-3 years later-
Cameron leans back in his chair and stares out into space, silent for the first time in at least an hour. He is seated at the round table that occupies the observation deck of the Starblade Mark IV. He had been recounting the events of the battle of the Eye of Terror, but has now paused to collect his thoughts.
Anyone who knew Cameron well would hardly recognize him in this state. His hair is unkempt and his normally clean shaven face carries a year's worth of neglected facial hair. Dark circles under his eyes indicate that it has been quite some time since he has slept. His eyes wander the stars seen from the chamber's transparent viewport for a few moments before returning to focus on a glass that sits on the table in front of him. It is half full of an amber liquid. Cameron sips from the glass, and then finishes the rest of it quickly. He then clears his throat and begins to speak again.
"So with the pillar sealed and the immediate threat dispatched, the only place left to go was up the Spire."
A voice speaks up from the only other occupied chair in the room.
"But wait a minute! What about the rest of the battle?"
Cameron's head snaps towards the voice. It's almost as if he had forgotten that he wasn't the only one in the room.
"The rest of the battle? Outside of the Spire? You've read those reports a hundred times. You already know what happens."
The owner of the voice from the opposite end of the table is much better dressed than Cameron. While he is only wearing a ratty t-shirt and synthetic jeans, she is wearing what appears to be a full dress uniform. A nameplate on her right breast pocket reads "I. HANAKO" and includes the single sword superimposed over a starburst that has served as the symbol of the ship Starblade since it's Mark I incarnation. The same symbol is on a patch on either shoulder. She stands, flipping her long black hair behind her. She adjusts a pair of glasses that rest lightly on her face and glares at Cameron with steel grey eyes that almost seem to shimmer.
"Yes, yes. I've read the reports. I have them right here."
The girl taps the side of her head impatiently.
"I don't want to hear dry boring reports. I want to hear your story! In your own words! By all accounts, this was the turning point of the entire battle, and you're just planning on skimming over it!"
Cameron looks annoyed, and stares at his empty glass ruefully. He gestures with one hand, summoning a small panel of buttons that appears just above the table's surface. A few button presses causes the empty glass to disappear.
"Fine. If you insist."
The girl flashes a triumphant grin and sits back down, staring at Cameron expectantly. He scowls at her before pressing more buttons on the panel, causing another glass of amber liquid to appear next to him. He picks up the glass and rises from his seat. Turning his back to the girl, he stares out into space again.
“At the time, we didn’t know why the Chaos leader had waited so long to call the fleets back to the Eye. But it seemed like a perfect coup. One minute, our forces had been in complete control, mopping up the remaining enemy forces. The next minute, they’re sandwiched in between two waves of Chaos reinforcements and fighting for their lives. Had they not held the line, the Spire would have been overrun and we would have lost. Fortunately, they did not fight alone that day. And no one could have ever predicted who our allies would end up being.”
-3 years earlier-
Cameron reaches the entrance to the Spire. Stepping through the threshold causes his vox channels to light up again. Something about the tower definitely interferes with the Imperial communications network. He sends out a blast on all channels.
“This is Chapter Master Aileron, Strike Team Actual. Someone bring me up to speed.”
All other vox chatter drops off as the priority request is received. There is a brief lull before Cameron’s voxcaster crackles to life again.
“This is Master Captain Aldaris, Grey Knight First Company Actual. We are still holding the plaza, but barely. Our forces are still cut off from each other. There’s too many of them.”
In the plaza, Aldaris pauses to unload another bolter clip into a wave of Chaos Marines. All around him, Grey Knight Marines and Terminators are dug in, firing bolters, storm bolters, and auto-cannons at a seemingly endless number of Chaos marines who keep charging in from the south. The elementals, Garr, Kari, and Karyl, fly above them. Any time a daemon or another abomination rears it’s head, they descend and deal with the threat. Kari also scans for wounded marines and tends to them as needed.
As the Space Marine forces and Elementals fight to hold their ground, the shining soldiers of Light move all around them, reinforcing positions, healing the fallen, forming shield walls to slow the Chaos advance, allowing their allies to unleash torrents of lead into the enemy ranks. The Seranna lands next to Aldaris, a gauntleted hand briefly resting on his shoulder as she speaks to him, somehow her words piercing the cacophony of battle.
“Have faith, Captain Aldaris. Even in grim moments such as this we must hold true to our convictions. The malevolent forces in front of us make it quite clear they have no intent to depart from their own twisted ones. My Lady, grant them the strength to fight on. Show them Hope still remains.”
She smiles and raises her staff skyward, the tip beginning to emit an increasingly bright glow. The Seraphs seem to sense the glow, a unified cheer rises from them as they seem to push back against the Chaos forces with even more force.
Below the plaza, in the city, is where the fighting is the worst. Space Marines from all of the Chapters have formed into bands, trying to keep themselves alive and recover as many of their wounded as possible. They are dogged constantly by Chaos heavy armor and air support, who track them and drop shock troops into their midst. Some of the Marine groups take up positions inside partially destroyed buildings, while others choose to keep moving to avoid getting pinned down. It would have already been arout if not for the Seraph forces also making their way through the city.
Amidst the war-torn streets of the city the Seraph squads fight for every inch of ground. Each death costs the Chaos enemy countless of their own, the Seraphs zealous fortitude proving to be as unwavering as their own corrupted bloodlust. Charging down one such street is the gleaming form of the Serallia, accompanied by a squad of Seraphs. Spotting Chaos heavy armor ahead he signals for the Seraphs to seek shelter in a nearby building. Within its walls they find a squad of Space Marines, no doubt with similar intentions. Gazing over the armored soldiers the Seraph commander spots one that seems to bear insignia signifying leadership.
“Tell me soldier, how fares the battle in other parts of this horrorscape?”
The Marine seems to speak to someone through his armor, informing the Serallia about the generally bleak outlook the allied Marine and Seraph forces are facing everywhere. Drayven’s face looks grim as his hidden eyes seem to gaze out into the city. The warrior, and all Seraph in the area suddenly look back towards the tower plaza, seemingly aware of the bright glow radiating from the area. Drayven’s grip tightens on the hilt of his weapon.
“Yes my Lady. We may fall, but in the end victory shall be ours. The Seraphim and his companions shall not fail. Come my brothers and sisters, let us bring battle once more to the enemy.”
With that, the Serallia and Seraphs charge from the building, the Seraph forces throughout the city seeming to surge forward with renewed hope and strength as they battle against the endless enemy before them.
A large amount of Marine forces are still stranded in the Eidolon wastes. Lack of air support is preventing them from moving across the vast chasms that separate the wastes from the city. And the reason for the lack of air support is that the Marine warships in orbit are doing all they can just to fight off the vast Chaos fleet that has suddenly descended upon them.
“Lord Aileron, this is Admiral Benden, Fleet Command Actual. The Revenant has taken heavy damage but is still operational. We’ve lost contact with the Apocalypse, and 6 other imperial warships have been lost. We’re outnumbered at least 4 to 1 up here. If we don’t figure something out soon, you’re all going to be stranded down there.”
Benden stumbles as the bridge lurches sickeningly. Another wave of missiles has plowed into the side of the massive warship. Benden barks orders.
“Hard to port! Redirect the shields! Return fire! Fight like the Imperium of Man still means something to you!”
One of the officers nearby turns to the Admiral, fear in his eyes.
“Sir! We have more incoming contacts! Warp gates!”
Benden looks grim.
“By Terra, now what? More Chaos forces?”
The officer studies a screen in front of him.
“No sir. The warp gates are structured differently… oh no.”
Benden marches to the screen and looks for himself. He narrows his eyes as recognition dawns.
“Eldar.”
Waves of sleek alien warships pour into the Eye from newly opened Warp gates. The remaining Imperial warships brace for more attacks, but the Eldar forces swiftly engage the Chaos fleet instead. Benden receives a hail from the lead vessel.
“Attention forces of the Imperium of Man. This is Farseer Taldeer, of the Craftworld Ulthwe. We see that you’ve finally chosen to take the fight to the true enemy.”
Benden is apprehensive. The Eldar have been enemies far more than they have been allies.
“Yes. A fight we are rapidly losing. If you’re here to finish us off in the name of Chaos, do it quickly.”
The Farseer seems to chuckle at this before replying.
“If we were here to destroy you, I would not have bothered talking to you. We are not allies of Chaos, despite what our fallen brothers and sisters would have you believe. If our intelligence is correct, you are here to destroy the Eye of Terror. Am I wrong?”
Benden sighs. Nothing stays secret from the Eldar for long.
“You are correct, Farseer.”
“Then it is good that we came. The Eye is an abomination that we had a hand in creating, and we would see it destroyed and our conscience cleared before our race fades into history. We will help you fight off the fleets and send forces to the ground to assist. Please share any maps you may have with us so that we can facilitate this.”
Benden switches comm channels.
“Lord Aileron, Fleet Command Actual. An entire Eldar fleet has arrived. They’re engaging the Chaos forces. The Farseer leading them, one Taldeer, is asking for our cooperation so that they can assist us. Please advise.”
Cameron glances back over his shoulder at his companions, confusion clearly evident in his posture. The Eldar had offered no help before now. Why would they suddenly change their minds?
“Benden, Strike Team Actual. Patch my vox signal in with the Farseer.”
Benden waves a hand at one of his officers, who makes the adjustments on a panel in front of him.
“Farseer, this is Lord Cameron Aileron. Chapter Master of the Grey Knights and leader of this expedition.”
Cameron hears the voice of the Farseer, relayed to his power armor via the Revenant.
“Lord Aileron. We have heard much about you. There are some questions among us regarding your true origins. I am not surprised to find you at the head of this assault.”
“Any questions regarding myself will have to wait, Farseer. Why are you here?”
“We are here to assist you with the destruction of the Eye of Terror.”
“If that is the case, and you knew we were attacking the Eye, why did you wait until now to offer assistance?”
The Farseer’s voice sounds amused.
“We do not commit our forces to a doomed venture. We had to make sure that you were going to succeed where the previous attempts had failed. It is clear now that you and your friends have made the difference. It would be a pity if your otherwise successful mission ends in failure simply because you were overwhelmed by Chaos in the final hour.”
Cameron sighs at the typical Eldar rhetoric coming from the Farseer. Of course they’d wait until victory was assured. That had always been their way.
“I understand. You wouldn’t want to make your Craftworlds the target of the next Black Crusade.”
The Farseer is silent for a moment. There is less humor in her voice when she finally replies.
“We intercepted the Despoiler’s message. He lives?”
“It appears so. We had killed him, but he has found a powerful new ally that has pulled him back from the brink of death.”
“He must be dealt with. Share your information with us. We will clear this airspace and allow your forces to regroup, leaving you to focus on the Despoiler and whatever else lay at the top of that tower you find yourself in.”
Cameron hesitates, but only for a moment.
“Benden. Make it happen.”
Benden gestures to his officers again.
“Done. Fight well, Farseer. We’ll need your strength if we are to see this through.”
“The might of the Craftworlds will carry us to-”
Both Benden and the Farseer are cut off by the arrival of more ships.
“Friends of yours, Farseer?”
“No. Those our not our vessels. They appear to be… Tau in origin.”
From the darkness of the warp came the Kor'vattra, the Tau fleet. At the head, Or're El'leath class Battleship Sho'aun'or'es flew, its sleek design impressive and beautiful as it came out of warp. Behind it, Several Gal'leath class battleships as well as dozens of cruisers and other support craft ended their travel through the warp.
At the helm of Sho'aun'or'es, Shas'o T'au Vash'aun'an Gal'leath stood at ease, peering out through the large forward view port. Her Shas'El soon slid up beside her, speaking softly, saluting.
"Shas'O, preparations for Mont'ka are complete. We can dispatch as you see fit"
Vash stood, peering down to the strange half world that they suddenly find themselves above.
"CAS" she said, speaking aloud to her AI. "Perform augmentative scans to what the Fire caste has already done. Identify Chaos targets. Prioritize heavy armor and emplacements, as well as any air support they may have."
"Yes Shas'O" A male voice said, coming across the ship’s audio into the bridge around her.
Behind Vash, the war table lit up, a map of the fighting below appeared and soon red dots began appearing all over it. Blue dots as well.
"Shas'O, It appears Seraphim and Grey Knight Terminators fight the Chaos. Imperial crafts are engaged to the chaos fleet and eldar craft have entered orbit, just out of Warp"
Vash looked back to the Board, watching the dots ebb and flow. "Prepare the XV85. Equip with Dawn blade, Anti Material Burst Cannon and the Fusion cutter. I want the Armor plating too. CAS. If this is who I think it is, try to Hail the Grey Knights. I may have just found who I was searching for. I need to speak with their leader."
CAS would send a broadcast signal out, attempting to reach Cameron.
Even as this all took place, the fleet prepared for war. Shields and deflectors powered up. Rail batteries charged and prepared to unleash hellish torrents. Some pathfinders and Stealth suits were likely already on the ground down there, ready to markerlight any targets needed
The Revenant’s communications officer alerts Admiral Benden to the incoming hail. He relays this to both Cameron and Farseer Taldeer.
“It looks like the lead Tau craft is trying to hail us. What’s the play?”
The Farseer remains silent, waiting to see what Cameron would suggest, or perhaps already knowing it. Cameron finds himself again wishing that Kalana was still here to guide him on this.
“Patch them through. Keep the Farseer patched in as well. We all need to be working together if we’re to survive this.”
Benden barks orders to the communications officer, and soon all four parties are connected.
"Unidentified Tau vessel. This is Lord Cameron Aileron. Chapter Master of the Grey Knights Chapter and leader of this assault. With me is Admiral Benden, acting fleet commander of the Imperial fleet, and Farseer Taldeer of Craftworld Ulthwe, acting commander of the Eldar fleet in this region."
The Farseer replies. Amusement again creeps into her tone.
“That’s mostly accurate, Lord Aileron. Good enough.”
Cameron soldiers on.
“Please state your business and intentions here, Tau craft. As you can see, we already have our hands full.”
“This is Shas'o T'au Vash'aun'an Gal'leath of the Sho'aun'or'es, leader of this Kor’Vattra. Lord Cameron Aileron, it is good to hear from you. I apologize about the delay, It took some time for the Elder Ethereals to reach me with your message. Acting Commander Farseer Taldeer of Craftworld Ulthwe, It is unexpected but not unwelcome that the Eldar are found here this day”
For a moment, Cameron draws a blank. But then he recalls the name of this particular Tau emissary. They had spoken before. Cameron had been sought out due to his connection with the Ahrment’il. Nothing official had been worked out that day, but they had left on friendly terms. And Cameron had dispatched a message to them just before launching their assault on the Eye. He never expected anything would come of it.
“Well met, Shas’o. I was honestly unsure if my message had been received. It is good to see that it has. The Chaos are enemies to all and we could use more allies in this fight.”
The Farseer is in agreement.
“I agree, Lord Aileron. Although the Tau’s ideals are somewhat questionable, no one has ever doubted their prowess in combat.”
“One might say that your ideals are questionable as well, Farseer. But that isn’t why any of us are here. Shas’o. I am on the surface of this world right now, leading a small strike team in an assault on the source of the Eye’s growth. We are surrounded on all sides by enemies and our numbers are stretched thin. Any assistance that you and the Farseer can provide would be greatly appreciated.”
“Then Lord Aileron, you shall have it.” she said, ignoring the farseers comments. “We shall commence at once. This channel shall remain open and secure. If you need any specific assistance, hail me. You too, Farseer.”
Vash turned to her Shas’El.
“Begin.” Was all she said. “You have the Bridge” and with that, she started walking further into the ship, seeking out her personal Battlesuit bay.
Below, in the battlefield, Marines and Seraphs alike would begin to see small units of Tau pathfinder troops, moving through the battlefield with ease. They would see them pointing small devices at enemy armor, emplacements and large sections of troops.
Up, on the fleet, ships began to drop and move to the surface, battlesuits began their descent. Some of the railgun batteries began to shift and started to take aim towards the chaos fleet, and as the markerlight lit up their targets, massive missiles, piloted by AI, were automatically launched to seek out the targets marked. To those below…. It would look like doomsday had begun. A hellfire rain of missiles falling from the sky, but with such precision they may not have evern see.
Vash straps into her suit, and with a hiss, the bay opens and begins to drop.
Meanwhile, the Eldar Farseer is eager to begin.
“I too, will leave this link open. Our forces will begin deployment immediately. Strike true, Lord Aileron, and strike this abomination from our records once and for all.”
The Farseer turns to her bridge.
“Deploy. Let none who oppose us stand.”
The Eldar cruisers move into a stable orbit over Eidolon. Eldar forces are teleported into the city en masse, with grav tanks and Wraithlords arriving shortly behind them. The Space Marines, having received a priority transmission over the voxnet warning them of both the Eldar and Tau arrival, do not open fire on their new allies. They instead use the sudden distraction to begin regrouping and forming back into proper squads. The Eldar forces strike fast and hard in the areas where the Chaos forces are thickest, and then teleport back to their ships to be redeployed elsewhere. This leads to the illusion that the Eldar are everywhere at once.
With the Chaos fleet now forced back on the defensive by the arrival of the Eldar and Tau ships, the Space Marines can now get transports back to the forces waiting in the wastes. Soon these Marines arrive in the city, joining their allies in combat. The tides of war turn to the side of good once again.
Cameron seems satisfied with what he is hearing.
“Benden. Coordinate the Eldar and Tau efforts and contact me if you need anything.”
“Yes, sir. Fleet Command Actual, out.”
“Strike Team Actual, out.”
Cameron looks down into the city, seeing the combined forces of Space Marine, Tau, and Eldar striking at Chaos with the help of the Seraphs. They may still lose this war, but the strike team now has the time to do what it came to do. Cameron turns and strides back into the Spire.
“Eldar and Tau forces have arrived. They are helping us fight back the Chaos forces. Now’s our best chance to end this. If everyone is ready, then let’s go.”
Cameron turns and marches towards the stairs. The remaining Grey Knight Terminators settle into defensive positions, ready to hold the bottom of the Spire.
