Re-claimer : a legion story of deceit
Cassiel stirred from his chambers aboard his strike cruiser "Sacrifice" on route to his personal armoury to prepare for his mission upcoming on Cthonia Primarus.
The small shrine across from his chamber was aglow with burning candles and scented oils lit in flaming pools. Cassiel entered his frame as servitors began combining his artificer armour plate by plate atop his super human figure. upon his masterpiece of black armour he added an ancient dark cloak and tabbard. he let the dressing area to retrieve his devastating pair of pistols one so masterfully crafted to sling bolt rounds a mighty distance for a sidearm and the other a destructive pit of plasma that coils with the whirs of death on its lips. Another Black clad warrior entered his personal armoury, dressed with a blue robe over his armour and head exsposed with an air of might, the Librarian Peitho. "Master we will be entering orbit within the hour"-said Peitho. "what trouble awaits us upon the surface?"- Asked Cassiel. "I've seen no more than the reports indicate, Green-skins rampant! though we have an unexpected ally on the planet the world eaters are attempting to cleanse the planet and have a perfect staging area for us to land without any unnecessary complication"-replied Peitho. "And Brother Dumah has he agreed to accompany us"-asked Cassiel "of course my master he was most eager when he learned his talents would be needed"-answered Peitho,"he is already awaiting in the thunderhawk".
"Then we will make planet fall immediately upon reaching high orbit, our prize awaits somewhere in the depths of this world Cthonia"-Cassiel said as he passed a bolter to the librarian and exited the chamber.
The thunderhawk rose from the bay floor, and with the birth of a phoenix from behind it took away into the planets atmosphere descending upon the war-face of cthonia.
halfway down a pair of Aquila fighters accompanied the drop-ship towards the 8th battlements of the world eaters fringe line. Cassiel addressed his twenty battle brothers aboard the thunderhawk "brothers upon this world is a shrine held sacred by our great brother Luther he has tasked me personally with retrieving an ancient device he knows to be somewhere deep in this mountain range not far from our destined landing zone, we must recover the artifact at any cost." "For the LION, Luther and the Legion!" exclaimed Peitho. The transport landed upon the solid ground amidst the staging area the world eaters held alongside the solar auxilla.
Before the Legionaries exited the vehicle it disembarked a rhino apc from the rear.
Cassiel assigned three marines to take over care of the apc and Peitho to prepare the brothers for the mission whilst he addressed the command here in the base.
The Master of rites was taken back as a Brutish suit of cataphractii Terminator armour approached from his rear.
"I am soter of Angron's World eaters brings you here Dark angel?" The terminator Addressing Cassiel Directly.
Cassiel turned to reply but was again astounded as a fearsome warrior stood beside the armoured giant, a warrior who wore white power armour dressed in many open maws engulfing worlds but missing its gauntlets, and who's helmet was adorned with a Blood Red Crest of beast hair. "We are on a recovery mission" stated Cassiel "As are we" stated the World eater now grasping his axe's handle.
"i must meet with you command here i am on a mission of importance to my legion heads" blankly said Cassiel.
"I command here angel, i am Kharn Captain of the 8th assault company. Now tell me what can you retrieve other than ork corpses from my Front lines?"-replied the axeman.
"My superiors have tasked me to recover a shrine looted when the orks took this world years ago"-stated Cassiel.
Soter opened his mighty claw gauntlet and projected a local holomap "where angel do you seek to go?" asked the metal abomination named Soter.
Dumah pointed silently as Cassiel replied "these mountains here northwards". An Auxilla officer approached "then today is in your favor, I am Lord Commander Nomos,
and i have a tank patrol heading that direction to sniff out those pesky green skins". "that will not be necessary" replied Cassiel but the officer ignored him and addressed kharn "prepare yourself and a handful of men you will accompany these your mighty brothers on the mission" Kharn reluctant to being commanded by a mere human reflected to that same officers prior successes in battle tactica and strategems outweighing even that of kharns history and nodded to agree.
A skulled Face approached the group of masters and spoke "brother Kharn our sentries indicate an imminent attack from the green skins it appears they are hungry for more slaughter this day"
"This is my consul Chaplain Kushiel he will accompany you at all time angel but we must prepare the orks are barbaric but mighty" said Kharn.
The walls we lite will small arms fire coming from the massing green against the snowy wastelands outside the perimeter walls.
Cassiel and his brother took up to the center battlements and manned their plasma coulverns in mighty retort alongside bolter salvos.
Kharn prepared his brothers to meet the enemy head on in a rhino assault. under the cover of fire from the sentries and dark angels the four rhinos advanced outside the gates that closed behind them, to take up a hundred feet away from the walls.
The first wave of orks charging fast with faces painted red and humans hung atop poles to dress them other than cloth and metal, opened fire on the tanks not realizing their weapons were useless against the thick armour of the legion rhinos.
the orks slammed the side of the transports with axe and curved blade. the world eaters tossed fragmentation grenades from the top of their transports into the ork wall splattering the area in viscera and bits of ork. then the mighty warriors left their armoured transports in a counter attack under Kharn's command of "KILL THEM ALL!". forty or so warriors ran headfirst into the wall of green death closing around them, with chainaxes whirring and bolt rounds being fired pointblank began splintering the wave of orks with brutal efficiency. the third wave of orks encircled the massacre festival and now began chanting some orkish plee "Fangor!" "Fangor!" "FANGOR!" a bolt of green lighting hits an orks body that immediately explodes leaving behind a mutating blob of gree nwarp vomit.
"I AM FANGOR!" cried the now over-sized ork grown from the ooze of its once comrade. Without question Kharn charged the beast separating himself from the brothers defending the rhinos behind and putting himself in the path of straying salvos the dark angels cast forth. The Chaplain Kushiel ordered out "RAMPAGERS! Descend!"
then a flight of twenty white armoured angels of death stirred from a passing thunderhawk passing directly into the mix of orks at least 600 hundred strong in the main cluster armed with dual chainaxes the rampagers tore apart those orks foolish enough not to flee from the whirlwind falling upon them. The Mutated ork clasped another ork from beside him as if it was but a weapon for its hands to hold or discard and began swinging wildly at kharn, who swiftly swung his might axe "cutter" into the ork monsters hand through the very ork it held so ferociously! a blast from spite furnace (kharn's gift from his primarch a hallowed plasma pistol) he melted the face the ork beast held so mighty above the marines reach, in pain it collapsed screaming kharn took apart the ork but with one more swing from below to its huge throat decapitating the ork and placing a frag grenade in its burning wound blowing it to pieces splattering all around.
what orks did not flee were cut down by warrior axe or by angelic firepower held apart by heavy ordinance from the solar auxilla nearby.
Regrouping his men kharn motioned to the dark angels to join him in the flied before the gates "to the rhino" called Cassiel to the seven brothers beneath the wall as he told those remaining to watch as sentries.
the apc holding the angels met kharn and his warriors on the corpse-field. A squadron of six Leman russ battle tanks approached from the west barrens and met the field butchers with a message "we will lead you through the Weeping Barrows just keep an eye out greenies love that place"
kharn and his chaplain Kushiel embarked in a world eaters rhino alongside several rampagers now on foot while the rest remained to hold the battlements.
the tank formation lined into pairs as they headed off towards the mountain range.
at its base a decrepid and decayed forest of black dead trees covered in snow and orkish tribe displays, to clear a path the lead battle tanks opened fire with their sponson heavy flamers burning a path up the slope beneath the weeping barrows.
a split between the greater mountains lead the tanks deep into the heart of the barrows, upon the last tank passing the stone forged gates of the mountains great explosions collapsed the snow and rock behind them spurring an ork trap lead by the detonation of crude mines tearing the treads of three of the battle tanks.
from the snow on all sides countless orks sprang forth with a mighty "WAGHHHH!" and from above strapped to rockets more orkz fell atop the tank formation.
the marines clashed tank into green-skin as they powered through the oncoming horde to reach their destination under order of Chaplain Kushiel "these battle tanks will hold back this horde while we reach our objective. Kharn displeased stared deeply at Cassiel and turned back from the veiw-port atop the rhino watching the orks exploding from ordnance and flame-casters.
the pair of apc's reached a pass of thick trees bordering the greatest of the mountains who's face was a wide deep cave covered by salvage and metal tied together to form simple walls.
the marines formed up a few feet from the skirt of the tree cover, Dumah raised his stalker pattern boltgun and remarked "no sentires, open gate" Peitho with a spark flashing from his eyes reeled back and spoke "I see something in side a dark thing i believe the beast you killed was spawned here, but something is off about these caverns"
Cassiel ordered his men "we move now while the orks are gone". the black armoured legionaries rose up and sprinted for the opening bolters in hand.
Kharn persued along side his elite guard.
within the gate the astartes to note of orkish violence at its best as they had slain each other seemingly to the last.
the cavern narrowed past the primitive huts and camps the orks had destroyed, making the marines crouch and move in single file towards a dim glow of green emanating from the far recess of the mountains innards. at the end of the cracked rock pass was an opening into a pool of green thick liquid,
brimming and bubbling. the marines fanned out searching the new age entrance to the shrine Allegios. up a length of stone stairs into the ceremite walls of the dark angels shrine the group advanced at a caucious pace. inside the great chamber damaged servitors rotted and ork bodies littered the ground, a toppled angel statue against the far wall and Cassiel sprung forward "THERE!" charging towards an opening beneath the collapsed statue.
the battle brothers descended into the seemingly untouched catacombs of the shrine the dark angels led the decent but stopped and turned bolter "you go no further into our sanctuary"
Said Peitho. Kharn readied his cutter but was stopped by chaplain Kushiel "i will accompany you further, and my brothers will stand guard in the hosting chamber above."
Cassiel nodded in agreement. The dark angel marines held the halls within the catacombs whilst Cassiel, Peitho,and Kushiel descended into a great crypt still lit with burning oil. Cassiel approached the ancient slab Grave and pushed its great lid aside with ease. inside the slab a long decayed body held tightly a simple sword it had but one ornament on its hilt a lion swallowing a winged blade. Cassiel lofted the sword from the corpse and released its black blade into the air, then Peitho took to a knee in agony "AHHH IT, IT ,CANNOT BE!" then rose and charged Cassiel who dodged his mighty staff and tumbled away from his angered brother. Kushiel Demanded Peitho to cease his aggression but Peitho once again charged Cassiel crackling with warp energy funneling into his staff before his staff could reach Cassiel a wrathful salvo from Cassiel's plasma pistol tore into his armoured chest collapsing him briefly. in agony Peitho let out a surge of lightning from his hand that was reeled into Kushiel's Crozious who now stood between the two. Peitho raised his hand to cast another bolt but was caught by the mighty Aquila that devastated his skull into a merciful oblivion. Cassiel sheathed the sword and turned to leave the chamber, "CASSIEL STOP!" Cried Kushiel but before he knew it Dumah had placed a pair of bolt rounds through his jaw from the shadows of the hall where Cassiel now strode away in darkness. Kushiel taken away by this betrayal was further questioning as he watched his armoured body drooped down before him as he faded forever into the emperor's grace.
kharn and his men stood waiting in the chamber as the dark angels rose one by one from the catacombs, Cassiel strode past without a glance at kharn.
"Where are the other two?" questioned kharn Cassiel raised his right gauntlet in a closing fist, the dark angels lit the world eaters in bolter-fire Kharn enraged charged Cassiel who dove away, but meeting kharn was Dumah with a bolt shot to his exposed hand holding his axe. the rampagers began Assaulting the dark angels in many single combats around the hall Cassiel and Dumah had already left into the crack towards the maw opening while the world eaters were engaged.
Kharn Took up a chainaxe from a fallen brother and took the head of the dark angels sergeant who stood defiant as his men were slaughtered by the furious butchers.
A great agonizing scream came from outside the chamber not human not astartes but something fowl and vile, "I AM FANGOR!" the rampagers led by kharn took down the stairs in a flood of rage no ork would stop them from retribution.
The scene in the pool was a Gruesome one Many mutated monsterous ork bodies stood rising from the ooze, but one towered the others. seemingly twenty or more feet tall a huge ork clad in misshapen armour with claws made of steel gazed down upon the charging marines. Kharn took on look into the fangor's eyes to see the burning not green like ork magics but red like hell-fire, a sigil blazoned across the ork monsters face marking out the shape of a skull in weeping blood.
the rampagers met the ork abominations in combat but were torn apart swiftly by huge curved axes and hooked blades not common to ork design.
kharn called out on his long range vox for "DEATH IS MINE THIS DAY, FOREVER DEVOURED IN COMBAT!" Soter listening in locked coordinates and prepared his brothers for a lightning strike. Ten beams of energy pierced the pooled chamber as Soter and his frenzied butchers engaged with theirs mighty terminator weaponry into the ork monsters.
Kharn while in the grip of Fangor's great claw took spite furnace to overheat and de-atomize the orks shoulder with a great blast. kharn while single handed took up another chain axe to Fangor's knee collapsing the beast into the pool. The great claw came out at Kharn and bashed him clear across the chamber to the wall nearest the stairs.
the terminators cleaning up the remaining ork-beast engaged in a swarming method slaying each on as a mass of murderous metal in-humans showering the once white armour stained in ork blood. the great ork Fangor Took up once more and gripped a terminator in its steel claw lifting it to its great mouth from which it vomited molten slag that seeped into the helmet of the terminator killing him slowly. kharn readied another charge this time holding a bolter from a fallen brother, he ran forward unleashing its ammunition into the great beast. it turned to kharn and charged forward through the wall of terminators.
"TAKE OUT ITS LEG" Yelled Kharn. Soter took his might power-fist directly to the knee of the ork monster imploding it into a spray of blood and magma.
the ork terror Fangor fell on its chest before Kharn who slung the bolter into its left eye and emptied the clip directly into its monstrous brain cavity.
the beast ceased movement but kharn was not satified and took its mighty skull as trophy back to the maw of the mountains where a thunderhawk awaited him and his retinue.
Kharn returned to the battlements where he lashed out in fury at the sight of a few dark angels still holding the wall as ordered. Their heads adorned spike soon after just like the orks. Soter commended Kushiel's body to the apothecary then joined kharn atop the wall. "what now captain?" asked Soter. Kharn did not reply but simply looked to the sky above silently. Lord commander Nomos joined the pair "Gentlemen we have taken the fight from the orks this planet will be the emperor's in a matter of days."
Once again in his chamber aboard his cruiser Cassiel sat in awe of his new blade as if he was learning from it. Dumah entered the chamber "Master you summoned me?"
Cassiel turned and motioned dumah come closer then observed the black blade more over.
dumah cautiously approached. "Kneel brother the right of salvation is no longer yours to hold" said Cassiel as he beheaded the kneeling body of his battle brother.