The Empty Crusade (Horus Heresy)

"Kill them." The Xeno hissed as The First Legionary broke through the wall. They were not singular combatants like the War Hounds but any Space Marine is more than a match for most Xenos in close-quarters combat. The alien tried to dodge the scaly body twisting claws trying to catch the haft of the chain sword but its defense was fruitless and the First Legionary cut it in half the Xeno shots struck his armor as he turned volkite pistol firing off and hitting the nearest alien causing its head to pop as he turned to fire on another. The Alien counter fire was halted as several more of the First appeared around them; it was a slaughter.

The First moved each Marine an army in and of himself tearing through the unprepared forces of the Xeno compound. The team splits up to each rank up their own kill counts as they disperse into the compound each ripping and tearing bolters and volkite leaving only ruined remains as they each take their own path through the alien structure.

---

"Twenty-eight Xeno elite holding position over the crater ridge, fortifications are sloppy, more so than usual, indicating a rapid deployment." The sergeant nodded as the scout gave the report. Then he turned to the other plain armored warriors around him.

"Prepare mortars at this location, set up mines and decoy, fire two volleys and reposition to site B prepare to fire on the enemy response team then push into the location. Enemy holdouts are likely to flee to their own secondary sites scouts don't engage, track them, and report all locations." The soldiers salute and start prepping site A, as the Sargent was reviewing the plan it had minimal moving parts but wasn't without potential points of failure. The Xenos might not send a team out against the mortar position, the aliens might be less prone to panic then they had been in previous engagements.

The plan was set into motion the Xenos responded as expected, firing into the mortar area and sending their elite. The decoys fooled them long enough for them to fall into the minefield. Then in a hail of Volkite and Bolter fire they died, those that scattered to avoid the incoming fire began to explode as they moved over mines, alien artifice failing before humanity's weapons. The Seventh moved quickly to take advantage of the break in the alien line pushing in quickly.

---

Gahael slid to the side the metal floor of the Indomitable screeching under his powered armor as he moves to narrowly avoid Sigismund's blade. His own slow to respond catching the power field, the two men pushed for a moment the energy fields latching to each other as they pressed at the bind. Gahael saw Sigismund begin to move and tried to jump back rather than strike as the blades septate Sigismund twisted the blade looping it around and over Gahael's own the sword clipping on the tip giving the First's Legion Master the chance to slide back then he felt the Seventh lunge and he moved his own blade lashing out.

"I win." Gahael couldn't help but smirk. His disabled blade pointed at Sigismund's throat.

"It was a draw then." Sigismund's voice was nearly flat but Gahael could detect a hint of disappointment. The Astartes looked down to see his opponent's blade behind him positioned to slay him. It was a draw it seems.

"We have more important things than a fight," Gahael spoke doing his best to keep the disappointment from his voice and he stands and stealths his blade.blade.

"The xeno's are moving to activate the warp gate in orbit. All their forces are gathering at a singular compound." Sigismund brushes off his armor as he speaks, a servitor brings in a map, and two more come out with a table laying it out for him to use as a visualization.

"We just need a frontal assault to overwhelm them before they can form a response." The Seventh Legionary shook his head.

"They have a prepared defensive line and are bringing out their best weaponry. We need to form a perimeter while our orbital assets destroy the gate." As Sigismund speaks Gahael frowns.

"Those gates could be invaluable to the imperium." Sigismund shakes his head.

"They are likely rigged to self-destruct, I doubt we would gain access to the gate even if we did successfully break their defenses before they finish."

"So we can't win this campaign then?"

"You'd find that one of the most important things in war is setting the conditions for your victory. We will win here, the Xenos will lose. But importantly, we can't let them set the terms of the war." Sigismund removed the marks of the gate from the map. "They'll focus forces on denying us that gate, so by ignoring it those dedications are a waste of their manpower and time." Gahael smiles and looks over the map.

"Ah so then instead of focusing on the more relevant control facility we can do lighting strikes on the secondary parts of the compound."

---

"Sargent Sariel, get back to the Line." The Seventh Legionary called into his vox as his volkite weapon lanced through the Xeno lines the towering ancient aliens' titan that had pulled itself from the surface of the frozen world was scything through the forward elements that had been about to breach the Xeno's defenses. The world was lit as bright as a terrain day from the death cries of the warp gate above them. Last thing his section of the front needed was the first contingent rushing to try to melee a techno-organic titan.

"Negative, there are still Astartes in that thing's way." The Captain growled as he heard the Sargent's voice on the vox. Watching as the alien turned, the ice fell off its figure as a cryo flamer activated and started to burn and freeze the approaching Legionaries. The impossible flames licked at the legionaries and instantly killed the aliens they were combatting. Even the power armor of the Marines was giving way to the gray thermal paint smoldering and burning off as the legionaries struck nearer to the alien titan relieving the pinned-down forces from its wraith.

With a growl, the captain ordered all the artillery to fire on the Titan, an action they were already doing. When the Titan fell many squads that had been in vulnerable positions were able to pull back to the main line with minimal casualties as the First squad had pulled the attention and firepower of the Titan so it failed to kill those that it could try to strike the intruders. The squad was injured but no fatalities despite the insane tactics.

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It was by united fleet actions that the enemy's warp gate was shattered. It was by brotherhood in arms that a thousand outposts burned. It was by honor and bravery before even the greatest foes that Pluto's defenders fell. The seventh and the first, these Legions working hand in hand broke the final outpost of tyranny in Sol. This brotherhood was forged as the Crusade went onward. Forged by…

[]A Unbroken Line of Service
The two legions had no major victories after Sol but they took many worlds into the imperial fold as a well-oiled machine.
[]A grand hardship.
Humans on a distant world with weapons of ancient artifice the legions crashed against it and were damaged but they came together stronger as a forged sword rather than being broken.
[]Two Campaigns
The legions were on amicable terms and would often speak with one another but there was no great united front after they left Sol.
[]Shared Brotherhood
The legions had their own trials ahead but when one would slow the other would pick them up. The two stayed apart but for times of need.
[]A Dark World
An ancient place hidden and lost. Yet as the two legions went out this world found them both whatever their original plans the legions were bound by the powers and battles found there.