Adeptus Astartes Strike Cruiser: Bellephron, In Orbit of Forty Two -Twelve, 221, M39

Brother Barbaros relaxed in the Reclusiam, the cold air of the prayer chamber soothing his thoughts. They were drawing into orbit of the Chapter home world, Forty-Two -Twelve. Forty-Two -Twelve, captured in the early days of the Great Crusade by the 42nd expedition fleet and the VI Legion: Vlka Fenrika, or in Low Gothic; The Space Wolves. After the fires of the Great Heresy had died out and the newly formed Chaos Space Marines; driven into the Eye, the Codex Astartes was written and per its dictate, the remaining Imperial Legions were split. Barbaros mused on their Chapter history, after all the Emperor's Paladins were a relatively young chapter, formed in the 22nd Founding in late M37 from Raven Guard Geenseed. All Astartes sons of Forty-Two -Twelve exhibited the features of Corax, being universally pale and midnight black of hair. He looked down on the world he loved through the occuloport built into the side of the 'Bellephron'. He saw the mauve oceans and the golden brown shores and occasionally the black mountain of a Hive.
He remembered his pre Astartes life. He worked the farms with his father, herding Grox and other types of cattle breeds in the tanned grass.
He remembered his induction to the Space Marines. His father had pushed him forward when the two towering monsters in Crimson had come to their village, seeking aspirants for the "Path of Honour".
He remembered standing in the cramped conditions of a Rhino with ten other boys, none older than twelve. He remembered his childish beliefs that had been drilled into him by his pastor in the county Scholam. That because this was the twelfth System brought into compliance by the Angels of Death, so was twelve a sacred number, and all who could be just like the liberators of this world must have that sacred number in them.
He remembered looking around seeing the two monsters reclining on benches far too big for any mortal man and discussing in depth about their latest haul of recruits. He saw one of the monsters, bedecked in a skull faced helm and his black armour plates emerge from the cabin of the Rhino APC. He had told them that they were all about to embark on a journey together. He laughed, he would not have called the "Path of Honour" a journey by a long stretch, and it was ten years of hell. Psycho-conditioning, organic implantations and the new muscles in his body trying to burst out of his adolescent skin. Even throughout all the agony, the boys had trained. First with Autorifles, then Lasguns until finally their muscles had grown and been enhanced enough to handle the kick and roar of a Bolter. He had learn Blade to blade fighting at the hands of Scout Sergeant Fenrion, Bolter drill at the hands of Devastator Sergeant Mandellax and he had learnt the Emperor's Paladins battle doctrine from the mind of Librarian Tsutar. He remembered the horrendous casualty rate. After ten years, the fifty boys the Astartes had gathered from the Glycian province of the Nation of Valcar numbered only five Scouts.
Barbaros laughed, it had been forty years since that day. He had earned his black carapace and power armour, and was now second in command of Severance Tactical Squad; under Sergeant Severtor.

There was a hiss of hydraulic doors. Barbaros snapped back to reality from his thoughts. Brother Heldon limped into the room. He had been badly wounded during the last battle they had fought. The other Space Marine stopped and eased himself onto one of the marble benches.
"Greetings Brother, how is the limb?" said Barbaros, dipping his head in Heldon's direction.
"Aye Brother, not as bad as the Ork who decided it would be a good idea to challenge me" the other Astartes quipped. Barbaros laughed, Heldron always did that, made light of their brutal lives. Even though they were all brothers in the Chapter, sometimes he felt closer to Heldon than any other Astartes. After all Heldon had been with him since he was a Scout, even though Heldon was a child of Glycan city not of the Province farms like Barbaros. They had fought together for the better part of forty years and that strengthened a bond. Along with the last surviving child of the Valcar harvest, Heldon was his oldest comrade. Brother Graflon strode into the room, his power armour removed for a crimson body glove with the chapters iconography emblazoned on its chest. He saw his brothers and smiled, about to launch into some tale of his heroism no doubt. Heldon cut him off.
"So you egotistical bastard, decided to come join us eh'?" The look of suppressed fury on Graflon's face was hilarious and Barbarous began to snigger uncontrollably. Grafkon worked his mouth like a fish, trying to vent his fury on his brothers. If he had anything to say, he was cut short.
The ship wide alarms began to wail. Claxons and sirens all screaming with one voice. In one swift motion, Barbaros picked up his Hemet from the prayer altar and affixed it to his armour's collar. Heldon had leapt to his feet and was already pounding down the hall towards the bridge. Graflon was nowhere to be seen. After a jog of a kilometre, they arrived at the bridge. There was a host of Astartes from third company crowding the Observation deck of the bridge. Below them, Captain Flavius stood atop the command dais, looking out at the chapter serf's crewing the bridge of the 'Bellephron'.
"What is it?" thundered the Captain.
"Out system ships closing from the Lurasian Mandeville point at the system's edge" shouted the Master of Detection.
"The ship's don't match any classific… Wait a moment, identifying, Several Imperial Mass conveyance ships, Imperial Navy, two Inquisitorial Blackships and the Inquisitorial Battleship 'His Burning Judgment'" Yelled the Master of Engagement.
"Hail them, on my screen," commanded Captain Flavius. The command screen fizzed with static then resolved into the harsh lined face of an elderly woman. Her left eye was gone, replaced with an eye patch bearing the rosette of the Inquisition. Even before Flavius could speak, she cut him off.
"Space Marine, I am Lord Inquisitor Amelia Salvadore, and I request the surrender of You, Your Company and Your vessel"
"Ungrateful Mortal!" bellowed Flavius. "Do you not know who are you addressing? I am 3rd Captain Augustus Flavius, Savoir of Hexfeild VII and Son of The Emperor, what right do you have to demand my surrender?" the Inquisitor smirked, an open gesture of contempt.
"I know exactly who you are, Space Marine" she stopped and issued an order of screen. Her smirking face returned.
"I am asking, because you and your Brothers have been declared Excommunicate Tratoris". The entire bridge went silent. Captain Flavius Roared his hatred.
"YOU DARE! YOU DARE QUESTION MY CHAPTER'S LOYALTY?. YOU LABEL US HERETICS?!"
the Inquisitor let slip an evil smile, a look in her eyes that held all the threat of a collapsing star.
"I can, and I have" The link cut out. Alarms began to whoop.
"Vessels powering up their forward Lances!" yelled the Master of Detection.
"Enemy fleet elements accelerating, about to arrive in our engagement zone" another crewman shouted.
"Give me ship wide Vox!" Shouted Captain Flavius. The wall-mounted tannoys began to echo the captain's words.
"This is the Captain; we are engaged with Inquisitorial Fleet elements, all Astartes to your boarding tubes". The captain switched off his vox. "Get the Astropath to signal the Chapter fleet, let them know their dropping into an opening engagement".
"Captain! Are we really going to engage the Inquisiton?" shouted one of the Sergeants. Flavius turned.
"Of course" he stated. "Don't you want to protect the Chapter?" The Marines stood silently. Their minds racing to comprehend the racing situation.
"Sir! Multiple ships entering system! Imperial navy battle group! One Battleship, 2 Lunar Class cruisers and 8 Firestorm frigates!" Bellowed the Master of Detection.
"Serf-Captain!" bellowed Flavius "You have the Conn". A small man with thinning white hair and the uniform of an Imperial Navy Admiral stood up and directed the crew.
"Come my brothers, let us wreak vengeance on those who seek to dishonour us," snarled Captain Flavius.