Authors note: I have just been introduced to the Warhammer 40000 Universe and of course, Warhammer Fantasy Battles. I have an interest of them and this is the first time I am writing such a fic. So if there are any errors or weird things that happen in here, pls feel free to comment. And one more thing, have fun, and since I like twisting stories, do not expect it to follow a canon 40k universe story. Cheerios! In addition, I'm adding in some unit names that most of you that played Dawn of War would recognize.
Chapter 9: Even more reactions
Deep within the Eye of Terror, far from the physical plane, a meeting is convening as four figures were seen. It was strange enough, because instead of using their known forms, the four figures were now in the guise of humans, simply because their true forms were too impressive, or in Nurgle's case, absolutely disgusting.
Khorne resembled a massive human clad in reddish black plate armor with lots of skull like adornments etched on. Bloodstains were splattered all over the face of the skulls, and he had a massive horned helmet, and in his hand held a massive bloodstained great axe.
Nurgle was like a sick pasty faced human, and he had a haggard look on his face, his body thin, and wasted, and he wore something to matted leather armor, and he carried a staff made out of half rotted wood with a skull head on top, and the skull itself was emitting noxious fumes.
Slaanesh was represented by a beautiful voluptuous looking female, which was sensual, and had the look that most human females would kill for… it didn't help that she was wearing quite provocative leather clothing as well, something that wouldn't look out of place in a dungeon of some sort. But the three gods also knew that she is in fact, a hermaphrodite, having both sexual organs of male and female. She carried a thorned whip, which she attached to her belt. The whip added to the image of Slaanesh being an elegant dominatrix, which had vicious looking barbs and thorns on its edges.
And finally, Tzeentch was the last to arrive. His humanoid guise was that of a human mage, clad in luxuriously elegant mage robes, his features wild and handsome, though he wasn't as dazzling as Slaanesh's mortal guise was. His hair and eyes were changing colors at will, true to his name as a god of change and chaos. He held an ornate mage's staff made of gemstones and platinum, which shimmered and crackled with chaotic energy.
Khorne was the first one to speak. "What is the reason that you have called all of us here, Brother? I would have you know that you had better not be wasting my time on meaningless jabber!" His voice was a mix of being annoyed and angry at the same time.
Nurgle said nothing but glared at Tzeentch, or at least tried with his sickly look, which Tzeentch ignored. It was no secret that all four chaos gods disliked each other in one way or another, and somehow, it translated into the factions that they hold power over as well.
"Oh lighten up, brother dear…" Slaanesh said in her melodic, sensual voice. "I am sure that brother Tzeentch had his own reasons for calling you here now, don't you brother dear?"
Tzeentch just grinned at how Khorne fumed at being called that way by Slaanesh. It was no secret that those two didn't get along too well, so did he and Nurgle. He just nodded and said. "Yes, you are right sister dear… I had called on you to discuss about something, or should I say a specific someone that I had found to be an interesting plaything."
Slaanesh then giggled sultrily. "Oooh… sounds that certain someone is interesting enough that my brother is intending to make him his personal project."
Khorne then snapped. "Cut the long winded speeches and get straight to the point, Tzeentch. I have my own personal interest in a Space Marine Captain that I want to make into one of my Daemon Princes."
Tzeentch for once turned serious for a moment and said. "If you are referring to Arkhon Vakeros, BROTHER…. Then I suggest that you back off. In fact, I am warning him off all of you."
Nurgle just fell silent as he had no interest whatsoever in this Arkhon mortal. Slaanesh merely pouted at denied another male to play with, though she plotted in silent, hoping that she would someday 'persuade' her brother to let her play with this mortal that he was so interested in.
But Khorne, as expected, exploded. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S OFF LIMITS!! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO DO SO, BROTHER!! HE'S STILL A MORTAL AND YOU ARE NOT STOPPING ME TO CORRUPT HIM !!" He roared in fury and indignation, brandishing his great axe threateningly at his sorcerer brother.
Tzeentch just looked blandly at his furious brother. "And that is why you always lose, brother. Your troops, if they can be said so, are merely berserkers and fanatical meat tanks. All brawn and no brain, and even your Chaos Lords only fare a little bit better. And for your information…" He paused for a moment, letting an atmosphere of anticipation grown in the air before he dropped the bomb. "I'm not going to corrupt him either."
His smirk was infuriating to Khorne who immediately demanded. "What the hell? What do you mean you are not corrupting him too? What kind of sick game are you planning here, Tzeentch?"
Tzeentch just smirked. "I am planning nothing, brother. That Arkhon Vakeros is what I call a chaos nexus… if you would observe closely than to blindly charge in whatever you are trying to do, you should realize by now, that he is a proverbial 'butterfly'. One action of his is already spreading so much chaos from within the Imperium and beyond it, and he isn't really trying. Me, being the true god of Chaos and Change, find it amusing to say the least, and…"
He then fixed a deadly stare at Khorne, who flinched, not wanting to admit to himself that he was beginning to feel afraid of his sorcerer brother. "…if you try to do anything funny with him, I'll let my forces team up with sister Slaanesh's and wipe yours out without question."
Khorne was about to charge at his brother and pummel him for threatening him when he froze, sensing the wild chaotic energy that his brother had released, bathing Tzeentch's body in a wild chaotic corona of colors. He realized that his brother was serious in this, and even he didn't think that he would able to stand against the combined forces of Slaanesh and Tzeentch altogether.
Nurgle just turned and left with a sickly huff. He felt he clearly wasted his time here, and he didn't want to face Tzeentch allied with Slaanesh either. Khorne threw him a dirty look before he snapped rather grudgingly. "Fine…. You both might have won this round… but make no mistake Tzeentch… I'll get you yet!!"
He then turned around and left in a small pillar of flame, leaving only Slaanesh and Tzeentch in the void space. Slaanesh smiled sensually at Tzeentch and said. "I must say that it was quite amusing to say the least. My followers would be delighted to fight brother's. Just let me know when you need them and I'll let my commanders know. Until then…" She too disappeared in a puff of fragrant mist, leaving Tzeentch, who was grinning ear to ear at this latest development.
He was feeling very good, as even here, where Arkhon wasn't even around; he could spread such mixed feelings in his siblings and creates another bout of chaos amongst the chaos gods, no less. That made him more valuable to Tzeentch's eyes, and he wasn't going to try to corrupt the man. Now, all he had to do is to keep his siblings hands off the man. All chaos gods never trusted each other fully, for good reason.
He too, disappeared in a burst of chaotic energy to his own domain, chuckling madly in amusement. He could tell that it would be an amusing story for him as the events unfold into the future.
Meanwhile, rumors of a new human faction had spread like wildfire across the galaxy, as well as the massive troop movements that accompanied such things.
On the ragtag assembled Ork ship, Mork's Raiders, Boss Gragtar Grimjaw looked at his Shoota Boyz Nob with mixed feelings. "So, youz were sayin' dat the humies are on the move, iz dat so?"
The Nob nodded and said. "Yuz they are Boss, them humies are goin' in the direkktion of one of those pointy ears place, and lotz of them too. Looks like dey might be startin' a little WAAAGH of der own!"
Now Gragtar was beginning to think of the things his Nob said. It wasn't strange for a WAAAGH to be started by one of their kind, and they had fought the pointy ears before and the dark pointy ears as well. In fact, all Orks had fought against every single race there is out there, and even amongst themselves.
"Ookay… so wut udder noows that yoo 'ave heard about dem humies?" He asked the Nob. Gragtar and his ragtag band of Shoota Boys, Slugga Boys, and some Rokkit Boys were the remnants of the Grimjaw clan of Orks that were taken out by another bout of infighting between themselves. They were lucky that they managed to 'borrow' a ship from one of their rival clan's dumps and they made it off before said clan found out about it, with the help of some Gretchins.
"Nuthin much' Boss… udder than them humies are goin to attack one of the pointy ears place which 'ad some other humies as well. Looks like 'dey be startin a small WAAGH against one of der' own."
Gragtar was now interested in this little piece of news. In all these years, he had never heard of humies fighting humies before, well, maybe he did, but usually it was against those Chaos Boyz. He certainly never thought of fighting WITH humies before.
Only Gorgutz has ever done that, and with those Chaos boys at that. Still Gorgutz's a Warboss if not Warlord by now, and not even Gragtar was stupid enough to go against Gorgutz at least not now.
He suddenly had a brilliant idea, well as brilliant as an Ork could think up. "Alright youz boys! Listen up an' listen good! 'Ere's what I'z been tinkkin… we'z gunna join up with doze humies and fight other humies… anyone 'oze gunna say sometin about it iz gunna get killed or der 'eads bashed in. Any questions?"
At the shake of his followers' heads, Gragtar grinned. "Alright boys, let's git goin'! We gots us a WAAAGH to fight for!! WAAAAGH!!" He let out a battle cry and it was echoed through the ship, the spirits of the bored Orks lifting significantly as the ship slowly changed its course towards Fek'Dar VII.
Tzeentch stiffened in his domain once more, and then chuckled to himself… it seems that a band of greenskins are already on the move, and looks like they want to fight with the small force of former Imperium Space Marines, thinking that they would get to fight a glorious WAAAGH!
He was definitely pleased as the chaos that was spreading through his universe due to his personal project's actions were getting more and more widespread and he just basked in the knowledge that this was one of the few times that he was really having fun and having such a good time.
He then had a wild idea out of a sudden, though he filed it later in his mind, for further use. Oh yes, it was going to be so much fun playing with Arkhon. The man really didn't disappoint him after all, and if the way things are going, he would really find it hard not to tempt Arkhon to take command of one of his Thousand Sons Company, and bring him fully to his faction.
Meanwhile, onboard the Tau vessel, a single Tau Ethereal was deep in thought as he pondered the mission that was given to him. His superiors had dispatched him, alongside a modest sized contingent of Fire Tribe Warriors and Pathfinders. It seems that the council of Ethereals had determined, through the reports of the Earth Caste drones spread throughout the galaxy that this human, one called Arkhon Vakeros wasn't like the other stubborn humans who refused to embrace the Greater Good.
Already, said human in question had fought against the abominable Dark Eldar to defend a relatively sparsely defended Eldar community. That was a sign that there was a potential that the man could be persuaded to fight for the Greater Good. And even if said man refused, the Tau would openly assist the man in whatever endeavor he wished to perform. To that end, the Ethereal sent for this mission was also accompanied by Vespid Hunters, and many of the Kroot Hunters and Warriors, alongside the XV88 Crisis Battlesuits and Hammerhead Skyships to that end.
The Ethereal was broken from his thoughts as a Tau Lord from the Fire Tribe, approached him and said. "I beg your pardon, your Excellency… but we have received reports that the humans of the hated Inquisition and the Black Templars are currently headed to a planet currently held by the Eldar. What is interesting is, that the signature of the individual that we are supposed to contact is last seen on that very planet, and if I am not mistaken, by the reports of our long range drones, there seems to be a well armed human defense working with the Eldar defenders, and there are three Imperium Strike Cruisers orbiting the planet."
"What do you make of this then?" The Ethereal asked his honor guard and the overall commander of this mission.
"It seems that our assistance is needed after all, judging by the massive fleet that is going to converge on that particular planet… I doubt the chances of the defenders winning are quite low at best… a draw would be the most probable outcome, given the forces stationed there."
The Ethereal pondered over his aide's words for a moment before saying. "Then this is my command. Alter our course to move towards that planet where the person we are supposed to contact was last seen. It would do well for us to aid him and his comrades for the sake of the Greater Good."
"As you wish, Your Excellency." The Tau Lord nodded as he strode out of the Ethereal's quarters, and the Ethereal began to think. "I will have to contact the person that the Council is interested in… hopefully I can persuade him before we arrive. With that thought, the Tau Ethereal closed his eyes and slowly went into a trance, searching out through the vast reaches of space for the psychic signature that matches the one he was given before he left the Tau outpost from which he was sent.
Meanwhile, on Terra, unknown to his guardians that attended to the Golden Throne that maintained his life and spirit, the immortal spirit of the Emperor stirred slowly. He, with his consciousness and his psychic might was suddenly aware of the chaotic stirrings within his domain. He was faintly amused, like Tzeentch that one man, a member of the Ultramarines no less had managed to stir up a proverbial hornet's nest within the Imperium.
He took time to scan the minds of his Children subtly, and learned that this former Ultramarines Company Captain, one individual known as Arkhon Vakeros had somehow willingly risked himself to defend a small farming colony of Eldar at the expense of him being called a traitor. He also was amused that Magneus Calgar and his subordinates were sending aid to this so called traitor, and in fact had issued an electronic letter of marque, making the so called 'traitors' into an independent human faction, privateers of some sort.
He also sensed from Roboutte Guilimman's progeny that this Arkhon person was a man of indomitable sense of honor, and he wasn't your so called by-the-book member of the Imperium, but sometimes bended the laws, not for his own benefit, but for the sake of others.
Although the betrayal under Horus's hand and the repeated attacks by Chaos and other inhumans saddened him, he personally felt that he created the Legions to preserve humanity. While Chaos undoubtedly was the reason why Horus betrayed him, he also recognized that Chaos still needs to exist as a balance to Order.
This Arkhon's actions were noble and chivalrous, but also quite selfless in nature. The horrors that some of his progeny committed in order to maintain the survival of humanity, were not something that he would have condoned, though he grudgingly admitted it was necessary for the protection of the human race.
But slaughtering innocents, and condemning a whole planet to its doom due to a minor taint of Chaos was at best, an abominable decision and he secretly disapproved of what the fanatical factions like the Black Templars and the Inquisition were doing in his name.
He also found out that Arkhon Vakeros had somehow forged something like a non-agression pact with the Eldar Craftworld Biel'tan, which was one of the most militant factions within the Eldar, and to his amusement, one of the Howling Banshee Exarchs and an Eldar Farseer seemed to be interested in him.
He too, wanted to meet the man himself in spirit, and talk to him, man to man to discuss certain things. With his demeanor, he was sure that Arkhon was at least able to listen to what he has to say.
And so, the Emperor's spirit began to move through space, towards the direction of the psychic signature of one of his children, in hopes that he would be able to meet the person that caused changes to happen within and without the Imperium.
End of Chapter 9
Author's Note 2: Well Sports Fans, here is Chapter 9, as you requested, after a long wait. I don't know how this one will turn out for you all, but keep those reviews coming in. This is an AU of the Warhammer 40k universe, so expect non-canon stuff to happen here.
On with the reviews.
Iron-Venom: Thanks for reviewing. Your suggestion is noted… but wouldn't be kind of overkill that way? But I'll keep that in mind, so I might include your idea in the later chapters.
MWD: Thanks for the review, and here's to the hope you will keep reviewing. Cheers!
DariusFF: A 9-Way Space battle huh? Then I might need some help with that. As you can see from my previous chapters… the writing of battles isn't one of my strong stuff, though I hope to improve it. Hmm, still haven't found out of the Starchild Theory, and interesting stuff about the Demiurg… maybe I'll consider their appearance. And yup, I like Mechwarrior… although finding an STC should be a bit early here, but will consider it for later chapters. Keep reviewing though! Cheers!
Neo-Byzantium: Thanks for the review, and yeah, that's what I have been thinking when I wrote this fic. Seriously, the Imperium of man is alone against so many hostiles out there, that I think they would need allies, even if they are of convenience to help against their battles, against Chaos, the Necrons and even the Dark Eldar, and Tyranids. Those four factions, in my personal opinion, possess more threat to humanity than the Eldar or the Tau. The Orks… well, they are nuisance at best in my opinion.
Alith Anar: A High Elf from Fantasy huh? Not sure how he/she will fit in, but I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for reviewing!
Delta 38 Blood Raven: Hey man, you like the Blood Ravens huh?grins Anyways, yeah thanks. Will try to include what you have suggested in the future chapters. And just a freebie to you. This might turn out to be a Karvanas/Arkhon/Kalindi pairing, but you'll never know, so stay tuned! Thanks for reviewing!
Eldanesh: Truth to be told, never really thought about the High Lords thingy. They might react, but once Calgar explains it to them, I hope they will understand, but like I said, you'll never know. So please stay tuned to this fic and find out. Thanks and keep reviewing!
Carefree-Angel: Nice to see someone following this story! Your persistence and patience has been rewarded! Thank you for your support and keep reviewing!
Warhammerlover: I admit that it is hard to create an independent human faction and not straying out of Warhammer lore. Your suggestion is interesting though; care to tell me more about it? And yes, the miracle you are saying of is already in motion, but hasn't happened yet. So please, do keep reading and stay tuned to find out more. Oh, thanks and please, do keep reviewing!
ExDeamon: Thank you for your helpful comments; I have fixed the offending term on the chapter you mentioned. Your suggestions are certainly helpful, and I have included some of them in this chapter, and I hope you will like it. Do keep reading and reviewing though, as your feedback is greatly appreciated by me.
Korraganitar the NightShadow: Ask and you shall receive. Tzeentch has already some plans for Arkhon and yes, your idea will be on my top list of considerations. So please do keep reading and reviewing to find out more. Thanks and Cheers!
