The Shipment: 4

>Thirty minutes later, and you’re inside the town hall, set to face the renegade psyker


>Your Lucius pattern shotgun is clean and fully loaded, with four extra revolving magazines on your belt
>Killian is to your side, carefully putting his hellgun, the type XIV heavy lasgun, back together
>Between the two of you are two smoke grenades, four frags, and one krack grenade, to which Killian is given the responsibility
>Both of you have your sword bayonets, entrenchment tools, and painstakingly secured gasmasks

>The two of you stand at attention, right next to the main entrance of the town hall
>You keep watch as the town’s citizens trickle in, filling the main floor of the circular building

>All of those who were participating in the festivities had come roughly the same time, and it appears the celebration is about to commence

>Ms. Sparkle keeps looking at the moon through the window, as do you
>According to her, the dark deposits on the natural satellite depict the mare on the moon, and a likely sign of the rogue psyker appearing will be those disappearing

>The celebration begins with a quick song from the flying creatures, conducted by Ms. Fluttershy, followed by a speech from the mayor
>Praising the Planetary Governess (as if she was a goddess of sorts), the elder eventually leads into welcoming the Governess

>During the speech, you and Ms. Sparkle glance once more at the moon
>You notice four stars slowly move behind the rock

>With a silent flash, the mare on the moon disappears

>So it’s true

>Mouthing a prayer of forgiveness and strength to the Emperor, you tap Killian on the shoulder and cock the hammer on your shotgun
>He nods and tightens the last screw, before expertly attaching the power cords to the underside and charging the hellgun up with a faint whine

>The curtains on a high balcony are drawn apart
>The Governess is not there

>The crowd becomes worrying, despite the mayor attempting to keep things calm
>It doesn’t help when Ms. Rarity confirms their ruler is gone

>COLLECTIVE GASP

>You and Killian shoulder your weapons, ready for anything
>Except for Ms. Pie commenting on the Governess being good at hiding
>Then you notice some shadowy aura appearing on the balcony above

>The formless mass condenses next to Ms. Rarity, before opening up to reveal a native
>Pitch black fur, a mane made of the night sky, both wing and a horn like the governess, and sparkling blue armor
>Lastly: a speech that equates to “it’s good to be back”, and “don’t you recognize me?”

>This is the renegade, without question

>Ms. Sparkle tells it all to the rest of the ignorant crowd
>This is Nightmare Moon, and the psyker follows up with a grand declaration that the night will last for eternity

>Not if you have anything to say about it

>As the renegade calls to the powers of the warp, you and Killian open fire
>The bark of your shotgun and the brilliant flashes of the hellgun could be heard over the roaring wind and Tzeenchian bolts

>Both the slugs and bright orange streams of light seem to be absorbed by the warpfire now surrounding the psyker

>She laughs as a trio of PDF natives fly up to meet her
>Warp-born lightning smacks them out of the air, not killing them for whatever twisted reason

>The renegade then sets her glowing eyes on you
>You continue unloading your magazine into her

>She gives you a foreboding smile, but instead of casting more lightning, she closes the warpfire around her, her body disappearing into it and then flying towards you

>You and Killian shoot at the blue flame until the last second, then dive to the side
>The renegade flies past you and out of the town hall

>Killian springs up and is the first one out, followed by an overeager Ms. Dash and yourself
>He shoots after the psyker to no effect until she speeds out of sight

>You notice the direction in which the renegade headed to: the large patch of woods that dominate the land between the town and the base of a mountain range

>You might need some help in order to track down this corrupted native
>Ms. Sparkle runs between you and Killian

>”Where’s she goin’?” you hear Ms. Dash ask

>You, Killian, and several others follow her back to her library
>After tucking her fainted assistant into bed, Ms. Twilight pulls several books off of the many shelves lining the walls, intent on finding information about “the Elements of Harmony”

>You start to dodge flying books as she becomes more frantic

>”How can I stop Nightmare Moon without the Elements of Harmony?”

>Ms. Dash is in the student’s face immediately
>”And just what are the Elements of Harmony?!
>And how did you know about Nightmare Moon, huh?
>Are you a spy?!”

>Accusing the Governess’ student of heresy?
>Experience demands you watch the flyer more closely

>Ms. Applejack defends the student, but states that she does know what’s going on
>After telling the five other native and Killian what you already knew, the student says that she has no idea what they are, where they are, or what they even do

>Ms. Pie helps out again by immediately finding a reference guide
>It turns out that the Elements of harmony are six relics, each one titled Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, Loyalty, and an unknown
>These relics reside in an ancient fortress, located in the woods known as

>TRASNSITION

>The Everfree Forest
>Thick with vegetation, it looks like a Catachan vacation home to you
>While you felt at ease in open fields and tunnels, you and the rest of the Shipment have experience in fighting in heavily wooded areas
>The six natives seems much less comfortable

>Except for Ms. Pie, of course
>She even begins to take point, but Ms. Twilight stops her, expressing she’d rather complete this mission alone
>None of the others accept that, and begin to walk the dirt trail leading in

>Twilight seems hesitant, but then you step to her side
>She’s not a soldier, so she’ll need all the support she can get
>You crouch down to her level and rest a gloved hand on her shoulder
>She jumps a little, then calms as you give her a reassuring nod

>You stand up and follow Killian into the forest, a fresh magazine in your weapon

>The trek starts out uneventful for several minutes, with only the natives talking about them feeling out of place here
>As you and Killian walk alongside the student, you have to agree with the Ms. Applejack that this region has an unnatural feel to it, and there are rumors of it acting differently from the rest of the land
>Sounds like slight warp corruption to you

>In some strange twist of mood, Ms. Dash decides to start antagonizing the other, much to the agri-worker’s protest
>”Everypony who’s ever come in…
>Has never
>come
>OUT!”

>Does the ground feel loo-LANDSLIDE

>You see a flash of warpfire as you slide down on your back
>Looking down, you realize the slope ends in a massive canyon, well above the fatal height mark
>Thinking quickly, you and Killian bring out your entrenchment tools and stab into the earth

>You look back up to see the student and agri-worker tumbling down the slope, unable to stop themselves
>As they pass you, you reach out for them

>You miss

>Killian saves them and grabs hold of Ms. Applejack’s tail, who in turn somehow keeps Ms. Twilight from falling

>The student is understandably frantic
>”Applejck!
>What do I do?!”

>Applejack looks up to see both of the flyers lowering the others to the ground
>”Just hold on.”
>She turns to the Grenadier
>Killian, let go.”

>This doesn’t appease the student at all
>”Are you crazy?!”

>”No ah ain’t.
>Ah promise you’ll be safe.”

>”That’s not true!”

>”Now listen, what ahm sayin’ is the honest truth, we’ll both be safe if Killian lets go.
>Trust me.”

>With a moment to contemplate, Twilight nods
>”Killian…”

>The Grenadier lets go

>The student and agri-worker fall, only to be caught by both the flyers

>The bunch of natives fall to the ground and land with a thud, dazed but alive

>You and Killian spot several rocks jutting out of the cliff face, and begin to use those to descend to the natives

>A minute later, and the group is on the move, with you and Killian in the rear this time
>Ms. Dash is still commentating on how she and her fellow flyer saved Ms. Sparkle, much to both her annoyance and gratitude
>If you hadn’t seen that warpfire, you would have easily blamed the showoff for the rocks falling from underneath all of you

>Your inner thoughts are interrupted by something large stomping into view
>Ms. Sparkle calls the creature a “manitcore” and it roars at all of you

>The student proclaims you have to get past it, so you and Killian prepare to charge
>The natives have the initiative, though, and one-by-one tussle with the creature before being beaten back

>Ms. Dash simply gets swatted back to you, and there is a lull in the combat

>Your turn
>You and the Grenadier sprint past them all, your shotgun shouldered and Killian’s bayonet fastened onto the hellgun

>The beast braces itself, blind to the fact it’s about to meet whatever twisted god created it
>You aim for the face

>Ms. Fluttershy intervenes
>”Waaait!”

>You almost fall forward as you stop in front of the yellow flyer

>To your amazement, the native turns to the beast /and approaches it/
>It growls before razing its clawed paw
>You bring up your weapon again and-

>”Shh, it’s okay.”
>The native, the size of a grot compared to the beast, actually nuzzles the lowered paw
>She gives it a look, and it turns the paw over, revealing a rather large wooden arrowtip stuck in it
>”Aw, you poor, poor little baby.”

>…
>”Little?” asks Ms. Dash, as dumbfounded as you are

>”Now this might hurt for juust a second.”
>She plucks the “spliter” out, and it about to have her face ripped off by the pissed o-

>Wait
>No, it’s just licking her affectionately

>While it’s distracted, you all run past
>Ms. Twilight stays behind to make sure the flyers catches up unharmed

>The rest of the trip was, for the two of you, uneventful
>Strange, given that you knew this rogue psyker was actively trying to kill all of you
>However, she seemed to have resorted to ineffective methods, such as:

>Making the forest so dark the native were seeing things
>Your proto-visors didn’t pick up any hostiles, only trees with faces
>After you and Ms. Pie pointed this out (and the pink native singing a song about it), the group moved forward
>Then there was a dealing with a serpent creature, which ended in Ms. Rarity giving up most of her tail and it helping you all across an already calmed river
>Lastly: a relatively intact bridge that needed to be restrung, and Ms. Dash helped with that
>The psyker directly intervened there through shadow forms of some kind, and Killian was ready to shoot them through the fog
>However, Ms. Dash refusing the offer to join them was enough to have the renegade dissipate the spell

>With the journey at an end, you and Killian storm the ruined fortress
>The main hall is in shambles, but the renegade is nowhere to be found
>In the middle of the room is a large sculpture, with six apparatuses jutting out from it
>On the end of five of them are spherical stones with simplistic runes carved in

>As the two of you kept watch, the flyers brought down the stones
>According to Ms. Sparkle, when the five element are together, the sixth would appear with a spark
>She begins to experiment, utilizing her own psykic powers
>The rest of the natives decide to leave for her to concentrate

>”Come on, ya two.
>She doesn’t need yall breathin’ down ‘er neck either.”
>But you’re up against the wall
>That’s more than enough room

>Though you do remember what you were told about psykers and their inherent danger
>Perhaps an aging stone wall wouldn’t hurt
>Nevertheless, that rogue psyker is out there
>Killian circles around to the back of the castle, while you stay with the natives

>”Hey Anton.”
>You turn to Ms. Dash
>”Are things like this usual for you guys?”
>You tilt your head, not understanding
>”I mean, going on adventures, fighting evil, stuff like that?”

>You shrug, showcasing your shotgun
>You wouldn’t call the Grandos campaign an adventure
>Nor that expedition in the Aegis sector

>But fighting the archenemy?
>You all have
>For most of your lives, broken up here and there by the many xenos that plague the galaxy
>And while you have only limited experience fighting psykers, you have enough to respect their power
>Which is why you don’t feel very worried about this one, given her ineffective methods

>A swirling vortex inside the hall makes you reconsider
>You and the natives run in and find the stones being swept up by the psyker’s warpfire
>Ms. Sparkle jumps in, and the vortex disappears in a flash before you could get to it

>The natives are frantic now, looking around in an effort to find out where the student went

>You look out of the hall and spot light flashing from within a nearby tower
>You quickly grab the natives’ attention and point to the tower, before leaping over the rubble and breaking into a run, hoping you won’t be too late

()()()

>You are Krieg Grenadier 888211-115528-Killian

>You were climbing up the steps of a ruined tower, hoping to get a vantage point, when light flashed from the top

>You began to bound up the flights, hellgun already warmed up

>When you reach the top, you are greeted with the sight of Ms. Sparkle charging the psyker herself

>You continue sprinting, not wanting to risk a shot
>You watch through non-fogging lenses as the distance between them closes, and the light on Ms. Sparkle’s head increases
>They almost collide, when the Governess‘ student teleports to the other side of the room in a flash
>The renegade stops, and looks back, oblivious to you

>This is it

>It is time to do what you were born to do
>What you were destined to do as a pureborn Krieger
>You ask the Emperor for one last bout of prowess that has kept you alive for too long

>With bayonet affixed, you charge the heretic

>You clear the distance in moments, enough for the damned psyker to turn around, even still oblivious to you

>She prepares her warpfire, swirling it into a vortex above her
>You don’t slow down and take one last step

>You leap with your hellgun held high, intent on thrusting it down into her lightly-armored spine

>The psyker notices you at the last instant

>Searing, void borne fire slams into your side, sending you tumbling away from her
>You recover as you stop and kneel, rifle raised
>Flames lick at your greatcoat, but you couldn’t care less as you fill the tower with the CRACKs of your hellgun

>The psyker concentrates as she uses her warpfire as a void shield, absorbing the beams as they hit
>You keep firing
>The rate of fire is great enough that the shots start to appear as a blossom of intense red-orange light

>A beam zips through and hits home, hitting the renegade’s front armored leg
>The armor holds, but the force of the hit throws the limb out from under her
>She loses focus for a moment, allowing a couple more shots to break through

>As her armor soaks up the beams, the psyker becomes more and more frustrated

>As a shot hits her helmet, throwing her head back, she announces

>”ENOUGH”

>The warpfire closes around her, engulfing her and your last shots before it surges towards you

>You ready yourself and take the one krak grenade you poses from your belt


>You insert your thumb into the pin, waiting for the right moment

>Instead of consuming you as expected, the pskyer launches herself out of the fire, letting out a scream not unlike an Eldar Banshee’s

>You thrust your rifle forward as far as the cords allow it, bayonet gleaming in the moonlight

>The renegade evades the blade barely
>The refined mono-blade cuts the surface of her exposed cheek as she flies forward

>Straight into you
>You feel the respirator unit on your chest crumble under you coat, and the elongated horn slams into your helmet, throwing sparks everywhere

>The renegade raises you into the air, before slamming you to the ground
>Your brain bounces around in your skull, and air is forced from your bruised lungs
>The renegade does not relent and stomps her armored legs straight into your chest with a CRUNCH
>You can feel your sternum and ribs shattering, the splinters forced inwards

>Your ears are ringing so hard now you barely hear what the psyker said to you
>Something about filthy apes

>Through fading vision you see her suddenly turning away from you
>”NO!”
>Warpfire consumes her once again, and she disappears from your darkening view

>Pain
>Never have you felt so much of it
>You were lucky as a Krieger, with luck helping you escape grievous injury throughout your lowly life
>Now you can hardly move with your insides smashed

>But you can still move
>And that psyker is still alive
>You still have a job to do

>You grit your teeth, and roll over
>Splintered ribs poke at your lungs and stomach, some puncturing
>You push yourself up onto your knees, realizing you still have the krak grenade in your hand
>With a lung punctured, it’s near impossible to breathe now, but you can still breathe
>You bring one leg up, then you push yourself onto the other
>Splintered bone is shuffled around some more, cutting through more organs

>Your legs are still good, so you turn around
>The student is in the middle of the room, a look confusion on her face
>The renegade is starting to laugh, the five stones around of her still inert
>The psyker raises her legs high and slams the ground, causing the stones to shatter into dust

>With that plan failed, you go with the Guard’s route
>Your arms are still good, so you take the grenade in your throwing hand and pull the pin

>With destroyed innards and a final breath, you go through the motions you were taught in basic:

>Twist your torso to gain torque, throwing arm behind you
>Bring weight to your back foot to build energy
>Step forward, twisting your torso back to transfer energy from leg to body
>Bring arm around, transferring energy into arm and grenade
>Release grenade at angle relevant to distance

>You fail to bring your other leg forward to catch yourself, and you fall to the cold stone
>The impact drives a wayward splinter into your heart

>The last thing you hear is a resounding BOOM and the cry of the renegade
>You sleep with a smile on your bloody lips

>You are Krieger 888-263-11555-55-Anton
>You watch as Killian topples over
>The rogue psyker declares the student will never see their Governess or the sun, and the night will last forever
>Warpfire swirls overhead as she laughs, not noticing the small grey cylinder bouncing next to her

>BOOM
>The renegade lets out a cry as she’s thrown off the small platform

>The Governess’ student drops low to the ground, covering her head
>You ignore her and run past to make sure the rogue psyker is down permanently

>As you approach, it’s clear she is not dead
>Only just
>The krak grenade is used mainly for destroying vehicles or heavily armored foes, by exploding in a concentrated blast
>While the kill radius was much less than a frag grenade, Killian’s aim was impeccable

>One of the renegade’s wings is obliterated
>Her entire side is scorched and blistered, with some patches of skin gone completely
>Smoke slowly rises from her as she labors for breath

>You raise your shotgun, intent on finishing what Killian started

>The psyker steals initiative
>A single bolt of Tzeenchian lightning shoots from her chipped horn and into you

>You are flung through the air and land right in front of the natives
>Your shotgun flies to one side of the room, well out of your reach

>”Anton!”
>The natives come to your side, the agri-worker nuzzling you up to you knees while the rest face the renegade

>The rogue psyker lifts herself up, her seared legs shaking
>”Y-you horrid apes!
>I don’t know what pit my sister found you two in, but it won’t matter once this land is consumed by eternal night.”
>”That won’t happen, Nightmare Moon.” Declares Ms. Sparkle, stepping forward

>The rogue psyker chuckles, wincing in pain
>”Without the elements, you are helpless, little foal.”

>”I don’t think so.” Shoots back the student, confidence evident in her voice
>”I’ve realized something now:
>The elements themselves may be gone, but the spirits of them are right here!”

>You stand up, looking at the natives as the student gives them the titles of the elements

>Honesty
>Kindness
>Laughter
>Generosity
>Loyalty
>And the sixth element: Magic

>The dust from the stones all begin to swirl around them gathering light and speed
>They finally condense into jewelry, true relics newly formed before your eyes

>The natives form together in the center of the room, a pure aura of light increasing in intensity around them

>”No.
>NO!”

>You snap around and see a desperate look in the renegade’s eyes, and warpfire begins to form again

>You whip out your entrenchment tool, complete with serrated edges, and throw it at the psyker
>She bats it away easily, but it was enough of a distraction for you to run at her, sword bayonet in hand

>Night blue warpfire sweeps you off your feet, burning through your coat as you’re tossed to the side

>You roll on the stone to put out the flames, but they disappear all on their own accord

>You look to the renegade quick enough to see her scream as she’s taken by a vortex of colors

>The light increases in brightness to the point of blinding, and your lenses polarize in response

>It reaches the end of its crescendo, and in an instant disappears

>When your lenses return to normal, you stand up and look around
>The place wasn’t leveled or bathed in holy fire, to your surprise
>The natives were on the ground, unconscious but visibly unharmed

>You look to the prone form of Killian
>A pool of blood has accumulated around his head

>You run over and kneel by him
>You roll him over and note the blood leaking from his mask
>His lenses are cracked and his respirator unit is smashed, seemingly damaged beyond repair
>By reason only the Emperor knows, the Krieger was still breathing

>The natives begin to stir, and you look up
>They all wake up, and Ms. Applejack asks if they were all okay

>Ms. Fluttershy comments on Ms. Rarity’s relic, who is delighted to have her tail regrown magically
>They all take note of their newly acquired relics, and the agri-worker tells Ms. Sparkle

>”I recon’, we all really do represent the Elements of Friendship.”

>”Indeed, you do.” Says a new voice, reverberating in your head

>A new light emerges, only this time you look out and see the sun rising fast

>Out of the sun comes some form, encased in brilliant light
>You realize it’s the Planetary Governess herself

>She appears before her subjects, wings flexed

>Stepping from behind her, breastplate shining bright in the sun, Captain Krumen comes to her side
>Along with Kriegers Guntram, Armen, and Liesl
>Your captain spots you, and the troop begins marching over

>The natives bow to their leader, while the student runs to her
>They embrace, and the Governess tells of how she knew of the renegades return, and the key was for Ms. Sparkle to “make some friends” and accept the power friendship brings

>You stand up and salute
>The four other Kriegers salute in response
>The Captain turns to Guntram, the Shipment’s de facto medicae, and gestures to Killian
>Guntram nods and begins taking the Grenadier’s smashed respirator off

>”Now if only another will as well.”

>You look to where the Governess is walking to and-

>…the renegade
>She’s changed

>The armor is mostly gone, shattered and smoking, and the native herself has shrunk
>Her features are…softer
>She’s healed from the krak grenade as well

>”Princess Luna…”
>The renegade gasps as she bears the sight of her elder sister approaching her

>You watch with intent, waiting for the elder’s judgment

>You’re shocked when the sisters embrace, tears streaming down both their faces as the younger…apologizes
>The elder forgives her, and then adds:
>”But there is another you should make amends to.”

>The natives notice you all gathered around your comrade

>”Killian!”
>Ms. Sparkle was the first to rush over, and the Kriegers allow her and the others to go to the Grenadier’s side
>Guntram had removed the seals on his greatcoat, and had just removed his helmet
>His matted blonde hair was speckled with crimson
>The medicae then removes the mask itself
>His bloody face was calm, and his lips had a slight upward curl to them

>”I-is he gonna be okay?” asked Ms. Dash, unsure
>Guntram merely stares at her

>The clopping of fancy slippers fill the room, and the Governess and her sister appear over the Krieger
>The Governess lowers her horn to him, and the tip of it begins to glow
>After a moment of tension, the psykers declares: “He’ll live.”
>Ms. Pie is now bouncing around, talking excitingly about how she’ll throw him a ‘get well real soon’ party.

>As the native bounces around, the reformed sister kneels by Killian
>She closes her eyes and her own horn glows
>You tense up, only to be stopped by a gaze from the elder

>Tears begin to flow anew
>”He’s dreaming of fields that are gone.
>Golden stalks swaying in a gentle breeze.
>There…there are a few clouds.
>The rain, it’s…soft.
>Washing away everything.”

>The sister began to sob
>Everyone around her became quiet, the mood incredibly sober
>With you next to her, you could hear Luna let out with uneven breath
>”I-I’m sorry.”