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The Protectors: Story 1

Traitors Beware

A bolter round hit Craetos on his left pauldron, spinning him around completely and he fell to the ground. He had blood covering the whole left portion of his body now. But he was fine, his Larraman cells were already setting to work to stop the bleeding, he can go to the apothecarion after he makes it out of this battle. If he made it out of this battle.

He belonged to The Protectors, a second-founding Chapter of the Ultramarines that is primarily made up of psykers. Each battle-brother had their own special ability. Craetos had the ability to shoot fire from his hands at will as well as lightning, but if he uses more of his energy, can shoot tidal waves of flames that can wipe out any soldiers near him. Although, if he doesn't have enough energy or is too damaged, it can kill him on the spot.

Mind tricks are also one of the abilities he has. Very handy when it comes to enemies with less will-power. Allowing him to bend them to his own will.

At the moment, Craetos is on the planet Loor V with the rest of the members of his squad. This world is now run by The Thousand Sons. Craetos and the rest of his squad teleported in a vacant area of the forest a few hours from the city where their scouts set the beacon. This world contains a holy power sword, that once belonged to their first chapter master Andreus. The world was taken a few years ago when the chapter was on a campaign with the Space Wolves.

Seven members of his squad were left, Veteran-Sergeant Agotone, and Battle- brothers Pearce, Rhodes, Sofronio, Lykaios, and Jace. Their squad is pinned down from the suppressing fire of the damned traitor marines. Two of his battle-brothers have already fallen a few hours earlier from an ambush while they were grabbing the sacred artifact.

He opened his eyes and pushed himself up off the ground. Pain struck up his shoulder as he was rising. But there was no time to rest so he can lick his wounds. There was a barricade up ahead with at least two squads of traitor marines, they were blocking the closest exit to get out of the city. But the traitor marines are now alarmed of their presence so there is no time to look for another exit. The once beautiful city streets and building were now mostly ruins and mortar fire tore up the ground. Craetos dodged a bullet and got behind a wall that was part of a courtyard that was in the middle of an intersection.

"Craetos! How many grenades do you have left?" shouted Sergeant Agotone.

"One frag grenade, and two smoke grenades." replied Craetos.

"Well give 'em here boy. I got an idea. Everyone, give me covering fire! Craetos, Lykaios, you're with me.

Sergeant Agotone threw both of the smoke grenades into the middle of the street, then ran to the building to his left, breaking down the wall as he ran full-speed through it. It barely left a dent in his ornate ceramite power-armor. Although the crystal-blue paint was covered in dust and had a much darker color now, and the gold trims around his pauldrons and imperial eagle were becoming scratched and you were able to see the grey ceramite underneath.

They ran up the stairs quickly till they got to the roof. They ran across the roof tops, jumping over buildings with relative ease. The traitor marines were still shooting through the fog just to make sure we wouldn't get close enough to melee so we couldn't use our psyker abilities. Too bad for them. Agotone threw a frag grenade from the roof. It detonated in the middle of the two squads, ripping apart five of them. Sergeant Agotone, Craetos, and Lykaios jumped down from the ceiling to destroy their foolish foes.

As Craetos was falling, he counted nine traitor marines. Craetos landed on top of one, sliding his power sword through the back of its neck, his warning to his traitorous brothers died as his head was removed from his shoulders. He looked around and saw that the others dispatched their enemies in a similar fashion.

"Sergeant!" screamed Pearce

"The Thousand Sons are closing in on us from behind. Rhodes was shot in the back by a bolter and is barely conscious. Take Sofronio and Jace. Rhodes and I will hold them off."

"Very well Brother- Pearce. May the Emperor watch over you."

Craetos barely moved out of the way of a Thousand Son's surprise lunge attack. But he quickly parried and launched a blow of his own with much for finesse to the assailant's neck, which was barely parried. The traitor marine quickly swung his chainsword towards his legs. But Craetos was too fast and blocked it with ease and punched the opponent in the helmet. The traitor reeled back in pain, and once he looked up after regaining his footing, it was already too late. Craetos skewered him with his power sword, lifting him up into the air and throwing him at an onrushing traitor marine. He was caught off guard and barely dodged the body which was thrown at him. Craetos quickly took out his bolt pistol and shot the traitor right in between the eyes, silencing the warrior's horrific battle-cry.

He looked around to see how his battle-brothers were faring. He watched as Agatone cut off the head of one enemy and shot another in the same instant. Lykaios was dueling with a powerful Thousand Son, who was most likely in charge of these men. Five traitor marines left. Jace and Sofonio just arrived, making it an even fight. Each warrior has his own one-on- one battle. The way it should be

Craetos heard another battle-cry, and turned to see an enemy wearing ornate power armor with horns rising from his helmet charging at him. It would have been a terrifying sight for a regular men. But he hadn't been one of those in many years. He was an Adeptus Astartes, and fear was something that he was designed to give his enemies.

This opponent looked much more skilled than his last two opponents. He swung at Craetos's head with a rune sword, which almost connected. But Craetos ducked underneath the blow. Craetos was now in a crouched position with his right foot slightly in front of his left with the tip of his sword pointing behind him to the ground to his left. He put most of his power into his swing, and swung diagonally. If it connected, it would hit the enemy's right hip and go straight across to his left shoulder. But the Thousand Son brought his sword to deflect the blow. But his swing was too great and it knocked the Thousand Son off-balance. He tried to recover by swinging his body around with the force of the blow and launching a back-handed swing, but Craetos already seized the advantage and duck and flew into his enemy, tackling him to the ground. He put his bolt pistol to his forehead and spit on him

"Traitor scum." whispered Craetos, and fired two bolter shells in the the head of the traitor marine, blood and gore now covering his face and armor.

He viewed the battlefield again and noticed that his brothers just dispatched the remaining soldiers. He turned around towards the direction Pearce and Rhodes were. Pearce was surrounded by traitor marines and was hacking them down, although his left arm was missing and had a gash across his face and blood all over his armor. Some of his own, but most of it was his enemies. It looked like he was fighting an army of them. Too many to count at the moment. And so far in those few seconds Craetos had watched him, he had cut down six enemies, and he is still going strong. In fact, it looked as if his attacks became more ferocious as he took more damage. Rhodes was still on the floor shooting his bolt pistol a few steps behind Pearce. But Pearce was a true warrior, and Craetos hoped he would reach his end exactly like him.

"Lets go boys. Get your arses up 'er and let's get the hell out of this place. Pearce 'nd Rhodes are going to die like an Adeptus Astartes should. Now let's get back to that 'ol beacon so we can bring this bloody artifact back to the Chapter."

Craetos and the rest of the squad escaped the dreaded city walls. And noticed drop pods falling from the sky. They were black and yellow. In that instant, Craetos realized who they were. The Superiors.

The Superiors were also a Second- founding chapter, except they were from the Imperial Fists. The Superiors and the Protectors hated each-other. It was a dispute over 10,000 years old. The Superiors and Protectors were on a campaign together, but the Protectors were getting more of the glory and the Superiors got jealous. They hated the fact that all the recognition was going to them. One day, an entire Black Legion fleet attacked the Protector's home world of Ragnarok. A fleet from the Superiors was nearby and they asked for assistance. But the Superiors completely ignored them and left them to their doom. The Protectors won, but with only 1/8th of their troops remaining. Only six hundred and fifty two soldiers were left alive after that battle. Since then, every time these two chapters encounter each-other, a vicious battle always erupts.

"Shit... we betta' get to the beacon fast before they kill us, and take the artifact. Get your arses movin' boys." said Sergeant Agotone. He really knows how to give you a motivating speech.

The squad was marching through the forest quietly as to not draw any attention. So they stayed close to the river which led up to the beacon. After marching for hours they finally arrived at their destination. They went into the clearing, checking to make sure there weren't any unwanted guests. Jace went up to the beacon in order to activate it while everyone else made a circle around him.

"Alright Sergeant, the beacon will be set in fifteen minutes. Now all we gotta do is-", those were the last words Jace ever spoke.

A Superior appeared from the forest with a heavy bolter and tore Jace to shreds in a matter of seconds. All the members of the squad immediately fired at the space marine, destroying him just as easily as he destroyed their cherished brother. But once he was down more Superiors charged from the bushes, there must have been at least twenty of them. Craetos and Lykaios cut down two during

the charge, but it didn't slow them down much.

Craetos and Lykaios charged into the mass of space marines, ripping through them with unrelenting fury. Sofrino was on the other side of the beacon defending themselves against another squad of marines that tried to sneak up behind them.

Craetos was fighting with a bolter in one hand and a power sword in the other. Lykaios fought in a two-handed stance with his chainsword he received from the company commander after saving him from a genestealer a few years back. Craetos shot two charging space marines in the head, taking them out with ease, and blowing the legs off another. Another charged at him, chainsword heading straight for his chest, he smacked it away with the blunt of his sword and put his hand on the Space Marine's face.

"When you go to that place where the rest of your emperor-forsaken brothers go to after they die. Make sure you tell them, Craetos of The Protectors sent you."

Lightning shot from his hands, and shook the space marines body, sparks were flying out from his armor and his body was shaking uncontrollably. His armor started to smoke and his screams of agony seemed to never end. Then, Craetos stopped, and the space marine fell to the floor, armor blackened from the intensity. He turned around and saw a company commander, with his ornate power armor, with even more awards on it than his sergeant, dueling with Agotone. They were on par with each-other. Neither one able to give a decisive blow. When from behind, a Superior came out and stabbed him in the back. A disrespectful act which should never occur during a duel. No matter the circumstance, The chainsword came out the front of Agotone's chest.

Anger surged through Craetos's veins, tears streamed down his face. The closest person to him, was now taken from him. His superior officer was now gone, with no one left in charge. Craetos went on a killing spree.

He holstered his bolter and started shooting fire from his hands, engulfing any marine it came into contact with, a black rage overcame Craetos and he went mad. No one was able to control him.

He charged full speed at one space marine and grabbed him by his head while he was still running. His momentum let him carry the space marine, and he set fire to his helmet, activated the krak grenade from his belt and chucked him into the oncoming horde. Space Marines were thrown everywhere, as well as himself, Sofronio, and Lykaios.

He got back off the ground and looked around at his handiwork. All the Superiors were dead, except for two who were shot down by Lykaios and Sofronio. Then one figure emerged from the dead bodies. It was the man who was dueling with Agotone. He let the anger engulf him again, and he charged at the Superior. Craetos ran up to him with his sword in his left hand and to his side and swung right for the company commander's head. He sacrificed finesse and swordsmanship for brute strength and speed. But he already saw it coming and ducked. The Space marine then punched Craetos in the stomach, sending him flying a few yards and he landed hard on his back.

Craetos got up, spitting up blood, Lykaios and Sofronio then charged at him while Craetos got his rest. They were both fearsome warriors, but the company commander had more experience and used it to his advantage. He kicked Lykaios in the chest and sent him flying back. Then he swatted Sofronio's attack away and stabbed him through the chest. He stood there, with Sofronio skewered on his ornate chainsword. He began to laugh, Craetos surged up his remaining strength and got up. Seeing this, the Superior commander threw Sofronio aside and looked into Craetos's dark blue eyes. Craetos just lifted up his hand slowly, and fired a lightning bolt to his chest. It hit him hard and he fell back a few feet off-balance. But that's all the time Craetos needed. He charged up to him using all the strength he could muster, and put both hands on the marine's pauldrons. He put the rest of his psychic energy into it and turned the Marine into a ball of flames. A loud scream erupting from his burning carapace.

"Just like the marines before you. Tell them Craetos sent you here, and there are plenty more Superiors to follow that will join you soon enough."

Then, Craetos and the survivors were teleported back on the ship with Lykaios, and with the bodies of Sofronio, Jace, and Sergeant Agotone.