|3rd POV|
The swift response from Roboute and Kael allows them to arrive in Ultramar much earlier than in the canon timeline. They exit the warp and are greeted by a massive Nurgle fleet invading the outer region of the realm of Ultramar.
The Tartella System is under invasion by three forces of Nurgle, each led by a powerful figure. Mortarion, the Chaos Primarch, leads the first. Typhus, the Herald of Nurgle, leads the second. Ku'Gath, the Plague Father, leads the third.
The last should not appear until later in the canon timeline. However, Nurgle is enraged after his last defeat and wound, and, in an act of vengeance, expends more of his power to allow his most favored Greater Daemon to manifest in realspace for an extended period anytime he wants.
Each general leads their warband to a different planet within the Tartella System. Mortarion leads his Death Guard to attack the most fortified world, Typhus targets the local Forge World, and Ku'Gath assaults the Agri World, attempting to turn it into a Garden World of Nurgle.
However, before he can take over the sole Fortress City on the planet, reinforcements arrive. A fleet of the Adeptus Mechanicus enters the system aboard the Omnissiah's Steed, engaging the Nurgle fleet in a void battle.
The one leading the fight is Kael, commanding from the bridge with the support of the high-ranking Adeptus Mechanicus. Archmagos Belisarius Cawl stands on his right, and Archmagos Hadron stands on his left.
The two assist him by providing continuous data from camera feeds and allied ships.
"Open the weapon platforms! Fire at will!"
"Broadside! Open fire!"
"Lances! Aim and fire!"
"Let no ship escape! Destroy them all! Missiles! Full attack!"
Orders pour from his mouth as he watches the battlefield from the bridge of his ship. He ignores the violent shaking as the vessel tanks the relentless attacks from the Nurgle fleet. The ship has already been upgraded with a new shielding system using his [Tinker – Defense (IV)] ability, allowing it to withstand immense damage. There are cracks, but it does not matter. The shields repair themselves at a terrifying speed as long as energy continues to feed the generators. With both a Zero-Point Energy Generator and a Plasma Generator onboard, power is not an issue.
"My Lord! They're deploying boarding ships!"
"Shoot them down! Send the swarm!"
The swarm consists of suicide drones that attach themselves to enemy hulls before detonating, making them perfect for destroying boarding craft and fighters. They are not that powerful, but they are fast and hard to detect because of their size.
"Omnissiah, we are receiving a live feed from the planet's surface."
"Show me."
A hologram flickers to life, revealing the dire situation below. Even with thousands of Skitarii and two regiments of Astra Militarum, the fortress struggles to hold against the horde of daemons, which twist the population into undead abominations.
He can see the familiar green mist spreading across the fortress and turning even living humans into undead.
Fortunately, Kael had prepared for this. Upon gaining the [Tinker – Alchemy (IV)] ability, he created a concoction designed to counter Nurgle's so-called blessing. The substance mimics the properties of his [Banishing Flame]. It is further enhanced through his [Holy Grail] item, by wishing for the concoction to be especially effective against all Chaos-related entities.
He has two hundred thousand liters of it aboard the ship. Sadly, he cannot mass-produce this kind of concoction and can only produce 200,000 liters.
"Deploy the Excelsus! Equip them with the spraying modules. Spread the Holy Oil and destroy the Warp Taint!"
"By your will, Omnissiah."
Belisarius bows his head and orders the Mechanicus to prepare the massive mech units. While the ship carries no Titans, it does house mechanized war platforms. Due to their smaller size, ten Excelsus units can be stored and deployed using specialized carriers typically reserved for Imperial Knights or Titans.
Kael continues observing the battlefield, issuing commands without pause. He wants to descend to the surface, but now is not the time. He needs Ku'Gath to reveal himself fully before striking. He wants to permanently kill the Greater Daemon and further weaken Nurgle's power enough to kill the Chaos God.
==| Line Break |==
The defenders of Fortress-City Itus fight with everything they have. Their desperation eases slightly as reinforcements arrive to support the defense. Two regiments totaling 400,000 soldiers reinforce weak points, while 20,000 Skitarii provide heavy firepower.
When 30 Ultramarines and 20 Salamanders deploy to the planet, morale rises even further. Their presence brings a sense of hope to the hopeless because the Angels of the Emperor are here.
"The tanks are here! Make way!"
Lines of tanks roll out from their carriers, forming along the walls of Itus. Leman Russ battle tanks, deployed by the reinforcements, advance steadily while firing their battle cannons into the charging Chaos spawn.
Not only that, a massive carrier lands, and from it emerges a behemoth of a tank. One of the most revered war machines in the Imperium and a sacred relic protected by the Adeptus Mechanicus.
The Baneblade.
Its Baneblade Cannon tilts skyward before roaring to life, firing shells capable of obliterating nearly anything on impact.
Yet even with reinforcements, the daemonic tide does not relent. They continue to surge forward, and monstrous walkers begin climbing the walls, using other daemons as footholds, and some even sacrifice themselves to elevate their kin so they can reach the top of the wall.
Morale may have improved, but the situation remains dire. Soldiers continue to fall at an alarming rate, and the miasma released by Nurgle's forces worsens the situation. The defenders lack the specialized protection Kael provided to the reinforcements affected by the miasma.
Screams echo as bodies twist and mutate into grotesque abominations driven to spread Nurgle's blessing.
Lucky for the people of Itus, everything changes when another wave of reinforcements arrives.
A drop-vault slams into the battlefield. As it opens, a towering construct emerges—27 meters tall, just shy of a Warhound Titan. Yet it is no Titan. It is an eight-legged mech, bristling with weaponry. At its center stands a massive red cathedral, emblazoned with the symbol of the Omnissiah.
This is the Metal Gear Excelsus.
Heavily modified by the Adeptus Mechanicus, its chassis has been reinforced using stronger metal, its weak points armored, and its surface coated with protective plating. Its arsenal has been significantly expanded.
And it is not alone.
Two more Excelsus units descend, immediately unleashing devastating firepower. Their vox-casters blare chants in both High Gothic and Cant Mechanicus as they stride across the battlefield, annihilating everything in their path.
Mounted atop each cathedral structure is a sprinkler-like device that disperses an oil-like substance across the battlefield. At first, observers assume it aids the mech's mobility or supports the weapons' cooling system.
They are wrong.
They watch as the mist ignites all the daemon-related things on their path. White flames spread through the air, burning every daemon they touch. The fire behaves like a living predator, seeking out anything tainted by Chaos.
The defenders erupt into cheers, voices rising in prayer and fervor as they proclaim the Emperor's intervention. The tide of battle begins to turn. Slowly but surely, the daemonic horde is pushed back. Morale is going through the roof, and hope starts to bloom in the defenders' hearts.
However, this change makes the leader of this warband angry. Seeing the situation get worse, Ku'Gath finally reveals himself.
A massive portal tears open not far from the city, and from it emerges the bloated form of the Greater Daemon.
As he manifests, the sickly green mist of Nurgle's realm spills into realspace, clashing against the white flames. The two forces collide and fight evenly. The power of the Holy Grail ensures the flames can stand against even the influence of a Chaos God.
"Ah… such a shame. Such a shame. To reject the gift of life… such a shame."
His voice shakes the ground itself. With each step, the earth decays into foul, green sludge. With a wave of his hand, corrupted energy spreads, and weaker humans on the wall collapse, screaming as they transform into Chaos Spawn.
Only those with unshakable faith or people wearing Kael's specially crafted medallions can resist.
The daemons march with him, silent and inevitable. Ku'Gath hates the music that almost all Nurgle's Daemons enjoy, and the daemons coming with him will stay silent, acting as a silent reaper of souls.
Ku'Gath advances toward the Excelsus units, which unleash everything they have upon him. Only a fraction of their attacks reach him, and none are enough to harm him truly. He waves his hand and creates a shield, making the attack even more useless.
Empowered by Nurgle's direct power, he stands as the strongest among the Greater Daemons. Nurgle wants a win, and Ku'Gath will deliver victory to his dear Grandfather. He shall change multiple worlds into a garden worthy of his Grandfather.
He had not intended to enter the battle personally, but Kael's creations forced his hand. If they left alone, his force would be low enough for it to lose, and losing is not something that he will allow.
As he draws closer, the Excelsus units focus all firepower on him, ignoring lesser daemons.
But before he can reach them, a massive red beam lances down from the sky.
Ku'Gath raises a hand and blocks it. The attack burns through the outer layers of his flesh, but fails to penetrate deeper.
He looks up and sees a red-armored figure soaring overhead. He snarls in anger, and the ground underneath him melts into sludge. He points his finger and roars.
"Red Dragon of Domination! Anathema!"
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