u/KitsuneDrakeAsh

Across the burned and salted dirt of the Hive World, a single Sergeant of the 3rd Clan, Jid 'Malimav walks through undeterred by the remants of plantlife crushed under his boot and the few ships that leave out of the Hive city. The winds of distant explosions throws minor pieces that clash against his armour and the red star on his helmet. His journey directs to a landing zones occupied by the 5th Clan, half of the 9th Clan, the 222nd Lukris Regiment and the Verdant Bastions, the Chapter that had requested them to assist in the evacuation of the planet's civilians while they faced against the Ork menace.

The request's timing was absurd, The 3rd Clan and the Chieftain of the Scorching Dragons, Dul 'Bantu have fought alongside the Verdant Bastions for 79 standard Terran weeks since the Ork Roks had crashed-landed into the Hive cities. The Orks have persisted long enough to gain a new generation of Orks and have drastically change the now-thriving soil. The world was now in the throes of becoming a Ork World which the Scorching Dragons will not allow to happen.

The 3rd Clanleader Jid 'Fernah estimated that over 75% of the Hive world's population were dead and around 20% were captured by the Orks, he had debated against the Captain of the Verdant Bastions that it was pointless to start an evacuation and instead suggested that the Chapters commit to a Exterminatus to stop the world from becoming a Ork World.

Dul 'Bantu ordered a compromise: the population had 24 standard Terran hours to board whatever ships were still planetside and which transports the Lukris 222nd have that had unoccupied space until the nuclear strikes bombarded the planet. Whether that results in the populace finally letting go of pretense of being weak may finally allow them to be saved by the Scorching Dragons, Malimav did not have time to think about.

He had just returned from the outskirts to the nearby wastelands of the first hive from the last engagement his squad would face. his chainsword's teeth broken and motor crushed, his auto-senses shows his bolt pistol only holds one round left and phials filled with Gene-seed the Apothecary had harvested before his perishing and his own Gene-seed was harvested.

Within his helm, he checks the countdown the Scorching Dragons had synced up for, "8 hours left." His stride slightly becomes faster, "I must continue to alert our forces of the greater threat." Malimav grasps the contained Gene-seed "Thank you for trusting me one last time, brother."

His thoughts get muffled by the roar of metal and flesh, Malimav's mind clears to his surroundings. He sees multiple targets get tagged in the duststorm being emitted by vehicles manned and the humans that ran just behind them. "Strange, why are they out here? Have they convinced themselves they can survive the fallout?"

But the silhouettes did not conform with any of the accepted mutations of the Imperium. Malimav needed only his auto-senses to hear what they are loudly bellowing. They were far from any Imperial forces for their screams to the Four-Armed Emperor to not be heard. It was the threat that he had feared wasn't just a isolated cell. And they were here for him.

The brutalized dark eldar struggles to loosen the grip of the Scorching Dragons 7th Clan Lieutenant Tra 'Hadus attatched to Aggressor Squad Lash, "Where is the Webway Gate, Drukhari?" The sadistic being speaks in her ancient language, most likely insulting him of his pronounciation of her people's name. "I will ask again Drukhari, where is the Webway Gate?"

Deciding that his tongue should not speak more of her people's words, she proceeds to punch his bronze faceplate with her broken arm, her pleasure for pain overridden by anger towards the lesser being, "Disappointing." Tullus points his left gauntlet at the useless deposit of intel and burns her head. After confirming she is dead, he slams her corpse onto the rockcrete floor and smashes his foot onto her head, splattering the crowd within the space. After burning her corpse to ashes, his stride making way to the pilgrims and religious zealots of the shrineworld Ardentus V as he steps onto the eviscerated corpses of Wyches and Kabalites. They all bow their head and mutter some holy nonsense that the Dragon doesn't care about.

One of the zealots, a Ministorum Priest by his long white rags, "Praise be to the God-Emperor that he sent his Angels to us." Tullus lets out a irritated growl as he scans the area, seeing the Marines and Serfs hauling out giant crates from the Thunderhawk. The priest had approched even closer to Tullus' person, "We offer you our most gracious prayers, Angel-"

"Be silent." He responds. "We are here because of our duty to the Master of Mankind, not because of the Emperor himself."

"Of course, the God-Emperor's work-"

"I said be silent." He walks away from the Priest who follows him, heading to the guarded stockpile of crates.

The serfs looks to the Lieutenant, nodding to him who nods back, "I must say, my lord, my flock are grateful that you have sent us-" The serfs open the first crate, revealing stacks and stacks of lasguns, "I see, you have provided us weapons to defend our place along with the other supplies-"

"There are no other supplies."

"...What?" The priest's gracious speech has been replaced by disbelief, "What do you mean 'no other supplies' my lord?"

Two serfs pick up the opened crate, heading towards the crowd, "You and the rest have two choices: Be saved or be killed."

"I thought you were here to save us."

"We are." The Gravis-plated Marine points to a church, "Those who cannot fight must go there, it holds great importance." He lets down his arm, "Those who can will join us. Choose, priest."

Various emotions are surging through the priest, whether to curse the Angels or seeing through the clear test that the God-Emperor has placed on him, "I will lead my flock to the church, the ones who wish to be saved."

Tullus interally chuckles at the foolish man's notions of safety, "Very well." The priest bows to him and heads to the unarmed crowd. He switches off his external vox to the vox-channel of the serfs, "When the decoys have reached the entrance of the church, fire the flares over it for the Drukhari to see. Make sure it is bright and impossible to pass over."

I only have Ace Combat 04 through Zero and they no longer take the whole screen, before they did

I think I heard it during Mission 10 and I honestly don't if it was just another auditory hallucination or is a easter egg.