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 ^{(it's beta!)}

Colonel Kurt Dante stood at the front of the column of his men, as he reached the brink of the muddy hill leading down to the valley where malem forces had already started to take position.

Even from his position Dante could make out the giant form of the enemy's General, Kharn, thinking of that name and seeing him there brought back the painfull memories of 20 years ago.

The 5 year old Kurt sat in his living room playing with his latest model car, an ancient four wheeler. It came complete with a working mini sat nav system, a technology long dead. He was racing it against a the latest hover car model, and so far his new car was loosing.

Without any warning a faint boom knocked his car down the steps and smashed it on the marble floor below. As Kurt rose to try and rescue the bits he caught sight of a huge mushroom cloud expanding up and up in the far distance. The cloud expanded and as it reached the top of its climb a sonic shockwave smashed through the house blasting Kurt and loose household objects over.

Before Kurt could get up another blast hit the house, this time smashing windows and cracking the walls, bloody and shocked Kurt rose just as his parents ran in, cut up and bruised, to take Kurt down to the shelter, racing through the house in his fathers arms Kurt began to cry, Little did he know but his town was the first to be attacked by Kharn and his twisted armies that in the next 20 years would lay waste to entire planets all over the galaxy in the name of madness and chaos.

Next thing Kurt remembered was waking up in the shelter, outside all he could here was silence, with all hist strength Kurt opened the blast doors of the shelter and entered his smouldering wreckage of a house, walking through his house in a daze Kurt noticed his parents dead on the floor, looked in a firm embrace.

Rushing over to them he noticed for the first time his house was bullet ridden and that the corpses of his mum and dad where just as hole filled and disfigured as his house, he reached them and hugged them both. Hot tears stained his face, and at that moment, all childhood innocence was lost, and although too young to realise what it would entail Kurt vowed to hunt down the killer of his parents and friends, he was the lone survivor of a devastating first attack.

Shaking himself out of his trance colonel Dante ordered his army to prepere for battle, this was the last time Kharn would destroy a planet, and Kurt was going to forfill his oath, no matter what it did to him.

Shaking himself out of his trance colonel Dante ordered his army to prepere for battle, this was the last time Kharn would destroy a planet, and Kurt was going to forfill his oath, no matter what it did to him.

Turning around Dante surveyed his army, studying each unit in detail. The proud elves in their thin gold plated armour, with the curved blades, needle pistols sheathed in silk, and steel rune covered holsters. Next to them the regular infantry, a mix of elves, dwarfs and humans, sporting machine guns and various heavy weapons.

To Dante's right the Emperor's own bodyguard standing fully 7 feet tall in heavy armour supported by bio-enginered skeletons and muscle, with power halibards in one hand and slug pistols in the other, past them hundreds more infantry stood, rifles clutched tightly to there chests and bayonets fixed.

Behind Dante Hundreds of tanks, APVs and mortar crews stood ready for his command.

Looking up Dante saw clouds were gathering ready to drop there heavy pay load of rain and lightning.

On His back Dante felt the comforting weight of his father's blades, a katana and a bastard sword, each decorated with intricate patterns and rune's, and in his hand he supported his rifle, a machine gun with a scope and underslung grenade launcher, in a side holster his pistol rested, a .50 monster of a pistol with a laser sight, fired single handily it would snap the writs of all but the strongest of people, but with his magically enhanced strength this was not an issue.

Pressing the talk button on his comm he ordered the tanks and mortar crews to create a moving blanket of fire when they started to move, once he got a responce Dante turned to address the troops,

'Today we have the power to stop this evil tyranny, crush the inhumanity once and for all, chances are most of us won't survive, but I ask you this, do you want you families to be killed, planets to be destroyed? If you do perish your name won't be forgotten, it will be told in legend for centuries to come, I can't order you all to come with me, but I say we kill these fucks before they can do any more damage, for the Emperor charge!'

Dante was pleased to hear that the army was moving with him.

On cue the the ordinance started up and the clouds broke lighting the dark sky with lightning and explosions and soaking the hill and pinging of the armour of his troops, he was moving, it had begun.

As soon as he started running the newly wet ground made staying upright a near impossible task, each footfall started a new struggle to stay standing, Dante saw several of his men fall and slide down.

Within seconds of the charge the enemy released a huge squad of mutants, these poor creatures were the result of failed tests, disfigured and all but brain dead, they will ill equipped for ranged warfare but with tentacles, multiple arms, claws to name but a few mutations they were perfectly armed for melee fighting.

Running ahead of his army Dante called for a halt, his men taking up the few defensive positions on the hillside. Dante knew that the mutants had been sent first to test his troops, giving Khan a chance to look for weaknesses in tactics and men.

As the mutants approached within 100m of his line, Dante gave the order to fire. A wall of bullets, shells and rockets tore at the advancing forces, destroying nearly a quarter of them as they advanced.

A constant fire stream was kept up plucking at the horde of mutants, distorted screams came from the dieing a wounded, while a roar came from the survivors, mixed with the screams and the thud of guns the noise rose to a terrifying background thunder.

As the mutants reached within 20m of his lines the flamethrowers started up, setting mutant and ground on fire, and adding to the deafening noise.

By the time the mutants reached close quarters they were a broken force, at one eighth of there past strength the mutants fought with a sort of desperate vengeance.

Slinging his rifle over his back Dante drew his bastard sword, it's runes glowing with the promise of blood. The first mutants started to attack, and Dante was forced into a crude defensive position, chopping at attacking arms, tentacles, claws and rusty implements of destruction.

Slicing Dante opened up the swollen belly of one mutant and severed the hand of another, spraying blood, bile, and other vile liquids.

Looking around he saw his men finally winning over the flood of mutants, the surviving mutants turned and began to flee, but Dante gave the order to stay instead of charging down and destroying the survivors.

As the thin line of mutants reached the relative safety of there lines, the enemy opened up on them, killing the retreating mutants, Dante knew it was aimed to scare his men, if someone was willing to do that to their own troops who could tell what they would do to an enemy.

His men regrouped and the charge downhill continued. Soon the enemy opened up with there guns, but the lack of discipline made the effect limited and Dante hardly lost any men. Drawing his own rifle Dante fiered a volley of rounds, each one finding its mark and the explosives packed into the front of each bullet through the targets backwards, bowling over more of the enemy.

Dante ran headlong into the enemy lines, rifle butting and punching enemy after enemy, soon he was surrounded by a group of enemy, blades drawn. Spinning on the sport Dante let loose with his rifle, emptying the magazine on the enemy, only to be stopped when a dull click indicated the gun was dry, with this the survivors advanced, Dante drew his Katana and bastard sword, one in each hand and issued a challenge,

'Who wants to try their luck? Who the fuck wants to die first?'

As soon as the words left his mouth a burly figure pushed past the rest and entered the circle, wielding a crude axe in one hand, a chain in the other, without speaking he nodded, the fight had started.

They circled each other, feigning, or making rough shots, testing their opponent, without warning the chain whipped out at Dante's head, Dante ducked and shot forward, slamming the bastard sword through the muscular belly of his opponent. Pulling his blade free Dante leaped sideways and in a blur of blades half a dozen of the enemy lay dead of dying, the rest fled. Blood dripping from his blades Dante searched for Kharn, knowing he'd be in the thick of the battle. Finding him in a pile of corpses and surrounded by a red mist, slaying Dante's men one by one.

Dante sheathed his katana and held his bastard sword in a two handed grip above his head, he charged.

Half fighting, half pushing his way through enemy troops Dante stopped in front of the huge 7ft tall figure of Kharn, Dante sized up his enemy, Kharn wore thick blood red and black armour and held in his hand a giant claymour with heretic inscriptions and stained red with blood.

'You won't know me now, but you killed my parents, my friends and my men, my names Dante and I'm here to send you to hell, and your shit for brains troops with you.'

Khan just laughed it of, to him Dante was just another officer wanting to make a name for himself. Khan brought his claymour in a two handed swing.

Dante stepped aside Kharns first attack and brought his own blade forwards in a shot for his opponents throat but Kharn blocked this, knocking Dante off balance.

As the two attacked and parried a rough circle had formed around the the duellers, and fighting in the immediate area had ceased, each side cheering there champion on in what looked like an equal fight.

Dante brought his blade down in a powerful attack, Kharn blocked it but only just and was flung off balance. Dante had won this and he swung in, going for the kill.

Suddenly Dante stopped moving, a blade speared right through his torso, Kharn had deliberately faked this in order to take advantage of Dante's unawares. Blood dribbled from Dante's mouth and he screamed as the blade was pulled out. Dante just stood there eyes glazed, thinking of his family and how he'd failed them.

Not like this, Dante wasn't going to die, one last try. Dante swung his blade with his last ounce of strength, at Kharn's head.

At first Dante thought he had missed, his blade felt slack in his hand and dropped to the floor.

A thin line of blood appeared on Kharn's neck, and soon his head fell from his body, and blood rushed from his neck as it slipped sideways.

Laying on the floor Dante was happy, he'd won and completed his oath, he could die knowing his work was done, and he slowly let unconsciousness take him.

Several hours later Dante woke, feeling weak and sore. At hid bed side lay a medal, he had done it he'd survived, the battle had been won.

A memory, five years earlier

The mist lay heavy over the field in the near distance. The moon gave of a soft light and the surrounding area was given an eerie glow, every now and then an explosion or flare gave of extra light, no more than a whisper was herd from them.

Major Kurt Dante lead the ten man squad as it took up positions on the southern edge of the field, a destroyed farm machine, broken wall or a crater acted as cover for his men. Dante had been charged with hand picking a squad of ten men from upwards of 2000 to defend the flanks of a small agricultural village from the attack command knew was coming.

The rest of the division had packed up and left, Dante and his squad were acting as a rear guard while the villagers were evacuated.

Looking to his left Dante observed his men getting ready, Trooper Bren was setting up his Auto-Tracer gun on a burnt out 4x4. Bren was the only heavy weapons man in his squad, Dante had picked three snipers,four infantry men and two advance scouts. Dante knew the scouts would be invaluable when it came to choosing defence positions and likely angles of attack, there uncanny ability to fit in with any environment had saved him many times before and he trusted their senses, sometimes, more than his own.

The three snipers, Nagant,Browne and Waye were the best, each had achieved and impressive record, and Dante knew he could count on them under fire. The troopers were all experts in different fields, Leon was a feeder and supported Bren on his heavy weapon, Isley had a knack with explosives and fire, he was given a flamer and had just finished mining the area, Ghwol had grown up on a agricultural planet similar to this one and knew the terrain, he acted as adviser to the scouts, Knight and Simmons, and lastly, Flense a complete bastard but had made himself famous in close combat, Dante knew it would get to close quarters and decided to put up with Flense as a necessary evil.

His men had set up and now the waiting game had began.

Dante and his squad had been in position for nearly two hours, he knew waiting was more of a downer then fighting for these men, it gave their minds time to wonder.

Dante knew an attack was comming soon, so did his men, it was the un-spoken tention in the air, the way his normally calm men jumped at every whisper. Dante couldnt take much more of this waiting either HQ were going to call when the evacuation was complete, he wondered how long it would take, perhaps he could escape this suicidale duty, spare his men's lifes, and his own.

Bren was bored, tiered and bored, he'd been up damn nearly two days and he was running low on energy. He was a monster amongst men, standing nearly 7ft tall, he was built like an ox, and the men joked, had the intelligence of one, but he knew when it came to it, he was equally intelligent as any given man in the squad, probably more so, he was, his mother told him.

The first mines exploded of somewhere in the distance, Bren awoke form his half dream and clasped the cold iron of his gun, all around him men primed there weapons, the click of the bolt and the softer whining of las weapons charging.

The Sky lit up with cross fire, every second bullet of Bren's Auto-tracer flashed across the sky in a long thin white. The las rounds whipped out, a bright orange, the invisible sniper bullets hitting their mark every time. The background was lit up but the occasional explosion, siloheting the trees at the end of the field and the hundreds of shadows now advancing on their position.

Major Dante opened up with his rifle dropping 5 of the advancing figures, before a burst of fire forced him into cover. the enemy had attacked in huge numbers, and soon Dante's small group would be over run.

Next to him Knight caught a bullet in his chest, exploding it and blowing a massive hole in his back. Dante turned and kept firing.

Bren was dropping the enemies like flies, he had slaughterd dozens already and he wasnt going to stop any time soon. His gun clicked, empty, but Leon was already fitting another belt of ammo into it, he tapped bren on the shoulder, and the gun opend up, killing a fresh wave of solders.

A rocket caught one of the farm machines, exploding it, and with it the two scouts using it for cover. With three of his men dead Dante was lost, give it a minute or two and they'd all go the same way. Another scream and Leon was down, blood spraying from his torn throat. Isley was letting out a constant stream of fire, turning the attackers in to torches, as they ran hopelessly, Isley hated the effect, but rather them than him. he didnt have time to finish that thaoght before a piece of shrapnel lit his fuel tank, incinerting him in an instant.

Dante turned in time to see Browne take a bullet to the face, He was runnign out of men fast, an explosion took the last two snipers and Ghwol with them.

That left Flense and Bren, and himslef, Dante smashed a fresh mag into his rifle and opend fire, killing dozens. A near bye explosion sent Bren flying into the air, his huge body lifted as if it were a toy, before landing awkwadly on his head. Dante had barley time to register it before the enemy were on him, pistol in one hand and balde in the other, Dante took the first three with a quick succsesion of shots, and another two with a swipe of his blade. They were on Flense to, he was glorying in the slaughter, knife held low and crouched he was an agile bastard and was making the most of it.

The pistol ran dry and Dante dropped it, holding his sword double handedly, swinging at the nearest ones. A stray bullet caught his leg and he dropped to one knee, ducking a close swipe, Dante rolled and rose to his feat painfully, decapitating a brute of a man. He didnt see the blade that pierced his stomache.

Dante swung down severing the arm attached to the blade. Another swipe killed 3 more, Dante collapsed, His vison swam, he saw his killer, standing above him, sword held ready to stab, A las round took of his upper body. Blackness

The transport rocked on the bumpy road, Dante woke up, he had been there for 3 days now, with the rest of his unit, making their way to the next battle zone, he had survived the battle, him and Bren, who had been knocked out by the explosion and given up for dead by the enemy. Dante opend the window and vomited, he had never been able to handly traveling. His wounds had healed a day ago, his quick regenertive abilities had always puzzled doctors.

The potholed road was soaked, little puddles and streams ran down the sides were the road sloped to help with getting water off, the puddles were a light grey reflecting the sky,completly made up of clouds, the rain had stopped for now, but every so often the odd drop would hit the grounds, or ping of a helmet of a solider as they marched along the road. The wet that covered the entire ground was evaporating in the warmth of the day, subtly steaming up everything in view, making the entire view fuzzy, as if being looked at by someone who was slightly short sighted.

Colonel Kurt Dante walked at the front of the column, of soldiers, 4x4's and tanks, every so often a fighter would fly over head, zooming to a distant battle, or coming home, battered and smoking. Dante's sword tapped at his leg, this had once been annoying but after years of marching for hours a day it had become part of life, and Dante would of felt as uncomfortable without it as most men would with it. He had been leading this battalion for 5 days now, along the same route, a route to a destination unknown, all he knew was the next days route when the next day's path was sent through, heavily encoded and brief, this mission seemed to be so secret that even the ones undertaking it couldn't know about it, twice now, due to poor weather or communications Dante was forced to stay put for a day, with no idea were to go. He didn't know what he had to do and his men were getting restless. He just kept telling them all he knew, any day soon

For 10 days now the battalion had been snaking it's way towards the unknown detination, the men's imaginations were playing up, the worst case scenerious seemed to be the only thing they could think of, perhaps they were going to mount a fontal assault on this damned planets capital, or maybe they were being sent to renforce the trenches that zig-zagged all along the western side of the continent, rumours of poor cnditions and high death rates playe don the men's minds.

The day's marching had drawn to a close and camp had been struck for 4 hours now. The sky remind the same grey tone as it had been since the start of the march, Private Lynott had just recieved the orders for the next day, nervously he sealed the print out in an envolope and ran over the the Colonels tent Out of breath he reached it, unsure what to do he shook the tent door, he heard movement from inside, and heard i rough grunt that sounde dlike 'come in'. Pulling the doore to one side Lynott walked in, he snapped his heels and brought up a crisp salute. The colonel turned was at the other side of the tent, still in full uniforn and with a leather trench coat on top, he was studying some maps, without looking over his shoulder or turning Colonel Dante ordered the private at ease. Turning dante walked over to the private, and took the envalope offered to him.'Lynott is it?' Lynott nodded, somewhat suprised,'Good news or bad?'

'I, i don't know sir.'

'very well.' Dante opened the envelope with a knife, he pulled the paper out, read it once, his face dropped, he read it again. 'Ohh dear Lynott, oh dear'

Dante walked over to the cabinet, and poored himself and Lynott a shot of liqure, he motioned for the private to sit down, which he did.

'Well, there is good news and bad news..., fuck it, it's bad, we fianalyy know were we are going and what to do, We've been selected to defend a length of trench for a few weeks, and then form part of an attack force trying to breach an enemy hard point.'

Dante sat down, placing the bottel on the table and downing the shot, Lynott followed suite, Dante poored another two shots.

Private Lynott didn't know what to do, he repected the Colonel, hell he practically worshipped him, and was hounored to be there, but felt shame in seeing the Colonel in this state, drunk and distressed, the Colonel seemed to drink two shots for every one he did. By now the Colonel had removed his trench coat and cap, his jacket was loose around his sholders, and his eyes blood shot.

' you know the worst thing about being in command?' Lynott shook his head,' It's not the danger, or the hard decisons, it's when you hear the list of men killed, men you have known for years, thought with, talked to, men who were your... friends. You know, as soon as a man gets shot, weather he will live or die, it's in the eyes, sometimes the fight, the hope goes out of them, and in that moment you just know.'

Lynott didn't know what to do, he didn't know what to say, he just looked at the colonel, His blood shot eyes now begand to water, puffing up the area around his eyes, the colonel caught him looking.' Please leave me, just leave me'

Alone Dante finished of the last drop in the bottle, not bothering to undress he dropped into bed, closing his eyes.