Prologue

In the vast expanse of space, an infant galaxy, virgin to the vices of war dwells untouched but slightly corrupted. Illuminating stars scatter this galaxy like a beautiful display of floating flowers, stretching across many sectors with its pollen like cascade. This story focuses on the sub sector of Jelba Prime, home to recruiting world of the consecrator space marines chapter, Ivaxian-II. Orbiting this baron desert world is the remnants of its sister planet Ivaxian which was destroyed by a fleet of dark eldar slave drivers hundreds of years prior to the consecrator marines ever discovering it. In this asteroid belt operates a massive mining facility known as the Ruschia delta which uses the expertise and skills of their tech priests and engineers to drill through the asteroids core and obtain a rare resource known as Xenyom which has great medicinal properties in the eyes of the Imperium. Any man who embraces chaos or manages to scrape its grasp will already be offering their allegiance to the chaos gods or the undivided with no constraint in doing so. This mineral is used to prevent the ruin of chaos from spreading and mutating inside the victims cerebral network.

The Consecrator marines are a troublesome chapter from which not a lot is known about. Descending from the gene seed of the Dark Angels chapter. They were forced to travel away from their home world to pursue the stench of heretical influence that burdened their founding chapters renegade brothers. In doing so, the further they pursued the dishonorable fallen, the more they fell into darkness themselves. Poverty plagued the world as if it had already lost its conscience. It was like an incessant storm that imprisoned the dry planet and weakened the minds of its populace. It has been feared by the Administratum that the consecrators are far beyond the call of duty and their tumultuous behavior is something to be concerned about.

With their chapter master, Sempronius Castus indisposed, tormented by the cold silent whispers that would normally cripple any ordinary soldier, the consecrators struggle to keep their own order. The natives of the planet grow ever more averse, pessimistic to the true belief for their protectors. This enough was demoralizing for the space marines that helped forge the world they live on. And with this doubt on them the chapter has not been able to recruit new marines for over 60 years, diminishing their hopes to restore their audacious heritage they have strove long to preserve. This is their weakness, the key that would subject them towards chaos itself.

From the void approaches two imperial ships on route for the planet Ivaxian-II. Imperial Guard thunder hawk class scout ships sent to investigate the mysterious inactivity on the mining station, Ruschia Delta. The Administratum has detected a distress reading emitting from the orbiting asteroid facility and has sent a selection of their finest elite shock troopers from the 76th battalion of the 431st Regiment, Arcadian. In a hope to unveil the mystery and retain the Xenyom mining production, the squads have their orders and must accomplish them. They have devoted their selves as soldiers and pledge their lives in the name of the emperor. A simple task that could easily go wrong.

{Wednesday 16:43 Hrs/Sector: Jelba-Prime/Aboard the Emperors Dagger..}

A broad man, almost 6ft tall, muscular, pale with rings around his distinguished but exhausted eyes paced the main bridge of the scout ship holding a vox communicator. "Sergeant Silas Darkwater reporting" his voice filled the room. "We have reached the coordinated sector, the Ruschia Delta is in our sights. We are now making preparations for our landing" the commanding officer took five strides towards the Communications equipment and punched in a few keys. A low humming noise accompanied the presence of the guardsmen's ship, exasperating as it was for all of them bleeping noises and Flashing lights from other equipment were all part of the soldiers contract. "Whitefire to Blackrose squad, do you copy?" a short pause separated the last word with the next one. "Aye, we do copy" replied a voice from the Com screen. "Silas, the place looks quiet" he added. "This should be of no surprise Andrus. The Imperium have had their reasons for sending us here, you know as well as I do that Ivaxian-II is unstable and this mission isn't just a pick up and leave, this could be far more serious" The officer on the receiving end of the transmission nodded, looking back and mouthing words to his crew.

"Andrus, I want your team to stay put, its standard procedures, it is necessary" the officer Andrus nodded once more and the transmission ended. Sergeant Darkwater now turned back to the bridge and requested that the pilot land them down on the Ruschia Delta. With the last few adjustments, the team on the emperors dagger buckled up and initiation began. "Prepare to land in, 5, 4.." The squad looked at each other with suppressed fear & Courage, their eyes meeting at least a couple of times. "..3, 2.." the last words to leave the tip of Darkwaters tongue before landing were "Don't let blood be spilled" and that was that. The Emperors Dagger had landed on the Mining station.

Apprehension swamped all around the bridge of the Black Rose's Ship; The Emperors Bolter. There stood Captain Gabriel Andrus, observing Darkwater as his team unloaded the Thunderhawk. Within seconds the squad below had disappeared into the facility. Silence struck the 'Bolter crew. All was quiet before anything could resume as normal. Then with no delay a thunderous disturbance crowded the space around the Black Rose Squad's ship.

A Vortex from the deepest fabric of space, opened right before their eyes, precarious & Destructive it propelled the ship away from the Ruschia Delta with terrifying velocity, far beyond the potential speed of the ships engines. Unable to react to this, the guardsmen onboard spiraled towards Ivaxian-II's Atmosphere. Temperatures rising through the roof as they circled closer made matters worse for the soldiers. However with sheer strength and fortitude, one of the soldiers combated the conditions that were set before him, an obstacle that would have inevitable results, the death of his crew and complete incineration of the emperors bolter. It was in the dire seconds of this disaster and with the Courageousness of the soldier that kept them alive. Shortly before entering the planets atmos, the Emperors bolter's shield flung online and safeguarded the steel plating of its infrastructure, Leaving it impenetrable. The space was again empty, no humming noises, no tractor array, no life.

Plummeting through the planets hazardous dust clouds, the engines began to malfunction, slowly being engulfed by the smoke that was withdrawing from the ships Vent panels. The ship was bound for an emergency landing but how they were to perform it was down to how well they could salvage control of the exhausting ship. Energy depleting by the second, fuel emptying through holes caused by the impact with the planet and drop pods already released for a lighter landing (Standard procedure in emergencies - the release of drop pods when permitted however when energy is too low, drop pods will release themselves). Now separated from each other, the two Guardsmen squads must both struggle to reveal the secrets that await them.