Commander Nebulous looked with disgust at the sight before his eyes. He had come to this ruined city expecting to find the vile and horrific Tyranids standing in his path, creatures bent on consuming everything they encounter. Instead, what stood before him were rows and rows of determined, yet understandably nervous, Imperial Guardsmen. The Commander approached the head of the group, his power armour moving effortlessly as though it weighed nothing at all.
"What is the meaning of this?" he demanded, the Guardsman before him stepped forward.
"I'm sorry, Commander, but I can't let you pass" he said clearly "I have direct orders from Lord Commissar Stubbs to allow no Space Marines to enter this city, under any circumstances"
"In case you've forgotten, my brothers and I are here on this Warp-blasted spit of rock because of you" Nebulous snapped "We came here to save you, or had you forgotten?"
"No sir, I hadn't" the Guardsman responded "But my orders are clear" Nebulous huffed deeply, but kept his unnatural Marine's resolve and calmed his tone.
"We are here to repel the Tyranid forces, not to share pointless banter with you" Nebulous said, on the verge of shouting. The Guard looked confused.
"Tyranids, sir? We've not seen any Tyranids" he said slowly. The Commander studied him closely, scanning for any hint of untruth. But he found none.
"That's impossible" he simply said "I must speak with Commissar Yarrick"
"I'm sorry sir, but my instructions come from above his station"
"Look, soldier" Nebulous came up close and eyed him seriously, the Guard tried hard to hide his fear "You served on Kronus before now, right?" the soldier nodded "Do you remember Captain Davian Thule of the Blood Ravens?" again he nodded "Now, I don't pretend that my Ultramarines are anywhere near as ruthless and, in my own opinion, perhaps a little more damning that holy as the Blood Ravens, but our willingness to fight other branches of the Imperial Armed Forces is almost as great. We have shown you this already, have we not? At the Battle of Montakaan, we cut our way through your Ogryn brutes to reach the Keep, and we did so without a moment's hesitation. However, in light of recent events, we will need every man to combat the coming darkness. But I will get into this city"
"You'll have to go through us first"
"As you wish" he turned from the soldier and summoned the Chaplain, Librarian and Captain that formed his command crew "Assault Marines, fall in" From the bulk of the armoured Space Marines emerged a group of warriors. They were armoured similarly, but with one great difference, the backpacks they wore were elongated and gargantuan next to standard issue packs. The Commander ordered them into position around his command squad, and the Imperial Guardsmen readied their weapons with trickles of sweat running down their cheeks.
The aptly named Stagnant Marshes lay to the far North of the main continent of Deimopia, a vast plain of bogs and swamps scattered with the odd suffocated tree and curled up plant life. The mist over this inhospitable terrain was so thick that even the keen eyes of Eldar Rangers would have difficulty finding their own rifles on their belts. Strange winged beasts patrolled its skies with shrill cries, and unknown horrors watched eagerly from the depths of its murky waters.
This environment proved, however, most pleasing to the debased forces of the Black Heart Kabal. Their cruel leader, Asdrubael Vect, and his mighty Dais of Destruction lay at the heart of the vile swamps, surrounded by a great fleet of Raiders, Ravagers and the scorpion-like Talos'. Vect observed his new kingdom, rows and rows of slave chambers dotted the landscape, slowly sinking into the stagnant swamps, only to re-emerge moments before their inmates could finally drown and escape this Hell away from Hell.
