Fugax Momentum
"It is the 31st millennium and the Imperium of man is retaking the stars. This is a time of many glories. I am captain Grendel of the Death Guard 6th Company. I have command of the Entropic. A frigate, at the head of an Imperium convoy en route through the immaterium, destined for Ork space. Our beloved Primarch Mortarion is expected to lend his grim splendour to our might within one Terran week. I have already given the order to depart the warp. If my men live up to their gene fathers reputation I expect there will be little fighting left for the Primarch's arrival. Anomalous warp signatures have been detected nearb..."
Shhhk
The entranceway to Captain Grendel's private arming chamber slid open with the rough grinding squeal typical of Death Guard engineering. Normally the punishment for an uninvited entrance to his chamber would have been swift and brutal but Grendel's enhanced senses had already identified the intruder. The captain was one of a dwindling few of the Death Guard who maintained the tradition of keeping a Serf. But the near fanatical devotion of his subject provided him with an unwavering ally in a gradually changing legion. "What gives you reason to enter my chambers Sabahn?"
The pale slender serf ran his palm over his shorn scalp thoughtfully for a moment as he was overtaken by the telltale shudder of a ship retranslating from the warp. "My Lord. I have worrying news." Any other trading such words with Captain Grendel would normally be met with stony resolution but the captain had learnt to trust the judgement of his serf. "It would seem something is interfering with our Astropath's ability to locate the Astronomican... It... is not there." Although the serfs fears had had an effect on Captain Grendel the Captains face was an unreadable mask. His enormous fingers found the buttons that would cease the recording of his most recent command log. "It would appear this sector matches no known star charts."
With a silence belying his obvious bulk Grendel rose from his seat. The giant virtually filled the barren arming chamber. Only his power armour mounted on the wall of the chamber broke up the monotony of gunmetal grey. "Take my word to the helmsman. Anchor the ships. Defensive formation. Make ready the bridge." Grendel finished relaying his orders to his serf even as he began to don the first segments of his armour. Usually Sabahn would aid but in the interest of haste his orders took precedent. Either way the Servitors would be along momentarily. Grendel removed the chest plate from the recess in the wall and held it out into the light. The exposed metal of the breastplate may have looked dull next to the finery of the Thousand sons and even downright barren to the sons of Fulgrim. But the runic Barbarun script detailing the first encounter of the Death Lord and those who would become his first sons made it gaudy by Death Guard standards. The sounds of whirring and servos alerted Grendel to the Servitors presence. "Good. Make haste."
The Death Guard Astartes stationed on the bridge were in their power armour by the time Captain Grendel arrived. The mortals likewise stationed danced and twisted around their giant leaders with a deftness honed of years. The blue luminescence of the holo globe in the centre of the bridge glinted off the barren architecture. Dispensing with much of the formality that tended to follow the Astartes of other legions Grendel swiftly took his seat in front the holo globe. Without orders Grendel's most senior officers took their places around the globe.
"I for one do not trust the eyeless sorcerers... But I trust their absence even less." Turgis spoke aloud for all to hear. Turgis was the most senior Apothecary of the 6th and commanded great respect despite a lack of warmth that would make Mortarion seem approachable. His long, lank grey hair clung greasily to either side of his face as he raised his gauntlet and began to speak once more. "Has contact with the Death Lord been established?" Turgis scowl crooked imperceptibly as he was cut off by the youngest Astartes in the circle. Bolkar was the closest any Death Guard Astartes came to being interested in technology. Usually the Death Guard had no use for anything past its most practical uses but Bolkar saw a simplistic beauty in machines not shared by his brothers. The wrinkles in his shaved head bunched up as the granite gesture on his captains face answered his question.
The few other Astartes that formed Grendel's emergency council grumbled as they read all they needed from their masters silence. "Then defensive positions... until word of reinforcements make contact... Excellent." Turgis's demeanour darkened a room already darkened by bad news. Almost as if in answer warning lights all around the bridge flared into life. The remaining Astartes in the command circle abandoned their attempts to be heard as Captain Grendel launched to his feet with a haste rarely seen in the inexorable Death Guard. "By the Emperor what is happening!?" His enhanced lungs carrying the sound around with a force that made it almost painful to his human subjects. The calamitous sound of a bridge alive with action greeted the captains question but he received no answer. Captain Grendel could pick out ships on the hololithic displays dotted around but the bridge was so frantic it was hard to ascertain their distance from the Death Guard defensive position.
"The Death Lords scythe will have the one who allowed our enemies to approach undetected!" Resounded throughout the room. The human voices that called out in response were timid and fearful. "Lord, the ships... they just... just appeared. There was no warp signal or approach vectors." Grendel paused, looking over the shoulder of a shaking bridge serf at the flickering hololith in front of him. "Impossible." Grunted Grendel. "Unless..."
"They aren't Imperial ships!" Bolkar's unmistakable voice called out. Bolkar was over to Captain Grendel's left exchanging data with a Servitor plugged into one of the great consoles. Grendel had little time to absorb the words of his battle brother. He had assumed the approaching ships to be hostile the second they appeared within scanning range. Imperium ships would have made contact via Astropath long before they came within striking range. "Prime all weapons. The Death Guard takes no chances."
The bridge was a blur with action. the frenzied pace of the bridge serfs had now reached fever pitch. Only the gargoylic forms of the Death Guard providing any sense of stability in the chaotic ship. Grendel watched the three great enemy star ships spread out into formation. His years of military experience permitted him to recognise the interlopers as cautious rather than aggressive. Who ever these interlopers were they wished to investigate the Entropic and its fleet sisters. Grendel's orders to hold their fire but prepare for combat were holding but every second he delayed rankled in his gut. The unfamiliar feeling of disquiet sat ill with the veteran Death Guard Captain.
Sabahn's voice, devoted and recognisable cut out through the clamour. "We are being contacted my Lord." A measure of quiet returned to the bridge as all but the most occupied of heads turned to face the serf and his nearby master. Captain Grendel paced purposefully back to his command throne. Without orders the rest of his command council took their seats. "Put them on the main screen." Grendel announced slowly. The Barbaran accent lingering on every word. The holographic blue of the central globe flared and then reformed into a distinct shape. That of a man. A wave of anticipation swept the crew. Enemy or not the discovery of a pre old night human civilisation was cause for joy to the warriors of the Great Crusade.
The man on the hololith's words were nonsensical until the translation devices of the Entropic began to work. "This is Republic space. From which system do you hail?" A few calculated moments of silence passed before Grendel made his reply. However Grendel's answer of "the Sol system" seemed to do nothing but confuse the clearly high ranking human arrayed before them on the hololith. A few seconds passed before the holographic representation of a man responded. "... Do you fight for the Separatists or the Republic?" The hazy outline queried.
This time the hologram barely had time to flicker before the Astartes made their reply. "We fight for the Emperor of mankind!" The look of bewilderment on the holographic officers face only intensified as time wore on. Grendel took a moment to consider the blue and red merit badges of the man he was addressing. "Our terms are simple... Do I speak with the commander of your fleet?" The look of consternation on the officers face as he excused himself was a source of fleeting amusement to the Astartes of the Entropic. Grendel allowed himself a glimmer of hope at the prospect of bringing another world to the Imperial fold but his battle senses, honed on countless worlds, was telling him the road to this "Republics" compliance would take more than words.
When the hololith flickered back to life the impact it had on the assembled Space Marines was palpable. Even to the Republic Admiral who's form glared out over the assembles Space Marines. If the Admiral had had any knowledge of the Death Guard he would have known negotiations were already over. Even the cadaverous dependability of Mortarion's sons could not disguise the looks of disgust on their faces. "Xenos..." Growled the Death Guard Captain. Turgis and the other Astartes rose without order from their seats and began silently preparing their battle stations. Grendel, the Emperors vision for humanity and the horrors of Barbarus clear in his mind, thought about ordering them to stand down. But the realist in him new there was to be no reconciliation with heretics.
The creature arrayed before the Astartes wore only a simple robe and although its very form was abominable its every move was excruciatingly exact in its suggestion of peace. The calculated demeanour of the iterator came to Grendel's mind as the creature began to speak. "Welcome. I, am Master Jedi and Admiral of this fleet Lotan Nu. My friends, on behalf of th..." Grendel's view lingered on the twin tails that hung from the Admirals head even as he interrupted. "We are not friends. Creature." The Admirals welcoming facade slipped for a split second. "My subordinates said you had terms for peace?" he continued measuredly.
"Tell me Xenos... What do you call your kind?" The Admiral, this time more careful to present himself with composure answered. "We are Twi'Lek..." "Well... Twi'Lek I said our terms were simple. There shall be no peace. With that Captain Grendel closed transmissions and war was declared on the Galactic Republic. Within seconds the entire ship was at battle stations. Chapter serfs ran back and forth arming and armouring their charges whilst Astartes after Astartes thundered across the ship. On the bridge Captain Grendel took the opening steps in this budding war. "Tell all ships to open fire!" it was only now that the first salvos had left the Imperium defensive line that Grendel had a chance to appreciate the size of this Republic's ships. Triangular in shape the three Republic cruisers were certainly Fearsome. But it would take more than ships to dissuade the Death Guard from war. After all... The Astartes know no fear.
