Echoes of Creation (30k/Exalted)

Colchis - 832.M30

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Dharok stepped out of the transport shuttle and took in the view of Elyn. The dwarf planet was as hostile as reports had suggested: sharp, jagged mountain ranges stretched toward a sky perpetually dimmed by clouds, and the ground was a harsh mix of shale and dry sand that cracked beneath his boots. He gave the surrounding terrain a quick scan through his visor; the atmosphere was thin but breathable, though it would make sustaining life at the forward base more challenging.

Around him, his squad of veteran soldiers disembarked, each one moving with efficient purpose as they unloaded crates of supplies, weapons, and the necessary components for their defensive installations. Despite their training, Dharok could see a faint unease among his soldiers. They, too, could feel the oppressive silence of Elyn.

"Alright, let's get this perimeter set up." Dharok said, wasting no time.

"We've got limited daylight left," he ordered, his voice a steady bass over the comm-link. "Sentries at each corner, overlapping fields of fire. I want no gaps."

The team quickly got to work. They unpacked and assembled heavy artillery, advanced automated sentry turrets, and motion-sensing tripwires. Dharok made rounds through the makeshift camp as they worked, adjusting positions where necessary and giving curt nods of approval. He knew these men could handle anything thrown at them, but Elyn felt strange, alien in a way that gnawed at even his steely confidence. And he knew he'd need every ounce of vigilance to secure this base.

The last turret snapped into place, and Dharok nodded to himself. He had only a few moments to let his thoughts wander to the strange energies he'd sensed as they landed, the odd, thrumming undertone that seemed to resonate from the very ground beneath them, when the hum of his helmet's HUD alerted him to an anomaly.

A low rumble shook the air, disturbing the stillness. Dharok looked out across the barren expanse as his HUD marked hundreds of small heat signatures surging over a distant ridge. The horizon darkened as waves of movement crested the ridge, and soon, a deafening, predatory buzz filled the air.

Giant insects, dark and segmented, their carapaces gleaming dully under Elyn's dim light, surged over the rise and poured toward the camp in a horrifying, coordinated swarm. Each one was at least the size of a large dog, their jaws gnashing, claws glinting, and antennae flicking as they honed in on the base. The sight alone was daunting, but it wasn't just their size that unsettled Dharok. These insects had a strange coordination, as if driven by a singular, intelligent force.

"Contact!" Dharok barked over the comms, bringing his plasma cannon up to full charge. "Form defensive positions! Hold the line!"

The automated turrets locked onto the swarm and opened fire, slicing into the writhing mass with bursts of concentrated energy. The insects shrieked, but new waves pressed forward, clambering over their fallen brethren without hesitation.

Dharok fired, the blue-hot plasma bolts tearing through chitin and limbs, but he barely made a dent. His HUD counted dozens of distinct types within the swarm, massive, beetle-like tanks that shrugged off artillery fire, smaller, skittering bugs that darted between gunfire with terrifying agility, and bulbous flies that soared overhead, splattering acidic fluid that sizzled against armor.

One of the larger beetles rammed into a turret, and despite the heavy plating, the automated machine lurched under the impact, sparks flying as the turret struggled to correct its aim. Dharok switched to his close-range weapon, a crackling arc blade, and brought it down onto the insect's carapace, cleaving it in two.

"Shift focus to the aerials! Use wide dispersal shots," he ordered, noting that the acidic bugs posed the biggest threat at the moment.

A group of his men raised their flamer units, sending gouts of fire into the sky to intercept the flying insects. Their burning bodies crashed down, creating temporary patches of flame and smoke, but the swarm continued unabated.

Suddenly, one of the large, scorpion-like bugs lunged out from the shadow of the others, catching a un unfortunate person with its powerful pincers and flinging him into a nearby crate. Dharok reached the man's side in seconds, his blade carving through the insect's armored shell in a powerful swing, but he wasn't fast enough to save the man from the creature's venomous sting.

To Dharok's left, a series of explosions sounded as the smaller, highly mobile insects broke through the lines, slipping past the turrets and breaching the inner perimeter. They tore into the equipment and supplies, their mandibles powerful enough to chew through steel as they shredded power cables and control systems. The automated defenses around the base went haywire as the bugs scrambled over them, some of the systems sparking and failing under the assault.

Desperate to regain control, Dharok ordered the remaining soldiers to fall back into a tighter formation, consolidating their firepower on the central defensive position. A tight ring of men, back-to-back, their heavy weapons firing in sync, created a wall of firepower that momentarily halted the swarm's advance.

But then came the Warrior.

Emerging over the ridge, her massive, winged form darkened the sky as she loomed over the battlefield. She was twice the size of the other insects, her wings an iridescent blend of colors that shimmered even in the dim light of Elyn. The Warrior let out a piercing scream, a sound that rattled every bone in Dharok's body, and the swarm responded, redoubling its attack with a renewed, almost rabid fury.

Dharok raised his plasma cannon and aimed directly at the Warrior. He fired a high-powered burst, but she dodged with a speed that belied her massive size. Her venomous tail whipped through the air, striking one of the soldiers, whose scream was abruptly cut off as the venom took effect. She dove into the fray, her mandibles closing on another soldier, snapping him in half with terrifying ease.

"Fall back! Regroup at the inner circle!" Dharok called, desperate to preserve what little remained of his squad. They retreated to a barricaded area they had fortified earlier, though it had been intended as storage. The Warrior and her swarm followed, pressing them into the last bastion of their camp.

Dharok gritted his teeth and pulled out a modified incendiary grenade from his belt. He hurled it directly at the Warrior, the explosion catching her off-guard and setting her wing ablaze. She screamed, thrashing wildly as she tried to extinguish the flames, but her swarm swarmed in closer, filling the space around her.

"Now! Concentrate fire!" Dharok ordered, and every weapon opened up on the wounded Warrior. Plasma bolts, flamers, and explosive rounds converged, finally bringing the beast down. Her dying screech resonated through the camp as her massive body collapsed, her wings twitching as the flames consumed her.

The swarm hesitated as if sensing their leader's death, and Dharok seized the opportunity. "Push forward! Clear them out!"

With renewed determination, the soldiers pressed the attack, driving the remaining insects back over the ridge and down the cliff. After what felt like an eternity, the swarm was finally broken, the surviving bugs scattering into the desolate plains of Elyn.

Dharok surveyed the camp, now half-destroyed and littered with the bodies of both friend and foe. The victory had come at a heavy cost; their defenses were in ruins, several of their own had fallen, and nearly all their supplies were damaged.

"Status report," Dharok called, his voice weary but resolute.

"Casualties at forty percent," replied one of the soldiers, his voice tinged with exhaustion. "Most of our heavy equipment is fried… and we're down to emergency rations."

Dharok clenched his fists, feeling a rare moment of anger welling up. They had barely set foot on Elyn, and already the planet had exacted a bloody toll. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus on the mission. They would rebuild, strengthen the base, and keep pushing forward. They had to.

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After the harrowing battle against the swarm, Dharok and his remaining forces worked tirelessly to shore up their battered defenses. The camp lay in disarray, with broken turrets, twisted metal, and shattered weapons scattered about like remnants of a lost war. Scorch marks from the incendiary flames still smoldered on the dark, barren earth, and the air reeked of scorched chitin and ozone. Dharok couldn't let his team rest, not yet, Elyn had already proven to be too hostile for complacency.

In the camp's inner perimeter, Dharok inspected the remaining supplies with the three soldiers who had survived the onslaught. They had salvaged what they could from the scattered equipment, consolidating weapons, ammunition, and energy cells into one makeshift supply depot. He spoke with each soldier, offering curt reassurances and orders to remain vigilant. It was clear they were weary, but he had trained them well, they would hold until their last breath if needed.

"Reinforcements can't be far off now," Dharok said as he surveyed their defenses. "Once we secure this base, Colchis will send relief forces. We need only hold out."

But even as he spoke, Dharok sensed something was wrong. His HUD flickered briefly, a slight interference from the planet's strange atmosphere, he assumed. Yet, his unease deepened, an instinct honed over countless battlefields warning him of unseen dangers. He double-checked his weapon and turned to the remaining soldiers.

"Everyone stay sharp," Dharok commanded, his voice low but firm. "Something's coming."

A few moments passed in tense silence, the only sound the wind whispering through the jagged, alien landscape of Elyn. Dharok's eyes narrowed as he scanned the horizon, his enhanced vision picking out movements in the distance. His HUD marked several heat signatures approaching rapidly, moving with a precision that felt… deliberate. Not animals. Not more insects. His gut twisted with the cold certainty of danger.

"Damn it," Dharok muttered under his breath. "Corsairs."

They had arrived faster than he expected. Dharok had been prepared for raiders, pirates, perhaps even some lost human factions, but the presence of Eldar corsairs, those elusive, deadly space pirates, was a complication he hadn't accounted for. He could feel the tension ripple through his soldiers as the realization set in. The Eldar had a reputation for lightning-fast strikes and precision attacks, and they were known to strip planets of their most valuable resources with ruthless efficiency.

"Alert the others," Dharok barked to one of his soldiers. "Activate the defenses, now!"

Within moments, the camp's automated turrets snapped to life, their targeting systems locking onto the incoming threat. But Dharok knew that the Corsairs wouldn't just walk into their sights without a fight. He drew his energy blade, the hum of its crackling edge a stark contrast to the eerie silence of the alien world.

The Corsairs emerged over the ridge in a blur of motion, their sleek, intricately designed craft cutting through the air like predatory birds. Dharok saw them clearly now, dark, angular ships that glinted like obsidian, their hulls adorned with eerie runes and strange symbols. The Eldar were fast, their ships as much a part of their deadly persona as their skill in battle.

They dropped from the sky in a coordinated strike, their highly advanced grav-tanks touching down with a barely audible thud, while a squad of Eldar warriors in their black and gold armor leaped from their transports, landing in perfect unison. Dharok had seen these raiders in action before, and their speed and agility were unparalleled. Their weapons crackled with psychic energy, and they wielded them with deadly grace.

The soldiers quickly took their positions, manning turrets and making ready for the inevitable assault. But as the first volley of fire erupted from the Corsairs' advanced plasma weapons, it became clear this wasn't going to be a simple skirmish. The ground trembled as explosions erupted around them, sending shards of rock and debris into the air. The sound of the Eldar's psionic war cries echoed across the field, a chilling reminder of the power they commanded.

"Form up!" Dharok shouted, cutting through the chaos. His soldiers responded instantly, instinctively moving into tight defensive clusters. The automated turrets unleashed a barrage of fire, but the Eldar were faster, too fast. Their grav-tanks darted around the base like darting arrows, evading fire with ease as they laid down withering counterattacks.

Dharok ran toward the front lines, his boots crunching on the rocky terrain as his heavy bolter fired relentlessly at the incoming Corsairs. The rounds struck their grav-tanks, but they ricocheted off their shields with little effect. The Eldar returned fire, and Dharok could hear the telltale hiss of energy weapons charging. A blast struck the ground near his feet, sending him sprawling into a crouch, his armor flaring up with a warning of damage.

"Keep firing!" Dharok roared as he pushed himself up, firing his bolter into the melee of Eldar warriors that had deployed. They moved with terrifying precision, darting between cover, their limbs impossibly flexible and fast as they used their agility to evade the soldiers' shots.

Dharok's blade flickered to life in his hand, its humming edge crackling with raw energy as he charged into the fray. He cut through the first of the Eldar warriors that came within range, the blade shearing through their armor like paper. Another Corsair lunged at him, their glowing weapon flashing through the air, but Dharok sidestepped with the reflexes of a seasoned veteran, his blade slicing downward to take the warrior's arm off at the elbow.

The battle raged on, the noise deafening as plasma and energy weapons tore into the air, and yet the Corsairs' relentless assault showed no sign of slowing. The Eldar were toying with them, Dharok could tell. They weren't trying to destroy them, at least, not all at once. Instead, they were probing the base's weaknesses, picking off soldiers, damaging infrastructure, and sowing confusion.

A blinding flash of light lit up the battlefield as one of the grav-tanks fired directly at the base's central power generator. The explosion sent a shockwave through the camp, knocking Dharok to the ground. His head swam as his HUD scrambled to compensate for the sudden overload of data. Systems flickered on and off, and he saw the status of the base rapidly deteriorating: shields down, power systems fluctuating, and half of the automated defenses offline.

"No, not now," Dharok muttered, rising to his feet and gritting his teeth. The situation was dire, but he refused to give in. If they lost this base, the entire mission would fail, and the position would be lost to the Corsairs and anyone else who might come sniffing around.

"Commander, we can't hold them off much longer," one of his soldiers said through the comms, voice strained with the effort. "We're losing too much ground!"

"Then we push back," Dharok said, his voice unwavering. "Fall back to the secondary position. We'll regroup and hit them where they least expect it. Don't let them take the power core."

With that, Dharok ordered a strategic withdrawal. The soldiers made a fighting retreat, slowly drawing the Corsairs away from their critical objectives. They fell back to a fortified position, using the terrain to their advantage, while Dharok formulated a counterattack. He was no stranger to fighting smarter, not just harder, and he knew the Eldar relied heavily on their superior mobility and psychic capabilities. If he could disable or disrupt those advantages, he could turn the tide.

As the last of the soldiers reached the fallback position, Dharok issued a final order: "All remaining heavy firepower, focus on their grav-tanks. We need them grounded."

The heavy weapons squads deployed their remaining rocket launchers and plasma cannons, aiming for the weak points on the Corsairs' tanks. The first hit sent a vehicle spiraling into the air, its anti-gravity fields malfunctioning under the sustained barrage. It crashed to the ground with a resounding thud, its crew scrambling to escape.

Dharok took the opportunity to launch his final assault. His energy blade was at the ready, and his team followed suit. They pressed the attack, cutting through the remaining Eldar warriors with brutal efficiency. The Corsairs had underestimated Dharok and his soldiers, thinking they could overwhelm them easily. Now, they were paying the price for their arrogance.

By the time the dust settled and the final Corsair was slain, the base was a mess, half the camp was destroyed, and many of Dharok's soldiers were wounded. But they had survived. Against all odds, they had repelled the Eldar and held their ground.

"Status report," Dharok said, surveying the aftermath.

"We've sustained heavy damage, sir," the soldier replied, breathless. "But… we're alive. We're still standing."

Dharok nodded grimly. "Then we rebuild. We've only just begun, and Elyn still has secrets to reveal."

But in the back of his mind, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was only the beginning of the challenges they would face on this hostile, unknown world.

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CHOICE:
[] Withdraw
-It is too dangerous. Whatever the Eldar want in this world, it is not worth the lives lost.

[] Continue
-You have already lost too many men. You must avenge their loss.

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You had Size 5 men, that has been wittled down to Size 3. You lost 2 sizes due to the combined attack of the Bugs and the Eldar, but in turn, the bugs suffered total lossess as did the attacking Eldar strike force.

Dharok is close to declaring the Eldar as Evil but that would depend on if the Eldar here are Proto-Craftworlders or Proto-Dark Eldar. If you leave, this gets pushed off. Stay, and it works only IF they are Proto-Dark Eldar.

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CHOOSE WISELY:
I know I said I would make a larger update and make choices for you, but this one, I feel, is too important for me to make. So expect another update tomorrow, if something does not come up.

Please choose wisely. This is the first time Dharok lost men under his command and he will be getting an Intimacy out of this regardless of what you choose, but the nature and type depends on your choices going forward.