*Bolter fire rains all around, I'm caught in between raging chaos of war, everywhere I look, orcs and men and space marines rage and fire and attack and die, there is only noise of fury. I stand alone a prize to be looted to some, an abomination to be destroyed to others. I fight for survival in the mud and blood of this pointless Melina long war, my plasma weapons steaming hot in the muggy air. the fight has lasted for hours, the humans have taken defensive positions and the orcs charge and when they aren't killing each other, they shoot at me, I'm caked in blood...



I dont care to try and count any more as this damn galaxy can only use life as a weapon to die by the billions while the rest breed like viruses to wage endless pointless war...



a squeal pierces the gun fire and screams of "WAAAGH!" as more creatures join the fray, flanking and stampeding over the humans in a rapid river of bodies and blood, thier heard turns on the orcs and there is renewed carnage. one jubs on me and i can see to my surprise, its a small hog clad in patched together armor like an orc...



I throw off the swine and renew my offense to stem yet another orgy of death, now there are only those pigs running everywhere and some are ungodly large at eight feet covered in thick armor plates patched together anyway possible



I played the butcher yet again for I dont know how long, the ground could no longer be seen, just the dead. suddenly the hogs routed and ran, and i heard the engine roar of a ship, my God, the Imperium never misses a beat to kill... The ship flew over head and lowered to a flat area barely on the edge of the corpse piles that I stood on... Why hadn't they attacked...?



the front hatch opened and out stepped more figures in armor, but not what i expected... tiny... tiny by comparison to the 8 foot tall space marines, instead barely 5 feet tall, came quadruped bodies, clad in armor that were bizarrely alike to space marine armor, but reshaped to fit a five foot tall... I looked again, the curve of the hing legs, the shape of their parts that clunked on the ramp and they exited onto the soiled ground.



And i couldn't believe it, one wore no helmet, and the snout was unmistakeable: and equine, likely a pony - A pony!? Ponies!? what...?



my weary mind could barely process that ponies, clad in armor of the same style as space marines were now here ... but, Were they imperials...?



it would have seemed so, one carried a heavy bolter, another a bolter, a thried a banner so alike to a space marine while a thunder hammer floated close by, and the helmet-less one had a bolter and a small chain sword on (I assumed her) forehead, like a horn... all shrunk to fit their stature and attached to their armors or mechanically manipulated to compensate for their lack of hands



one must have noticed me, probably a scanner, as it snapped towards me and feathered wings flared from their folded positions on the armor, clearly organic... and sticking out of gasket secured holes in the armor... genetic manipulation...?



the others all turned towards me and fanned out, there were only four but i was exhausted, my batteries and energy reserves depleted, and the blood hampering my solar recharge... my reactor still burned, but my motors were worn and my armor battered... still, i wasn't about to allow death to take me, and I raised my plasma weapons, one arm cannon, and one beam saber, they flared to life still warm and ready for more with gentle humming.



They didn't fire. instead the helmet less one approached me, looking be dead in the face, at a calm but purposeful trot. After so much carnage, the clean white fur of its face and the blonde of its clean long mane caught my attention as if it was a rare treasure, and its eye's were brilliant green, like gems.



it showed me no fear as it came, and stopped about ten feet away, it stood there, in a neutral posture...*



"I am Captain Seritine, of the Ultra Mareines. We come bearing the Harmony of the Goddess Empress, our lord and savior. Your efforts to bring peace have attracted the attention of Our Empress, and she extends the offering to join our heard. What say you? Will you accept my friendship, Xeno scum?"



*They voice almost escaped my attention as it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard at that very moment after so much carnage...*



"Xeno? How often does name calling earn you friends?"



*The Imprium had long forgotten how to be altruistic and how to value small things like friendship, instead prizing brother hood and honor and killing for it... not I, I had strove for peace and unity ever since coming to this forsaken galaxy... so name calling didn't strike me as friendly.*



"The Empress' wisdom exceeds mine, I carry out her will, but i shall not harbor delusion or folly in the service to my duty. If she says you are worthy of a chance, you shall have it, but I am not swayed just yet, but that can change if you prove yourself to me and my sisters. I ask one last time. Will you accept my friendship?"



*her expression was hard, but her face and eyes gave off no malice, no trace of vile thoughts, no creases or lines to even show trace of ever entering such thoughts... I still couldn't lower my defenses, though...*



"The short answer in "Yes", but I have no way to trust you and this is not a satisfactorily place to make friends."



*She smiled*



"Then you haven't met a seasoned space Mareine, but we can start simple: you're good at shooting, and so are we, we dont shoot each other and we go from there."



"What will that accomplish?"



"We have sisters that we are here to rescue: you help us, and I'll be more willing to trust you, at least to bring you to the empress."



"How am i supposed to trust you enough to work with you? We barely just met..."



*she nodded towards her comrades not looking away from me*



"The mareine with the hammer is Sister Felice, she will keep an eye on you while I and my other sisters lay suppressing fire, while you two support our flanks. and if you do betray us... well she's far faster than she looks, but-"



*the ground began to rumble and squeals could be heard along with far cries of "WAAAGH!" they were back*



"Ah, hell..."



*I turned and positioned my self to keep the ponies and the returning tides in front of me*



"This is your change to prove yourself, filly,"

*Seritine said as she turned to her group*

"Ultra mareines, the mission is a go! Deploy to primary positions!"



*the ship quickly ascended and flew to safety as the winged pony was beside me in barely 5 seconds and the others just got into position as the hordes arrived... I could quickly tell a difference...*