Fiction:Wrath of the Imperium

'''This is a non-canon piece as far as things go

''Following another spell of "Do I underestimate my own fiction?", I decided on this short story to see if I can pump some power back into them. This is an exercise to get the imperssion Draconis in particular are fearsome opponents and is told through the perspective of an alien soldier''

Garada, colony of the Torian Confederation, a race of medium-sized humannoids on the fringe of Andromeda's inner-rim.

People had been migrating to the cities for days. There was word out in the coutnryside of strange killers, driving people out from less well-defended areas. One soldier, Galtain, watched as another batch of desperate refugees entered the city. He sighed, food supplies were running low, there was nothing coming in from the farms as something was raiding them. All they had access to was the food being grown within the city.

The next day he was on patrol when a woman bumped into him. She begged for a morsal fo food. Galtain had hsi ration pack on him but he had been ordered not to give any food to civillians. It had become a tough time News was spreading that other ssytems were going dark. War was on the horizon after a failed raiding attempt on a group of alien colonists who planned to set up on a world the confederation had claimed. As she begged, there was a roar in the sky. Bolts of energy impacted the city's shields and everyone panicked as the beams made tremendous impact. Shots were also fired, impacting and detonating on the shield.

Everyoen ran for shelter, and Galtain guided them, ever vigilant of the sky above. The shields flickered as the beams eroded away at the shield's energy supply. it was weakening, as a good 20% of the population made it inside fallout shelters a beam broke through and hit a tower block, creating a deadly fireball on the upper floors that spread that incinerated the inside structure and shattered every glass window, glass raining from the sky. Screams were heard as more shots were fired, more destruction, people ran in panic from the rain of glass. Through the hellfire there were aircraft on an approach to the surviving rooftops. Flying with them, the sky was filled with small strike craft that moved in swarms, shooting at any allied aircraft and anyone foolish to stand on the rooftops. Galtain pulled the rifle from his shoulder and gripped the handle tightly. He aimed upward and used his scope to identify the craft. His heart sank when he saw what appeared to be a three-clawed hand gripping a planet in its palm - It was as though the image symbolised what was happening.

The city burned around him. He had no time to think and fired his gun into the air, hoping to down a few drophips. The bullets bouncedd off the armour. He had ot take shelter as within minutes plasma was raining down on his location from the rooftops. He ran for cover, one of his squadmates' skulls exploded like a watermelon at the sound of a thoudnerous explosion. The shot had entered the back of his head and smashed the area of the visor over his eye. Galtain's heart raced as he managed to duck behind cover, narrowly missing a similar shot that split a chunk of fallen concrete.

Galtain hid behind the makeshift concrete barricade. Other soldiers joined him, he reloaded his rifle and ducked as shots passed over him. After a few deep breaths he looked to the other soldiers. They all knew they had to get to the fallout shelter on the other side of the block. They had to work together. Nodding they climbed out of the barricade and dashed for more cover while under fire.

There were soldiers of many variations of shape on the ground clad in smooth ceramic armour. Shots impacted energy shields and they looked at their targets with a faceless stare. Rather than a visor, their helmets were solid chunks of material, shaped to conform to their skulls. The shots fired by Galtain and his allies hit the shields and did litte, while the rifles of the alien soldiers killed in a few shots and with deadly accuracy.

Galtain's makeshift squad was thinning as they headed towards the fallout shelter. As he ducked under a shattered piece of road he pulled one of his allies with him, who was shot in the leg.

Ertham - Argh, my leg! Galtain - ''Easy, easy. Keep calm, let me see to it.'' Ertham - It hurts! Galtain - Stop moving, I need to see how bad it is.

Galtain pulled out a medkit from his survival pack and tore away the fabric of Erthan's comabt suit, using a knife to cut at the tougher materials. The shot created a burn wound that had gone right down to the muscle tissue. The exposed muscle was mottled, the blood vessels had been cauterised. As he tended to the wound Galtain felt a few thumps from above. His heart skipped a beat, he panicked as to what was out there. It was still chaos above him.

He froze as, jumping in front of the entrance to the shelter, he could see a pair of enormous muscular legs, ending with three large clawed toes. All of it plated in armour. Punding sounds were made as the creature moved away from the shelter. before he could breathe a sigh of relief, he saw the feet turn around, directing themselves towards the shelter. Galtain's eyes widened, he used the but off his rifle to push an emergency hole out of the concrete as plasma hit near the entrance. Ertham's legs were blasted away, Galtain had no choice but to leave him behind as he broke through. he squeezed out and narrowly missed several plasma shots as he ran to take cover behind a wall.

10 shots left inside the current magasine. He had to do something, switching to an armour-piercing setting he took several deep breaths but as he did he ducked as the alien soldier had found him and run to shoot in his cover. Galtain ducked inside a building, he caught a glympse of a large pair of wings and a huge frame. The soldier could not fit inside the building's doorway but Galtain did not hesitate, he ran to find cover upstairs. Looking back, he saw the wall around the doro shake as the soldier attempted to force his way in. As he moved up a few floors he heard strange vocoder-altered sounds coming from above him. he panicked again and ran to find somewehre to hide. There was a "smash" as the alien solder created a hole he could fit through.

Galtain found a corridor, he had no choice; he pulled out a frag grenade, primed it and threw it behind him, the corridor collapsed. For now, he was safe....But for how long?

Brief Respite
Galtain rested uneasily. Soldiers could coem through any moment looking for him, after some time he reasoned that the fighting must have died down. He checked his equipment and found he had only one clip left. Finding some tape he tied the spare magasine to the rpesently-equipped one and heaved himself up, discovering he had scraped his knees in the chaos. There was a crackling over his communicator.

Command - Anyone on this fre---ncy, please res--nd Galtain - Private First Class Galtain here, signal is bad but I read. Command - ''Pri--te, your location is a no-go. En--my sold--- --erywh-re.'' Galtain - Requesting evac sir. Command - ''Neg--ive. Cannot s-nd evac. Too m--y host-les in ar-a.'' Galtain - Command I am losing the signal. Command - ''Gen--al fallback o--ers issued. Pu-- out n-w so---er!'' Galtain - *sigh* Roger command.

Galtain looked about, after trekking through the building he found an open window and kept his cover. Pulling out a set of binoculars he studied the area. it was then he got a good look at the monsters that had been chasing him before; Standing on two legs, larger than msot of the other soldiers with lerge bat-like wings and graceful curved horns.

He increased magnification and saw two smaller soldiers dragging out an injured Torian. They threw it at the dragon's feet and it looked at the body. He was too far away to make out what they were saying but after a few minutes he saw them dragging the injured soldier into a veicle. He lowered his binoculars, checked the strap of his rifle and jumped through the broke nwindow. Bending his legs to minimise the noise he kept to the rubble. He snuck through and dived into a rubble mound as one of the dragon-creatures plodded past. he kept as still as possible, waiting until it was gone.

After waiting he scrabbled up from the rubble and ran for the van. His heart was racing but as he was 10 metres from the vehicle he felt a searing heat radiate across his back that forced him to the floor. He turned around and saw the same soldier holding a pistol-shaped weapon that curved around his hand. It was pointing directly at him as the soldier slowly plodded over. Galtain rolled to dodge a second and third shot. He cocked his rifle and fired a short burst that bounced off the dragon-creature's shield.

The magasine was empty. He had no time to insert another clip and resorted to using his pistol as he stood up, the shots impacted the shield but did barely anything. He could still feel the pain on his back. The dragon-creature leaped at him and pinned him to the floor. The creature slowly drew out a large serrated knife as it pressed Galtain's face into the rubble. The creature's weight was immense, easily enough to keep him pinned to the ground. As the knife got closer, shots imapcted the creature's shield. This distracted it, turning around a few shots managed to get through its shield and impacted on its armour. It began to chuckle in a deep, booming, vocoder-altered tone. It rested a knee on Galtain's back and fired its main ranged weapon at the relieving soldiers, downing three. This laughter died down as one of the soldiers firing the shots fired a rocket at it. The rocket hit the dragon-creature and tore off a good chunk of its right arm. it could not stand up and collapsed next to Galtain. The allied soldiers fired on other enemy soldiers before running to help Galtain up, but not without their own casualties.

Soldier - Thank the spirits you're alive, we thought these draconis took everyone but us. Galtain - Draconis? Soldier 2 - ''Yeah. They're everywhere, turns out the countryside was full of them and their automated drones.'' Galtain - Is there any refuge? Soldier - Not here, Imperials are making a clean-sweep, this sector might be crawling with them before long. Galtain - I'm glad some of us are alive. Soldier 3 - ''These Draconis are frakkin tanks, man. We lost three guys to just one of them and needed a rocket to hurt it proper.'' Galtain - How are we supposed to beat them back? Soldier 2 - Maybe get a tank of our ow-- Soldier - Get down!

Everyone ducked for cover as a Torian jet was followed by two smaller ITN fighter drones. The drones picked it off and the jet crashed into a nearby building. Everyone waited for the craft - which had briefly hovered before flying off - to leave before they emerged from their hiding places.

The squad's sergeant checked hisi HUD system for signs of any nearby hostiles. he breathed a sigh of relief but turneed to hear one of his own soldiers firing on the escaping transport. As it flew out of range he threw his rifle to the ground in a fierce roar.

Tanoth - 'Bastards! All of them!''' My sister and kids are on that transport! Give them back to me you assholes!''

The sergeant rested hsi arm on Tanoth's soldier to restain him.

Sergeant - ''Easy soldier. We'll get them back, keep a steady head. We can do it.'' Tanoth - ''Every minute we wait sir my sister and children could be chipped and transported offworld. You heard the rumours, this isn't an extermination, its enslavement! We either die here or toiling on another planet.'' Sergeant - Calm down. Tanoth - No, I want them back I want them--

The sergeant resorted to smacking him across the face, staggering him. he held his head as he kept his distance while Galtain struggled to stand up. The sergeant looked over his shoulder to see Galtain and called for one of his squad to pick up a medpack from their downed medic. The kit itself was still relatively intact, a little charring and deformation was present from the intensity of the plasma shot that killed its former owner. The soldier took out a tube and squeezed a paste onto his hand which he used to rub into Galtain's plasma burn. The squad member then pulled out a set of banages and wrapped them around Galtain's torso to seal the pressure. Calling him to turn around, Galtain gulped down a painkiller tablet he was given.

Soldier - How's that? Galtain - Little better. Sergeant - That was a heavy burn, be thankfu lyou're not dead. Galtain - Already am sir. Private First Class Galtain Morleo of the Tharov 34th regiment. Sergeant - ''Sergeant Koren Khivv of the Tharove 36th regiment. Good to see another survivor.'' Galtain - What is the plan of action, sir?

The sergeant turned his pack and took a few steps away from Galtain, sighing heavily.

Koren - ''We run. You saw what these creatures can do, no way we can prevail on our own.'' Galtain - We have to do somethi-- Koren - ''What, eactly? Shoot them? With our peashooters, we need firepower if we want to stand a chance. Did you see that shielding, because i've certainly never seen anything like it.'' Galtain - Where can we run sir, these aliens are everywhere. Tanoth - They're nto aliens sir. They're demons, born from the deepest parts of the abyss, clawing at sanity and civility! Koren - Don't mind Tanoth, we think he might be a few steps from succumbing to PTSD. Galtain - ''And you're jut going to ignore him? He needs a psychiatrist.'' Koren - ''What psychiatrist! We have barely anything left and loing more as we waste time. We either head to the country or--'' Galtain - ''We can't. Unliek yo I was listening to news reports, the countryside is is where the death tolls began rising. they wanted us in the cities and now they've hemmed us in.''

Koren looked about and into the air.

Koren - Aliens have the skies and the country, but we need evac. Galtain - We have heavy ordinance, why not head for a rooftop? Koren - Are you crazy? Galtain - Do you have a better idea? Koren - ''Fine, we'll do things your way. Maybe those beasts cleared themselves out of a few of the buildings...''