They came from no where, bursting from thickets and rock formations on all sides, completely encircling the Necron, Ork and Tyranid hordes that surrounded the surviving warriors of the Alliance. Land Raiders, Falcon Grav Tanks, Wraithlords, Skyray Missile Defence Gunships, super-heavy tanks from every faction of the Alliance emerged and charged their weapons. This was Nebulous' grand scheme, a plan that had never been embraced by his brothers before, keeping the majority of his artillery in reserve. The numerous Basilisk cannons formed up along a great ridge, and hoisted their barrels high into the sky.
The time had come, the Necrons turned their metal heads and looked to their Gods, before they were consumed one and all by the strange green energy that formed the bulk of their power. The legions of Necron Warriors phased from the plane and vanished into the holds of the two great Monoliths. Within an eye blink, the mass of the Great Enemy's forces had vanished, and soon even the Monoliths lifted slowly from the ground, just as a great barrage rained down from the sky and consumed the Tyranid force in its entirety. Of course, after a brief pause, even the monstrous aliens returned to life as Chaos Space Marines. Asdrubael Vect looked on as yet another of his so-called allies failed, and he blasted the head from his slave with a shriek.
"All tanks, all artillery, lock everything on that cannon and bring it down!" Nebulous commanded.
"What about you, Commander?" Shadowsun asked.
"I have no intention of giving these monsters my life, soul or body" Nebulous replied harshly "But if it comes to it, I want you to level this whole damn hill!"
"Brave of you boy!" Carron mocked, stalking ever closer "And clever too. But you seem to have forgotten one very important detail" the Daemon Prince gave a low and terrible chuckle "My legion is never-ending, my warriors as immortal as their God-Emperor, you cannot prevail here!"
"Not through strength of arms, but through strength of the mind will we prevail" Nebulous retorted.
"Strength of the mind?" came the mocking voice of the Sorcerer "For one so suspicious of his people's psykers, you have a strange amount of faith in them"
"Sorcerer, this is my battle now, your cannon has failed!" Carron boomed "I will slaughter these pigs, and then you will answer for your heresy against me!"
"Great One, I can bring the cannon back online, and under your command too" the Sorcerer was acting very differently now, more similar to his behaviour when bowing before the throne earlier in the campaign, before he was so certain of his success.
"Then do it, and pray for my forgiveness" Carron commanded "Come Nebulous, let me test your mettle!"
"You face us both, Daemon!" Antion cried bravely, and the Daemon Prince raised his blade high in the sky.
"So be it"
Black and gold armour massed like a lake over the plains, broken only by the red armoured Berzerkers of Khorne, as the armies of the Black Legion swarmed and coagulated. Shadowsun stood his ground with his human and Eldar allies, gazing into what could possibly be his final battle. And to think he'd die at the side of men instead of in front of them, it brought a smile to his face. Orks crawled down the sides of the plateau and the ground rumbled as still the Knarloc clashed with the Squiggoth, and still held the Stompa at bay at the same time. The Avatar of Khaine towered over the ground forces, glaring at the four Daemons he fought with, his sword burning ever dimmer as his strength was sapped away, something that made the Bloodthirster roar with eager anticipation. Blood was everywhere on the ground, blood but no bodies, no limbs no heads, nothing. Only the blood spread slick in the dirt. Shadowsun armed his weapon and loaded the rocket launchers on his shoulder pads as shield drones hovered in the air around them and Sentinels and Wraithlords took up positions to the rear and front.
