGillivray and the shrouded Gornak entered, the fat one grudgingly directed one of the attending soldiers to take us to the Governor. They glared at us with rage as we left the church and didn't seem to appreciate my goodbye wave.

We were led through the various streets of dull grey apartment blocks that formed much of the city. A few areas were destroyed and littered with bodies, blood and spent ammo but if anything, this just made the streets look more interesting and colourful. Victuss III was a world where the majority of its population reside within the capital while only a few scattered settlements resided across the rest of the barren planet. The weather was tolerable but vegetation was scarce which made farming or any kind very difficult. The only animals on the planet were small rodents and bony, carnivorous birds, neither providing much of a meal.

A few 'Nids were still running around but the area around the palace was pretty much cleansed, only a few stray Hormagaunts remaining but without any purpose now that the bigger beasts had been taken down. Gear informed me as we walked that only one major battle was still taking place within the city and that that too would be over soon.

We stumbled across one such group that was scuttling toward the palace. They looked untouched by battle, twelve Hormagaunts and a bigger warrior form, all looking eager to feed. Without a moments pause we fired upon them. Six highly trained mercenaries and a PDF trooper ensured that their gallivant around the city was cut short. They ran to meet us but were reduced to mush before they were at hacking range. The last of my clip took down the warrior, turning its head into a bloody mist.

That was my last clip of ammo gone. I hadn't had time to restock since the fighting had begun. From my belt I grabbed an old, battered clip that held a single bullet and slid it into my pistol. I always saved that bullet until last to make sure that I could take whatever eventually killed me to hell at my side. I'd even spent the time to carve a message into its side, but as of yet I haven't had the chance to use it.

Continuing on we arrived at our destination. The Governors' palace stood in contrast the rest of the planet. The outer walls were grey rockcrete like much of the city but as we passed the dozens of guards that stood alert around the elegant leaf patterned gates, we entered a pleasant grassy garden that filled our smoke ruined noses with the sickly-sweet smell of hundreds of different flowers. The building itself was white walled with stain-glass windows and ornate statues carved into alcoves that dotted the surface. A few dead 'Nids littered the area around the outside of the outer wall.

"Extravagant fellow, ain't he?" sneered Jones. None of my companions looked impressed. We were all men who found beauty in simple things, such as explosions, fire and a building after a fire fight.

Inside was just as highly decorated as outside. Too many colours, too much luxury. The seats looked so padded that you were more likely to sink than get comfortable. There were no rushing men, no frenzied atmosphere, it was as though there wasn't a battle still raging just beyond the doorstep.

As we moved into the palace we saw yet more soldiers stood around inside. "He must have half the bloody PDF stationed here." grunted Amund angrily. We weren't emotional or particularly caring men, but seeing soldiers lose their lives while reinforcements are readily available was something none of us could abide by. It seemed all too common a situation though as we travelled across the galaxy.

Our guide showed us to a large mahogany door and knocked. Another soldier opened the door and allowed us through. It was a room with few items of furniture but what there was looked very expensive. There was no window, instead there was a screen fixed upon the wall that showed a pleasant green glade framed within a blue sky, a far cry from the real world beyond the walls.

"Ah, Silver, I see you and your men have returned. How delightful." said the man who lounged on a padded sofa reading a small, leather bound book. He wore a purple robe of soft fabric looked more like a night gown than any form of daywear. "I take it that those beastly creatures were taken care of?"

"The city is safe but more Tyranids will come since nothing was done about the rest of the planet." I informed him. I was too professional to show my dislike of the man however much I may have wanted to. Men who you don't offend tend to pay better and rehire.

"Don't worry about that. I've requested an orbital bombardment as soon as the Imperial guard can spare a ship. Now that my city is safe all that we have to do is just sit back and wait." the Governor said nonchalantly.

"And our payment?"

"My, my. You're eager aren't you. Don't you worry, here are your credits." The Governor handed me a plain black suitcase. I always insist on this.

"Come on, back to the ship." I ordered. We all turned to leave.

"Don't you want to stay for the celebrations? You mercenaries were key players in today's victory and deserve to be guests of honour at the celebrations." stated the Governor in a buttery voice.

"No. We've got other jobs to do. You know the saying that a mercenary's job is never done." I answered bluntly. Free food was good but it wasn't worth having to listen to people like the Governor all night.

"Celebrations sound good to me. You know? Some fancy food, wine and feminine company before we hit the solitude of space again." muttered Jones. I gave him a look and he sighed. "No rest for the wicked is there."

We were escorted through the oppressive streets toward the compact inner-city airfield where we had landed the small vessel that had taken us from our ship. The ship in question, the Ark Lotus, was in orbit just above the planet. The airfield was the largest open area within the city but was still relatively compact compared to regular airfields. It was designed for private shuttles such as dignitaries, the Governor and his personal friends while a larger airfield just outside the city catered for the transportation of food and commercial traffic.

The shuttle looked basic but that was just for show. Underneath the old bulky armour was a streamlined beauty that could out fly the majority of other shuttles and even give fighters a run for their money. In a fix the outer armour could be detached with the click of a button. Its insides were bare but practical.

Once we had embarked, the shuttle was launched and we discussed the advantages of the Tau style plasma gun over the Imperial issue and whether or not a few were worth investing in as the bleak planet grew smaller below us and our ship, the Ark Lotus grew like a welcoming angel before us.