"Fall back to Bulkhead Zwei-2! By the Emperor, fall back!"

Sergeant Zhoq bellowed as he backpedaled. His order was almost drowned out by the screams of the panicked civilian refugees and the brave Imperial soldiers dying to buy the innocent citizens time to escape the slaughterhouse. The bloody remains of dozens of refugees coated the walls of the small tramp freighter. A pair of armsmen was in the process of reloading when the creature fell upon them. Ensign Tahan managed to raise his shotgun to his shoulder before his was impaled by one of the wicked scything talon of the Genestealer. The second talon cleaved the second armsmen, a press-ganged youth, nearly in half lengthwise. Gunfire echoed through the hanger of the Retribution class ship as Imperial Fighters dueled the vile bioconstructs of the Tyranid Splinter Fleet. Royal purple ichor flowed from the gaping wounds in the chitin of the Genestealer. Zhoq and the surviving armsmen cheered as the xenos' final spasm escaped its body. The joyous moment ended in a horrible screeching moment. It descended the ramp of the refugee vessel like an arriving dignitary. The Tyranid Warrior's whip like appendages cut deep gouges in the battered hull of the small craft. Zhoq could clearly see the eye of the strange living gun appraising the assembled humans.

"Corporal Yrut take the men! Get the civilians out of the hanger and seal the doors!" Shot spewed from the barrel of the shotgun as Ensign Yrut saluted his sergeant. The panicked refugees ran towards the hanger doors praying loudly for the God-Emperor's mercy.

Zhoq screamed as he advanced. The Warrior leapt away and the living gun began to convulse. A loud groan filled the hanger as the massive doors began to close. An entire fire-team of armsmen had disobeyed the sergeant's order to fall back with the civilians and charged the Tyranid. A second horrible screech escaped the Warrior's fanged maw as the venom cannon vomited forth a spray of deadly acid. The armsmen were reduced to a gory soup. Nathaniel Zhoq fell to his knees in despair and suddenly felt a righteous anger build within him.

"AVE IMPERATOR!" Nathaniel charged forward, firing his shotgun as fast and as accurately as he could. He was prepared to die for the Emperor, but by The Throne, he was going to kill this xeno abomination for his men and the dead world the fleet was desperately trying to escape. The blasts from Zhoq's weapon cut deep gouges in Warrior and it roared as it fell. A wave of triumph washed over Nathaniel as he prayed to his God Emperor. Then a deep and sickening chattering filled the nearly empty chamber. Dozens of voracious Ripper organisms began to pour from the refugee ship. Nathaniel calmly loaded his shotgun and aimed.

Inquisitor Leyland Gathos watched the skirmish in the hanger through the pict-feed with a sense of pride. He would always remember the actions of Sergeant Nathaniel Zhoq. The Inquisitor held the purity of all loyal humans as the height of life in the God Emperor's galaxy. The dignity with which the simple ship guard faced his death was an example the Inquisitor would always treasure. A shame that such a servant of the God-Emperor would be denied the burial he deserved.

"Servitor, disable the atmospheric field and vent the hanger into space."

The red light of the servitor's optical unit moved from left to right. "By your command, Lord." The command key was entered and the energy field keeping the hanger's atmosphere flickered and died. The Ward of Lenton appeared like a gutted beast as viewed from the outside, the small civilian ship and the massive number of rippers, Imperial attack craft and corpses were torn from the ships by the cold uncaring vacuum of space. A simple shimmer of light revealed the revival of the field and the removal of the xenos infestation.

Inquisitor Gathos closed his eyes for a moment. "Servitor, bring me the officer who allowed that ship to board."

The Servitor bowed and marched out of the room. Gathos disabled the pict viewer and rose from his seat. As the Inquisitor walked to the viewport, the dead husk of a Tyranid cruiser-analogue was drawn into the atmosphere. It was the most beautiful sight he had seen in weeks and the psychic death screams of the Tyranid creature was musical to Leyland's warp senses. The Retribution class Battleship Aquila Eternus fired its maneuver jets and coasted into position. The Vox squawked behind Inquisitor Gathos and the Ordo Xenos operative activated it up absent mindedly.

"Speak."

The voice on the other end of the vox trembled at the sound of Gathos' voice. "My lord, all ships are in position."

"Very well, await my orders. I have something to… attend to."

"Aye, Lord." The connection clicked as the link was severed. Leyland sat down in the room's throne and expanded his Warp senses and suddenly felt the fearful soul of the officer approaching. The doors groaned as they opened and the Gun Servitor took position in front of the door. The officer was quaking as the man looked across the table at the Inquisitorial representative.

Gathos smiled warmly. "Do you know why you have been summoned, Petty Officer?"

The man was rapidly growing pale under the unyielding gaze of Leyland. Gathos had to give the man credit; at least he hadn't soiled himself yet. "No… no, my lord."

Gathos rose from his throne and leaned forward. It was difficult to suppress the smile building within him as the Petty Officer flinched. "You are here because you were criminally negligent in your duties. I dare say, if it we were fighting any other foe than the Tyranids, I would consider it to be heretical."

The fear of merely being in the presence of an Inquisitor had suddenly been eclipsed by the realization of the Inquisitor's intentions. The officer dropped to his knees. "Please, in the name of the God-Emperor, forgive me! Forgiver me!"

Leyland walked around the table methodically until he was directly behind the horrified naval crewer. "The God Emperor forgives you, for He is magnanimous. Your failings, unfortunately, require me to carry out my authority."

The Inquisitor never saw the tears of the crewman and if he did, he would not have altered his course of action. He did not relish these showy acts of discipline. These actions were the realms of the Commissariat. Unfortunately, there were only three surviving Commissars in the entire system and two were currently in the Medicade Temple recovering from grievous wounds. Thus, it fell to the Emperor's Most Holy Inquisition to carry out such a crude task. Leyland drew the laspistol from its holster and placed it at the base of the man's skull. Leyland hesitated for a moment and allowed the completion of a frantic prayer to the God-Emperor for forgiveness. Though the man's crimes were great and the execution completely necessary, Leyland did not see a reason to destroy this human's soul. A light pull on the trigger splattered pieces of the navy man's skull and brain on the floor. Even before the corpse hit the ground, the vox began to squawk like a wounded sea-bird.

"Speak, Admiral." Leyland's voice was strangely cordial in the Admiral's ears. It was unnerving considering the action Gathos had just carried out and the order he was no doubt about to give.

"My Lord Inquisitor, all ships are in position. However, General Hacyrn informs me that an Imperial Guard column is almost to the spaceport. He is requesting more time."

"His request is denied. The men will find their way to the Emperor's Table. Commence the operation."

There was a moment's hesitation from the bridge. "Aye my Lord."

The surface of Ackras was drowning in a sea of scuttling chitin. The Tyranids had completely overrun the most of the planet. Gargantuan monstrosities towered over the hundreds of Carnifexes and Warriors prodding the Gaunts and lesser Tyranid organisms forward. Guardsmen used whatever was nearby as a shelter from the unending tide. Many men had accepted their fates and made their peace with the Emperor. Death had claimed them and only the means had yet to be decided. Some had chosen to end their own lives. Others had decided to die back to back with their comrades killing as many of the abominable xenos as possible. These unfortunate men bore witness to the lengths the Imperium of Man was willing to travel to slow the advance of Hive Fleet Leviathan.

Exterminatus. The very word sent shivers down the spines of those who new of the existence of the order. In the case of the Holy Orders of the Emperor's Inquisition, the horror was not at the death of an entire world. The primal fear was at the situation that forced the atrocity to be used. The execution of an entire world was only ordered when the threat of Heresy, Chaotic, Necrontyr or Tyranid Infestation was too great to contain. Ackras was one such world. The ultimate doom for a world faced with Exterminatus is Virus Bombing. Virus Bombs are spoken of in hushed tones, even among the secretive Inquisition. The legacy of Horus's first great betrayal still bore wounds that had never healed. A world consumed by the Life Eater virus died a silent death in the Materium. All life was returned to dust in moments as the virus broke down every living thing to ash. The silence of the physical realm was not shared in the Great Empyrean Sea. In the Immaterium, the simultaneous death of all life on a planetary scale roared and burned. Cackling daemons feasted on the bloodshed and suffering. On a distant and isolated world, a boy with unnatural sensitivity looked to the stars and wept.

Author's Notes: This story is a Crossover between Avatar the Last Airbender and Warhammer 40,000. Avatar the Last Airbender was created by Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko. Warhammer 40,000 is property of Games Workshop.

Since this is a cross with Warhammer 40k, this story will be rated M for the gratitous violence that is a hallmark of the Warhammer universe and for all the Chaos Creepiness that will happen at certain points in the story. Alot of you will no doubt be wondering "What the Hell are you thinking?". I ask that you trust me. Please review, but don't flame that I'm bashing ATLA. I love the show and I hope you'll be surprised at how the story progresses. I purposefully played up the GRIMDARKNESS this chapter as an introduction to those not familiar with 40k.

Also, please take part in the poll on my user page and leave reviews.

~Solvdrage.